Five Tips To Hiring A Document Drying Company
http://www.homesaaz.net/articles/6417/1/Five-Tips-To-Hiring-A-Document-Drying-Company/Page1.html
Osmund Aft
Osmund Aft is a writer of Water Damage stories for Babylon, NY Water Damage Restoration and Great Neck, NY water damage restoration By Osmund Aft
Published on 10/26/2008
Many people whose documents or books sustain flood damage are not even aware that document drying is an option. In fact many paper documents that would have been considered destroyed in years past are now salvageable if the appropriate steps in document drying are taken after they sustain the damage.
Many people whose documents or books sustain flood damage are not even aware that document drying is an option. In fact many paper documents that would have been considered destroyed in years past are now salvageable if the appropriate steps in document drying are taken after they sustain the damage. There is a lot of advice floating around out there about the best way to save documents that have sustained water damage.
Here are five things you should definitely do if you want to save those important papers that were being stored in your flooded house.
The first thing you need to do is find a qualified document drying specialist. Make sure they are licensed and bonded. You don't want to give some guy in a van with a blow-dryer $5000 dollars to ruin your great grandfathers birth certificate. A great tip for the actual hiring is to go to the company's office to discuss the case. If they are reluctant to have you into the office or they are working out of their mother's garage this is a good sign you don't want to hire them. Document drying is a specialized and profitable business. Thee company you hire should have an office that reflects this.
The next thing you need to do is ask to see examples of past work. Not every company that does flood damage cleanup is qualified to repair your important documents. Just because they have a fleet of vans does not mean they are able of restoring your important paperwork.
After you see some before and after photos is the time to discuss your specific needs. Whether it is a book or a single sheet of paper will make a difference in the approach that is used to restore the document. Some common methods used to restore the books include, using dehumidifiers, chemical sprays, and advanced document drying techniques.
The most important step in the document drying process is speed. The quicker someone gets to work on your papers the better the chance of successfully restoring them. The very material that paper is made of will disintegrate if left soaking. The restoration process should begin as soon as possible. If there must be a delay the best thing you can do is freeze the documents. By freezing the paper as soon as possible you will arrest the destructive process of the water damage.
The very last thing to keep in mind is that restored documents and books will not look as they did before the water damage occurred. It would be unrealistic to believe that a document that got soaked is going to look the same as one that has never seen water. A successful document drying project will often mean that your document is legible again. Therefore if you are considering having a favorite book restored you should consider simply replacing it if at all possible. If it does not have any sentimental value to you then purchasing a replacement will make more sense.
Here are five things you should definitely do if you want to save those important papers that were being stored in your flooded house.
The first thing you need to do is find a qualified document drying specialist. Make sure they are licensed and bonded. You don't want to give some guy in a van with a blow-dryer $5000 dollars to ruin your great grandfathers birth certificate. A great tip for the actual hiring is to go to the company's office to discuss the case. If they are reluctant to have you into the office or they are working out of their mother's garage this is a good sign you don't want to hire them. Document drying is a specialized and profitable business. Thee company you hire should have an office that reflects this.
The next thing you need to do is ask to see examples of past work. Not every company that does flood damage cleanup is qualified to repair your important documents. Just because they have a fleet of vans does not mean they are able of restoring your important paperwork.
After you see some before and after photos is the time to discuss your specific needs. Whether it is a book or a single sheet of paper will make a difference in the approach that is used to restore the document. Some common methods used to restore the books include, using dehumidifiers, chemical sprays, and advanced document drying techniques.
The most important step in the document drying process is speed. The quicker someone gets to work on your papers the better the chance of successfully restoring them. The very material that paper is made of will disintegrate if left soaking. The restoration process should begin as soon as possible. If there must be a delay the best thing you can do is freeze the documents. By freezing the paper as soon as possible you will arrest the destructive process of the water damage.
The very last thing to keep in mind is that restored documents and books will not look as they did before the water damage occurred. It would be unrealistic to believe that a document that got soaked is going to look the same as one that has never seen water. A successful document drying project will often mean that your document is legible again. Therefore if you are considering having a favorite book restored you should consider simply replacing it if at all possible. If it does not have any sentimental value to you then purchasing a replacement will make more sense.