What will you do if your home was flooded and your basement became full of water? Will your important documents be safe from damage? While it’s never fun to think about them, disasters can happen to anyone, at any time. However, with proper preparation, you can be sure that your documents and other valuables are safe when such emergencies strike.
One effective way to salvage your important documents after a water disaster is through vacuum freeze drying. To understand how this method works, it’s important to break down each part of the name.
First, there is the word vacuum, which refers to removing air that might be present around your materials. Air contains moisture and will react with your papers if left around them for long.
Freeze drying is a bit more complex phrase. It involves removing any liquid from your papers first through freezing them. Any other moisture that is left is then separated from the documents by the evaporation process.
The modern process of vacuum freeze-drying documents has developed significantly in recent years to become even an important option for archiving.
Here are the Top 3 reasons why you should choose vacuum freeze drying.
Freeze Drying Uses Fewer Chemicals
Traditional document drying methods like moisture removal with gas or a chemical bath are more harmful to paper than freeze drying. The processes often rely on more chemicals and equipment which can break down paper fibers causing them to degrade over time.
With vacuum freeze drying, you don’t need strong chemicals that could potentially harm your documents. You simply place them in a vacuum chamber and let them sit until all of their water evaporates. This is safer for your family and environment while still providing similar results when it comes to quality of preservation.
Freeze Drying is Safe for Documents and Books
The documents, books, and other freeze-dried items aren’t exposed to high heat, which is a concern for paper-based materials. Heat can damage or destroy paper that’s left in direct sunlight too long. Instead, they’re placed in a low-temperature vacuum and exposed to low heat as they dry out.
This process makes it possible for even delicate material like photographs and letters to remain legible after drying. If you want to salvage your family photo album or set of old textbooks, freeze drying is a good way to make sure it stays intact without being damaged during its drying process.
Freeze Drying Is a Safe and Secure Way to Dry Documents
Vacuum freeze drying is a safe and secure way to dry your important documents. It will keep your papers crisp, flat, and ready for long-term storage or transfer.
While other forms of paper drying may damage and warp valuable documents, as we have said before, this method uses a low-temperature vacuum process that quickly dries papers without causing any wrinkles or moisture spots. This means fewer ruined sheets. As a bonus, dried records are also easier to store because they’re more compact than damp records.
Conclusion
When drying an important document, you want to do so in a way that will preserve it for future generations. One of the most effective ways is by vacuum freeze drying. The process helps to restore not only your paper but also its contents through rapid sublimation. Some important documents you can salvage via this method include:
- Important books and manuscripts
- Crucial business records and documents
- Keepsakes such as photographs and newspaper articles
- Valuable artwork
- Personal documents such as birth certificates
At Insight Restoration, we use professional vacuum freeze dryers and experienced operators to restore your documents after water disasters. Our services also ensure that your materials are prepared for long-term use. Has water damaged any of your treasured paperwork? Or maybe you just need someone to call for document restoration in case of an emergency disaster. Contact us and we’ll help you find a solution today.
