Immediately after your property or Residential Fire: Can Your own Belongings Be Saved?

LocalNet360- While it has been said that “Nothing is Certain But Death and Taxes” there are other certainties. You or your family will have water damage at some point in your lifetime. Annually 28 out of every 1000 homes will have water damage. Most heartbreaking to our clients is damage to Artwork and Photos. However, there is another certainty, if you take action within hours of the damage you can save your valuables.
Art Restoration and Photo Restoration: What You Need to Know?
WATER DAMAGE: Art restoration and, even photo restoration, can almost always be saved and restored to original condition.
• Time is the most critical issue for success. For every 24 hours you wait following the water damage, the ability to restore or even save is decreased significantly. The minute you see the damage remove the artwork from the area to a dry area of the house.
• Drying artwork or photo on your own can do more damage. Fans will not work on its own. In addition, the force of the fans may also cause additional damage.
• Industrial sized dehumidifiers pull water from the artwork without damaging the art. Unfortunately, these specialized dehumidifiers are not available at your local hardware or Lowe’s or Home Depot. Professional restorers do have this equipment in their armament.

MOLD DAMAGE: Art restoration and, even photo restoration, can sometimes be saved and restored to original condition if the art has not been burned directly.

• Surface mold, usually caused by ongoing high humidity or problems with your HVAC, can be cleaned. No chemicals should be used. Lightly wipe the art work with a very damp cloth or with s cloth of water. Or if necessary wipe the art work with water with a infinitesimal amount of dish detergent (like Dawn) followed by a wipe with a damp cloth of plain water can remove surface from most materials. The one proviso: if this surface mold has been on your artwork for any length of time it is less likely to be saved from permanent damage. It is best to consult with a professional before you do it yourself.
• If the mold has grown beyond the surface, the chances of removing from your valuable are lessened. Professional restoration companies should be consulted immediately.
• The way to prevent damage from mold is to prevent exposure to water or high humidity. If exposed, begin drying immediately.
FIRE DAMAGE: Art restoration and, even photo restoration, can almost always be saved and restored to original condition if the art has not been burned directly.

• A timely response to fire damage is essential. For every 24 hours you wait following soot or smoke damage, the ability to restore or even save this art decreases.
• Soot may not be noticeable to the nonprofessional and if not treated correctly can be smeared on the artwork and frame and cause permanent damage.
• Smoke can also penetrate the materials used in the artwork or photo. It is important to remove these valuables from the source of the damage as soon as possible to minimize smoke damage and begin removing this smoke odor immediately.

If the art work or photographs are valuable do not hesitate to get professional restoration experts involved for assistance. They work with art and photo restorers on a daily basis to save valuables that can never be replaced.

As you begin to learn about the dangers and prevention pertaining to Fire, Water and Mold damage in your home or business, you will better understand what steps to take to protect your family, employees, pets, personal belongings, business records, equipment, building structure, landscaping and surrounding areas. More importantly, in addition to knowing what steps you can take to aide in prevention, many of these same techniques will help you to mitigate risks in case of an emergency related to fire, water or mold damages should they happen to you. As stated earlier in this series, the more you know about the dangers of Fire, Water and Mold, the better prepared you will be when disaster strikes and in addition to mitigating risks, you may one day help save the life of someone you love as well as yourself, because disaster can strike anyone, anywhere at any time and it is up to you to gain the knowledge to protect your family, home and business and know when to call the professionals who can only respond after the emergency strikes.
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