Don't Give Up on Wet Documents After a Flood

7/20/2022 (Permalink)

Wet Documents After a Flood

A flood can wreak havoc on your personal belongings, especially delicate paper goods. Wet documents such as birth certificates, deeds, and sentimental photos are difficult to replace. Don’t let a flood in Punta Gorda, FL, destroy your important documents.

Take Action Immediately After Flooding

The aftermath of a flood event in your home or business can be overwhelming – prioritizing your actions can help. Your important documents should be at the top of your list. To prevent permanent damage, you can take steps yourself before professional help arrives: 

Gather all wet documents and remove them from moisture. Ensure they do not get wet again.
Do not lay the documents flat. Place them upright and separate so that they have a better chance of drying and do not stick together.
Take pictures and assess. Certain types of damage are irreversible, such as advanced mold or running ink.

Save Whatever Paperwork You Can

Standard paper documents, photos, X-rays and books can usually be safely restored if done correctly; your best bet would be to go through professional document restoration services.

Currently, there are advanced technological strategies for document drying available. Vacuum freezing uses temperature and pressure to sublimate moisture. Additionally, gamma irradiation can be used to sterilize chemicals and bacteria that were deposited by the floodwater.

Practice Prevention

The best way to maintain peace of mind during a flood or other disaster is to plan ahead. One way to protect your most precious documents is to digitize them. Scan and upload them to the cloud service of your choice. For added security, encrypt those files and save them to multiple flash drives.

Dealing with wet documents is a devastating flood result. Prevention is critical, but if a flood should occur, you should know that you can take steps to save your important paperwork.