Water damage
When coated paper becomes wet, it absorbs up to 80 percent more water
than uncoated paper, and the starch and casein in the coating dissolves
to a soft, adhesive consistency. As the paper dries, it bonds with
adjacent pages in a unifying mass, called “blocking”. To avoid this,
you must take action while the pages are still wet. When recovered in
time, water-damaged magazines may be salvaged by a conservator with vacuum drying equipment,
but it is usually less expensive to replace severely damaged magazines.
If you wish to attempt to salvage wet magazines, you will need to
interleave the pages with paper towels or acid-free blotting paper,
separated from the pages with a spun polyester sheeting material such as
Hollytex. Replace the wet towels with dry until the pages are dry. If
this can’t be done within a couple of hours of the initial wetting,
interleave as much as possible with butcher’s paper or Hollytex,
seal the magazines in individual zipper plastic bags, and store them in a
freezer set below 40°F (4°C) until you can get them to a
conservator. Results of this treatment might be disappointing, but the
attempt is worthwhile if the magazine is of sufficient value.
Exposure to water or high moisture that is not enough to cause blocking
may still release mold spores and cause a later eruption of mildew. Take vigilant care of any water-damaged
collection and be sure that it is thoroughly dry and stored in
a dry environment.
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