top of page

Exploration of Salvage Techniques: Water-Damaged Materials

Preliminary Process:
For our first experiment we chose materials that would best represent collections held by archives, museums, and libraries. All of the objects chosen had either been deaccessioned from  institutional or personal collections, or bought from second-hand retail stores. Some of the items were offered to various groups before they were discarded. The list of materials used for this experiment included:



Paper Materials:

  • Books (hardback and paperback)
  • Bound journals, academic reports, and folders housed in document box
  • Personal journals
  • Newspapers (circa 1940s)
  • Magazines: (Look, Tradition Illustrated, both on glossy paper)
  • Files (filled with loose paper)
  • Manila envelope filled with photo paper
  • Folded maps
  • Architectural drawings (some flat with no housing,

 and some rolled and housed in a lignin-free box)
 

  • Loose notebook paper with handwritten notes
  • Personal letters, handwritten in purple ink
  • Post cards, handwritten

Audio-Visual Materials:
 

  • Binder with slides and photos inside Mylar sleeves
  • Bindered photo album filled with black and white photos

from 1930s in plastic sleeves

  • Photographs (glossy) and modern manuscripts housed in document box
  • Loose Photos, colored, glossy, 4x6
  • Microprints
     
  • Acetate negatives in paper envelope
  • 35mm film negatives
  • 16mm film
  • Microfilm in cardboard box
  • VHS tapes (one loose and one in a plastic case)
  • Floppy disks
  • Audio cassette tapes (some encased and some loose)
  • Vinyl record album in a cardboard sleeve
  • Objects:
  • Textiles (cotton, polyester, silk, nylon, and linen)
  • Sports Banners (cotton and wool)
  • Acrylic painting on strainer
  • Picture in wooden frame with glass glazing
  • Picture in plastic frame with cardboard backing and Plexiglass glazing
  • Picture in wooden frame with cardboard and duct-tape back
  • Small wooden figurine
  • Glazed pottery
  • Ribbon with cardstock tag

We arranged the items to best represent how collections are organized and stored within small cultural institutions. Several books were placed standing upright between bookends.  Paper documents such as architectural drawings, newspapers, loose paper, and journals were placed either in loose stacks or in document boxes. By using this method we hoped to show a difference in levels of damage to materials stored properly and improperly during a water disaster.  Some books were laid flat on the trays, and one was opened and placed faced down to represent materials that might fall from shelving. A few floppy disks were laid in the plastic trays while others were stacked tightly together. Textiles were folded loosely and placed in the trays.  Video tapes, cassettes, and film were either kept in their protective cases or left out to maximize their exposure to water.

​The Experiment:
We wanted to simulate the damage caused by various conditions and sources of water. We used tap water to simulate a water pipe bursting. Lake water was brought in from Lady Bird Lake, located in Central Austin. To represent coastal flooding, we added Instant Ocean, a commercially available sea salt mixture, to tap water. The recent news presence of Hurricane Sandy and subsequent salvage efforts inspired us to explore the effects of contaminated water. In a separate set, we added motor oil to each of the three types of water to represent such contamination. We arranged items into eight groups, each with a specific problem to explore. The first six groups were arranged in trays in a sink, while the seventh group was arranged in a bucket and the eighth group was arranged in a clean trash can. The materials soaked for two days to allow the water sufficient time to cause damage, but to minimize the risk of mold. In an actual disaster, considerably more time might pass before collection staff is allowed access to the materials.  Dangerous conditions could mean a much longer waiting period.

​Aftermath:
Before starting the salvage procedures, we assessed our collection. We recorded the extent of the damage, taking note of which items were most affected, which items should be saved, and which could be discarded. These decisions were made for educational value rather than artifactual value so when there were multiple examples with similar problems we saved representative samples and discarded duplicates. The resulting observations about the condition of our collection are somewhat anecdotal and specific to our experiment, but reflective of what is likely to happen in an actual water event.



  • Water soaked through books, newspapers, and magazines, leaving them bloated and warped. Once wet, the paper became very fragile. Magazines and books with coated paper were especially vulnerable and we had many instances of clumped and torn pages. Older books with fragile joints sustained some structural damage, such as the cover separating from the text block. The imitation gilt on the top edge of the encyclopedias washed away. Ink from modern manuscript materials, such as the personal letters, bled and caused staining on neighboring objects.
  • Objects in protective paper casings, such as the photographs and archival boxes full of files and paper, were merely damp. However, audio-visual materials housed in plastic cases, such as the VHS and cassette tapes, tended to trap water. The acetate negatives disintegrated and adhered to neighboring objects. Dyes from banners and textiles bled onto other objects. Rust developed on the metal components of floppy disks.
  • Objects exposed to motor oil proved even more challenging.  In addition to the problems noted above they were stained and greasy.

​Salvage Procedures:
After assessing the damage, we used reference guides and our previous research to determine the best salvage procedures. Our decisions were based both on the extent of the damage and the type of object.



 


 

We removed all the framed pieces from their frames. Working carefully we loosened brads, staples, or other fastening devices. Then, with the objects face up, we removed frames, glazing and backing materials as needed. We placed the objects flat on blotters to dry and discarded the framing and glazing materials. Sharp glass edges were taped to avoid potential injury when handling them.
Some materials, for example a few photographs and a roll of microfilm, were hung to dry. This​ maximized airflow around the object and made more space available on our work table.


  • Interleaving: When books were damp or wet, but not dripping, we stood them on end, fanned out the leaves, and used blotter, paper towels, or newsprint as interleaving. The interleaving sheets were placed approximately every 25 leaves, and we changed them a few times during the class period. However, we neglected to monitor them after the class had ended.

Understanding that paper can cockle as it dried, we tried drying several books under the weight of a brick. Our hope was that this would allow the book to dry flat, a hope that proved misguided.



End Results:
When we were satisfied that we had dried the materials to a point that they could be left without monitoring, we consolidated them onto one 4’ x 8’ table, planning to assess them during class a week later. During that week mold began growing on our collection. As the mold became thicker, the instructor covered the table with plastic to contain the health hazard. She used dry blotters as desiccants to keep the relative humidity (RH) under the plastic close to the RH in the room, thus simulating what would have happened had the wet materials not been covered with plastic.



  • Some items dried: Objects which were exposed to the best air flow (the videotape, textiles, film, vinyl albums, and film negatives) dried thoroughly. One map dried but remained slightly cockled. The best results occurred in those objects which were hung to dry, most notably the silk scarf, photographs, and film.



  • Some items were still wet and damp: Most books were still slightly damp. The blotter paper succeeded in drawing out a lot of moisture and even some previous staining, but was not changed often enough to avoid damage. Some of the photographs, especially those covered in oil, were still damp. In some cases, the oil actually protected materials from mold growth by coating the emulsion on photographs.



  • Mold occurred: When we returned to inspect the collection we realized that much of it was still damp or wet, and that there was a heavy infestation of mold. Because certain types of mold can trigger severe reactions in some people, we used respirators and gloves as a precautionary measure. We kept the mold infested materials under plastic as we worked, individually removing objects for assessment and treatment. At the end of the session we made sure all mold damaged materials were either thoroughly cleaned or sealed in plastic garbage bags to be disposed.


The mold growth was fairly predictable The objects that had dried completely had no mold growth, although they did pick up some odor from their proximity to the heavily infested materials. In retrospect, as soon as materials dried they should have been removed and stored. By the same token, materials that remained very wet did not have appreciable mold growth. For instance on one wet book there was just slight discoloration from mold growth on the fore edge of the book. We realized that mold only grows on damp, not wet materials.

The heaviest mold growth occurred on the books where we had begun the drying procedure but not monitored the progress. A book that had blotters inserted in the front and back covers and held under a brick grew mold inside the front and back covers, but the text block remained mold free. The blotters had wicked moisture away leaving the covers damp, but the weight had held the text block firmly together, leaving no escape for the moisture and thus it remained wet. A leather bound book had been laid flat to dry. The back cover, in contact with the blotter lined table, remained quite damp and grew impressive colonies of mold. Sadly, the front cover fared no better as it curled severely causing the joints to break. We realized this book should have been carefully monitored or frozen. Generally the lesson we learned was that once the drying process is begun, it needs to proceed relatively quickly to avoid mold growth. If the materials cannot be dried within a 72 hour window it is probably best to freeze them. Keeping them wet will also retard mold growth, but that has other risks.


  • Some of the objects contorted: As paper dries, it tends to cockle and distort unless it is restrained. So while fanning out books was an effective method to dry them, the leaves were not flat when the books were dry. We found that if books are pressed under weight when slightly damp and then fanned out again, the distortion can be greatly reduced. Loose leaves of paper that had been laid out to dry were quite cockled, but if they were placed in a stack under weight that distortion was also greatly reduced. We realized that if documents were dried and stored fairly tightly in folders and document boxes some of that flattening would take place naturally over time.


Many types of photographs are laminate structures, meaning there is commonly a paper support with one or more layers added on top. This causes curling if wet photographs are not restrained as they dry. Our photographs did tend to curl as they dried, but these can be re-humidified and flattened after they have dried.


  • Some objects remained damaged: The materials that had come in contact with oil proved to be particularly problematic. It was possible to use dish washing liquid to remove the oil residue from solid surfaces such as the porcelain, but the paper, textiles and even some plastics were unaffected. We did not find an effective method for removing oil from porous surfaces. Our experiments led us to realize we were not prepared to deal effectively with the many issues presented by contaminated water.  This inspired us to investigate methods of soaking up oil. Polypropylene oil absorbing pads have proved to be very effective in removing oil from water, and we are currently investigating how those might be put to use.


In conclusion:
We learned a great deal from our experiment despite, or indeed because of, the many mistakes that were made. It became clear that individual objects and events require unique solutions, a lesson which highlights the importance of planning. It is essential to have a disaster plan in place for potential occurrences, and after an event to assess any damage and procedures before taking action. We learned to be considerate of both time and space when implementing any salvage procedures. Collections must be consistently monitored to ensure their continued improvement, for instance the changing of blotter papers and careful reshaping of waterlogged books. Priority must be given to materials which are either most valuable, or most in danger. This is an essential concern when allocating space for air drying, or determining where to start.  We are very glad to have had a safe space in which to learn these lessons, and we expect the experience to be invaluable in helping us to better understand and care for all of the future collections with which we will work.

  • Air Drying: Before beginning the drying process we first rinsed objects which were particularly vulnerable to surface damage, such as photographs and film, with clean water to remove any contaminants introduced by the flood. The vinyl album was rinsed with water, dried with a lint-free cloth, placed on the blotter paper, and covered. A VHS tape was rinsed with tap water. The case was then opened slightly by loosening the screws and separating the plastic. Small pieces of blotter paper were rolled up and placed into the case to soak up the water inside, and we then left the VHS tape on blotter paper to air dry. Objects coated in oil were submerged in soapy water, then rinsed with clean water. 
     

We covered a table with blotter paper and placed items on it to dry, experimenting with various approaches. For instance, we had two wet road maps. The first was unfolded, placed on blotter paper, and patted dry with paper towels. The second was laid on blotter paper but remained folded, allowing us to compare methods. The map that was laid flat dried quickly, although it suffered some cockling. By comparison, the folded map stayed flat, but did not dry completely and developed mold, a less desirable result. An architectural drawing was laid flat on blotter paper and covered with more blotter paper. Books were then put on top of the drawing. The architectural drawing dried thoroughly and showed less cockling than the map, which had not been dried under weight.

bottom of page