In the first few hours after a fire or water intrusion depending on the temperature and humidity, your vital records and documents begin to deteriorate. Within 48 to 72 hours fungal growth begins, after 5 days damp or wet paper records begin to chemically break down.

It is essential that restoration efforts begin immediately. There are two successful processes for document drying.

Air drying is a very labor intensive process and is most commonly used. Vacuum freezing which uses "sublimation" a process that turns a solid to a gas in one step is very efficient; however, can be costly and used mainly in the restoration of non replaceable documents.