A flood in your business can be devastating, forcing you to close your doors until the restoration process can be completed. While the damage to the property, furnishings and even electronics, can often be restored or replaced, one thing that should not be taken lightly are documents damaged by water. Many businesses store important documents on-site. If damaged or destroyed, the information on these documents cannot be replaced and the effect can be catastrophic for a business. It’s important to know which businesses in your area can perform document restoration.

Document Recovery After a Flood

It is possible to restore documents after they are damaged by water resulting from a flood or disaster in your business. Desiccant air-drying systems can efficiently and safely dry documents that have been damaged by water. These work by removing moisture from the surrounding air and transferring it to a desiccant solid that is designed to absorb the water, ultimately restoring the water-damaged documents. Once dry, the information on the document can then be copied and reproduced, saving the critical information on the document that was originally thought to be lost to water damage. Even books and notebooks may be able to be saved, freeze drying the item so that the document recovery process can begin.

On-Site vs. Off-Site Storage for Business Documents

The type of storage that you choose for your business’ important documents can make all of the difference if there is a flood in the business. Storing copies of the documents off-site will guarantee that if they are destroyed by water damage, the information will not be lost. Another option is to keep on-site documents in a water-proof, fire-resistant container. Ensuring that these are secure in an area that cannot be penetrated by water or any other disaster will eliminate the need for document recovery in the future due to water damage.

It is good practice to keep these, often highly confidential documents, in a secure location. This may be on your business’ premises or off-site at a secure storage facility or other location. Regardless of where you choose to store your documents, if you need document restoration due to water damage, professionals like Woodard can help retrieve this critical information.

Whether from a natural disaster, burst pipe or sprinkler system, water can leave your business’ documents in a bad state. Professional document recovery is often able to get this critical information back, which can make a huge difference for your business.

About Woodard Cleaning & Restoration

Woodard Cleaning & Restoration was founded in 1946 by Earl and Nancy Woodard. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, Woodard services the greater metro area (Illinois, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, St. Louis County, and many more). Woodard is proud to serve as the preferred provider for cleaning & restoration services. Our cleaning services include carpet, hard surface, furniture, and rug cleaning for both residential and commercial properties. We also provide water, fire, board-up, storm and smoke restoration services for residential and commercial clients. For information or questions submit a form online or call us at 314-227-3932.

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Updated 4/15/2021