If you rely on physical paper documents to store important company information, you’ve probably thought about what a disaster it would be if these documents were damaged beyond repair.
Of course, this can happen through obvious means like flood or fire. However, most problems arise as a result of deterioration over time.
In this post, we’re going to look at a few things you can do to help protect your paper documents. But first, let’s take a look at some of the reasons why paper tends to deteriorate in storage.
Why Do Paper Documents Deteriorate?
Biological Growth – if your documents are kept in an environment where humidity cannot be controlled, they have a much higher chance of developing certain types of mould or fungi. Not only can this make them harder to read, but it can also present a health risk.
Insect Infestation – documents stored in boxes that are not properly sealed may be at a higher risk of insect infestation. If this happens, insects will nest in your paper documents, potentially destroying them.
Excessive Light – storing documents in brightly lit rooms causes cellulose to oxidize in sunlight or fluorescent light. This might result in bleaching of the paper or ink fading.
Atmospheric pollution – the cellulose in paper means that it is at risk of staining or soiling if exposed to atmospheric pollution such as sulphuric acid resulting from the combustion of fuel. That’s why many auto shops have a hard time preserving their documents on the worksite.
*All info sourced from Ardington Archives.
How To Protect Your Paper Documents
1. Use Plastic Slips
The first way to protect your paper documents is to consider using plastic slips. This will help prevent dust and other debris from settling on the surface of the paper, thus prolonging its lifespan.
2. Laminate
If you are looking for something a little more durable than plastic slips, consider lamination of your important documents. Not only will this help protect the paper from dust and debris, but it can also protect against insects and harmful light rays.
3. Convert to Digital
If you’re worried about your physical paper documents deteriorating, consider storing them as digital files. In order to do this, all you need to do is get in touch with a company that provides a document scanning service.
They’ll scan each of your documents individually before storing them as the file type of your choice. When this process is finished, you can either keep the paper documents or shred them.
4. Store in A Purpose-Built Storage Facility
Lastly, a purpose-built storage facility might be a good option for anyone looking to prolong the life of their documents. That’s because these facilities will often have the required humidity, temperature, and lighting controls to make sure your documents are kept safe.
Western Archives – The Top Storage Facility in Edmonton
If you’re looking for an Edmonton storage facility to help keep your documents safe, Western Archives is the best choice! Our state-of-the-art storage facility is monitored by 24/7 security so you can rest assured your company’s data is always safe. Please contact us today to learn more.