DIY Network

Floods: Photo Salvaging Project From "Weathering the Storm" episode DWTS-102

Host Pete Delkus (right) learns the steps for salvaging flood-damaged photos from Doug Eisele of Old World Restorations.

Material goods such as refrigerators and stereos are rarely the items flood victims mourn the most -- it's the keepsake photographs, scrapbooks and memorabilia. Believe it or not, many of these damaged photos can be saved.

Salvaging Photos

Follow these steps to save your keepsake photographs:

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E

• Try to get to flood-damaged photos within two days or they will begin to mold. Lift the photo out of mud and dirty water (figure A).

• With clear flowing water, gently rinse the front and back surface of debris, being careful not to rub or even touch the wet photo surface.

• If you have time and space right away, lay each wet photo face up on any clean blotting paper, such as a paper towel. Don't use newspapers. Change the blotting paper every hour or two until the photos dry.

• Photos will probably be a little wavy, but they can be digitally scanned and printed for a flat copy.

• You may want to send any damaged heirloom-value (figure B) photos to a professional photo restorer after drying.

• If you can't take time right away to dry the rinsed photos, just rinse them. Then you can lay the images on a sheet of wax paper and alternate wet photos and sheets of wax paper.

  Note: Be careful not to touch the wet emulsion of the photo's surface (figure C).

• Gently stack up to ten wet photos alternated with wax paper.

• Insert the stack into a zip-lock plastic bag and seal it.

• Place bags of photos in a freezer until a time when you can thaw, carefully separate, and dry on blotter paper as above.

• Photos in frames must be worked on when they are still soaking wet (figure D), because once the photo surface dries onto the glass, you will not be able to separate them for cleaning without damaging the photo emulsion.

• Remove the frame but keep the glass and photo together. Holding both, rinse with clear flowing water, directing the water stream to gently float the photo off of the glass.

• Carefully separate the wet photo from the glass (figure E).

• Lay on blotting paper to dry, or freeze the photo between wax paper for drying later.

In the final segment we share some great ideas for flood proofing your house.

RESOURCES :

The American Red Cross (Tornado Information)
Website: www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_591_,00.html

Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) -- Flood Information
Website: www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/index.shtm

Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) -- Sewage Backflow Valves Information
Website: www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=3860

GUESTS :

Doug Eisele
Owner
Old World Restorations
5729 Dragon Way
Cincinnati, OH 45227
Phone: 513-271-5459

Julia Dian-Redd
Hydrologist
National Weather Service Office
S. State Rte. 134
Wilmington, OH 45177
Phone: 937-383-0428

Michelle A. Leverett-Gourdine, M.D.
Administrator
Department of Health, Baltimore County
6401 York Rd., Third Fl.
Baltimore, MD 21212
Phone: 410-887-2702

Richard G. Muth
Director
Baltimore County Office of Emergency Management
700 E. Joppa Rd.
Towson, MD 21286
Phone: 410-887-5996