06/18/2019
The City of Covington and the cities around the Greater Cincinnati region have experienced record rainfall, with storms and the potential for flash flooding continuing throughout the week. Life and limb are the first priority, but if you have experienced flooding and water damage to personal possessions in your home or business, we have some tips below. Strange Stock Art Conservation understands that even if personal items don't have high monetary value, they are important due to their sentimental and historical value. Sometimes these items are the only link a person has to another individual or event. These objects tell a story and deserve to be preserved. It is possible to save some objects from water damage if action is taken quickly. For more detailed help and answers, contact a professional conservator for recommendations and treatment options. It is advised not to undertake repairs oneself as this may lead to further damage.
* In general, photographs, documents, paintings and books can be treated more easily if work begins within 48 hours of water damage.
* If safe to enter your home or business, don't hesitate to start a triage process. Safety hazards may be present, so appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), such as: respirators, Nitrile gloves, clothing coveralls or jumpsuits, such as Tyvek suits, protective rubber footwear and goggles, should be worn to reduce exposure to hazardous materials.
* Mold sets in after 48 hours due to environmental conditions such as high temperatures, stagnant air, humidity and darkness.
* Begin with finding a cool, dry place for materials to dry out. If you have electricity, turn on the A/C or fans and a dehumidifier if you have one to start circulating air and reducing humidity.
Photographs:
Use filtered water to rinse off dirt, debris and mud from the photographs. Remove paperclips if present. Lay the rinsed photographs out on a dry surface, even atop white paper towels if possible, emulsion (image side) facing up. If framed, carefully remove items from frames. If the photograph is adhered to the glass or acrylic, removing the picture may be detrimental as more damage can be caused. Dry the glass and stuck photograph, glass side down and consult a professional. For large collections of wet photographs, freezing may be an option to allow for more time to make treatment decisions. If freezing, wax paper can be used to interleave between images to help reduce photographs from sticking together. But, cased images and photographs not on paper supports such as: daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and tintypes, in addition to glass plate negatives cannot be frozen.
Works on Paper and Books:
Wet paper is extremely fragile and easily torn, so handle these materials gently. Stand books upright and fan the pages open. Try to have fanned air circulate through the room to speed drying time, but do not aim airflow directly onto objects. For books with glossy or coated papers, the books will need to be interleaved with water absorbing papers to help them not stick together. Single paper pages such as documents and prints, can be laid on flat surfaces atop paper towels or clean, un-printed newsprint.
Textiles:
Textiles also become much weaker when wet. If possible, separate colorful fabrics from others to prevent dye transfer. Rinse textiles covered in mud, dirt and debris with cool, filtered water and use clean un-dyed cotton towels or paper towels to blot excessive moisture from materials. Lay flat to dry, do not hang.
Metal, Glass and Ceramics:
Breakage is common among glass and ceramic items, metals can quickly oxidize and corrode with water damage. If possible, lightly clean these materials with distilled or deionized water. Quickly and carefully dry with clean cotton towels.
Please consult these guides from FEMA, the AIC and USA.gov for further assistance:
FEMA Salvaging Family Valuables Guide
https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1537903952519-bf860ca4e5af4a26a25e9f215678eb02/SalvagingFamilyValuables.pdf
AIC Caring for Your Treasures
https://learning.culturalheritage.org/caring-treasures
AIC Find a Conservator
https://www.culturalheritage.org/membership/find-a-conservator
US Government Guide to Replacing Vital Documents
https://www.usa.gov/replace-vital-documents
US Government Disaster Planning Guide
https://www.ready.gov/
