Drying Out Water Damaged Books

When a book is exposed to humid conditions for an extended period of time the pages tend to bend and warp.

Drying out water damaged books. This is especially true for books that are stored in damp or humid areas such as basements garages and storage sheds. If you have a wide variety of collectibles stored in boxes in your basement then a flood can be devastating. To speed the drying process ensure that relatively dry air is circulating freely through the room. If you have several water damaged books that you are looking to save your freezer may be your best friend.

How to dry out water damaged books. Well this may take you a few hours but it depends on the degree to which the books have been saturated with water. 9 may 2016 categories. The book will be completly dry come morning but you ll still need to flatten out the pages.

Stand the book on end and gently fan out the pages. Drying with a hair dryer is another method better suited to damp books though it can also be used on waterlogged items. In most cases water damaged books with minor damage can be easily recovered through air drying. Use a fan or create a draft by opening a few windows or if the ambient air is fairly humid use a dehumidifier to make it drier.

In this article we will focus on how you can fix water damaged books. Air drying is the most common in house method of dealing with water damaged books and records. Allow the fan to continue circulating air around them for 24 hours to dry the book completely. However air drying is labor intensive diverts many hours of staff time to regularly monitor the process and often results in a distorted finished.

Even when books aren t exposed directly to water they can still sustain moisture damage from humidity. Stick the book between two boards and place some very heavy objects on top to press it flat. Drain all remaining water from the book. Those that have been severely damaged the drying process may.

Repairing several water damaged books. Because it requires no special equipment it is often believed to be an inexpensive method of drying. With sufficient work space and a controlled environment air drying is practical and convenient way to dry out water damaged books given that there is a limited number of wet books. This is especially true if you have a variety of books that are considered keepsakes rare additions or antiques.

Leaving water behind could damage the book s binding and cause mold or discoloration.