Document & Media Recovery

In the aftermath of a fire or flood, some of the most treasured and irreplaceable contents can include important documents, books, and photos.

With years of paper recovery experience and expertly developed proprietary restoration processes, BELFOR’s National Technical Services Division is committed to preserving those invaluable memories.

As the global leader in property restoration and disaster recovery, our BELFOR specialists excel in document recovery and paper document restoration.

We can restore the following documents and media:

• Book restoration
• File, magazine, and manuscript restoration
• Restoration of archives, special collections, and library materials
• Restoring audiotapes and videotapes
• Drawing, map, plan, whiteprint, and blueprint restoration
• Recovering compact discs, diskettes, laserdiscs, and magnetic media
• Data file and vital record recovery
• Photo restoration, including film, negatives, and slides
• Microfiche and microfilm restoration
• Parchment restoration

Our services include:

• Straightening, realignment, trimming, reprocessing — removing or repairing portions with permanent damage
• Rematting and reframing
• Rebinding and leather repair
• Re-jacketing — replacing damaged folders or jackets on vital contents
• Document copying and imaging — replacing damaged records
• De-acidification

Our experts use a range of scientific processes along with industry-leading equipment to effectively restore your documents.

• Flood-Damaged Document Restoration: BELFOR’s document restoration experts use specialized techniques, such as desiccant drying, vacuum freeze drying, and molecular sieves to repair books, documents, and paper-based materials.
• Fire-Damaged Document Restoration: If there is damage from fire or smoke, BELFOR’s paper document recovery process uses advanced cleaning techniques, including particulate removal sponges, ionized air washing, and various deodorization methods.
• Mold-Damaged Document Restoration: If important documents are contaminated with mold, mildew, or bacteria, BELFOR can sterilize them using gamma or electron beam radiation to prevent further decay.

BELFOR has the largest inventory of both fixed and mobile freeze-dry chambers in the industry.

• We have the equipment to freeze most documents on-site.
• However, most document projects are already frozen, inventoried, packed, and shipped to a BELFOR Document Lab for further recovery.
• Our proven procedures ensure quick and safe packing of valuable materials, creating an accurate inventory and transporting materials to a safe location without further damage.

BELFOR has the highest number of trained document recovery staff in the industry, performing almost all document restoration functions in-house using proprietary protocols.

• Our document technicians undergo specialized training, including HIPAA-awareness training.
• All BELFOR document restoration facilities feature advanced security measures, including secure access, video monitoring, and fenced buildings that require a passcode for entry.
• Given our extensive work with government projects, we can implement additional security measures as needed.
• In North America, BELFOR has document labs in Fort Worth, TX; Exton, PA; Hayward, CA; Surrey, BC, and Toronto, ON.