From: Tom Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [MOPO] Mopo - salvageing FLOOD paper - a report- and experiance
To: [email protected]
Received: Wednesday, 13 February, 2008, 3:21 PM
Hello Folks - Last Thursday I had a basement flood.. Thought
I would
offer some
Facts that may save others from this. Hers what I did and
some ideas..
One dont leave boxes on basement floor near a Floor-drain.
DUH!!! well
i just bought the house in Agust so I didnt think it was a
issue
as the baeement is finished with a wood floor. The area I
had the boxes
was furnace room that has a cement foor. I had thought
enoght to put 2
x4 lumber under most of the boxes yet I had some with Books
on the
floor. When I saw 2 1/2 inches of water I initially went
into shock.
Then I went to hardware and bought a sumppump. This will
take the water
via a garden hose up the stiars outside. Lucky it was clean
clean
rainwater from melted snow so it wasnt dirty sewage. Next
I took the
books and decided I would practice
learning Book drying. Many of these books were 1st edition
coffee table
and Films of Books and some nice Photography Books in the
20-100 range.
So i called a rooto rooter sewer cleaner company and they
came out and
opend whatever blocked it for 118.00 with sumppump another
50 and hose
24.00
Then O called my insureance.. My policy doe NOT cover back
up
rainwater.. so it was a loss of items and costs to repair.
So as I looked at the books I thought, This is actually a
oportunity to
learn restoration..even if I just bring to reading copy
quality this
could be a service i could offer to help collectors and
also save others
in same situation. So heres what I did.. I have taken each
book and
movie magazine and have dryed papge by page.with a hair
dryer and fans.
Its a very long process and when you 1st start the pages
are like sealed
together and very tender and can rip... so hers my process:
I take the
Book and fanfold out and from the top I hit with blasts of
heated air..
the pages eventually will scatter apart it just take
patience and being
gentle at that stage,, then as the pages spread open I
leave the book
open and turn upside down and do other side.. The enamel
coated paper
stock tends to stick harder however heat will get it to
release
The Pulp stock hold more water however tends to release
better. Then the
paper will get mottled and krinkled appearance and fluff
out.. so the
book expands in size and looks hopeless.. Yet satge two is
a BOOK PRESS
I had one and its a cast iron flat clamping devive that
presses the book
out tite and flat and even.. I have movie magazines in
there now and
they Look good.. Just remember to allow to dry as
the wetness cause the sticky pages.. also.... another
trick i was told
about from libraiand to remove smells and water is to
immerce the items
in KITTY litter and it absorbes oders and also moisture and
stups or
inhibits the musty mold growth.. OXygen is best and
circulated air, so
Like for instance I have the hugest Book Of Christopher
Finch - The art
Of walt disney that is tons of pages and so i took a fan
to keep air on
it It looks like a Hoge flower at monet boy after its dryed
then Ill
clamp and allow to be pressed
Also.. you can IRON out kinkles with a Clothing iron.. USE
a slip sheet
so not to scortch the paper
also some steem with take wrinkles out also rolling the
pages reformes
the paper.. all paper was made wet when it was made so its
all good..
anyways that my progess so far Ive put several days into
it.
The other thing when having a loss like this.. I thought Of
all the new
Orleans people and California Fore people and see that my
losses were
nothing.. so after grieving over the books I thought.. Im
glad this
happened..
Also its the 1st time ive looked page by page in years so i
rediscovered
lots of Images I forgot..
One book was on LanaTurner written By a customer one of my
1st LOU
VALENTINO- Lou bought Movie magazine from me when I was
just gettin
started and used some in the Book,, so It was awesome
deeing his book..
Lou aslso was art editor for LIFE magazine and went to
Peopleand helped
me in 1989 get a article on Adam West in people.. so it was
a great
flashback... Also my Hurrell book was in there..
and George said he couldnt even find them when he wated
one, and also a
book on CS BULL.
and about 40 others,, the Movie mags were not a bad loss
but some great
Covers like Colbert, Lana, Hayworth, Ror and Dale, and some
Tony Curtis
and Leigh. All in All this was a great experiance
To prepare me and get me to consider new strategies for
storage and what
if senerios.
I suggest that Plastic bins and storeing in areas that have
no water
pipes and not water seeping areas
and perhaps even in higher area remember rooks can leak so
covering in
plastic may be best
Hope that helps someone best to all. what a education :)
Tom
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