ART RESTORATION & DOCUMENT RECOVERY IN GRAND FORKS, ND

Get The Highest Quality Art & Document Recovery in Red River Valley

Our partners at The Conservation Center are world-class experts in art restoration. Their team is well-trained in treating paintings, antiques, frames and gilding, fine furniture, murals, photographs, and rare books. Their passion for restoration comes through in their documented work. Also, through their work, they demonstrate their high standards of care and preservation. When it comes to art restoration, there is no one approach that rules overall. Each work of art contains its own peculiarities that will drive the restoration process.

However, the first step involves assessing the artwork. Technicians will identify the techniques and materials the artist used. Some of this may be done through X-rays, which can help reveal the composition of the work, such as outlines and how the canvas absorbed the paint.

Modern equipment, such as infrared imaging, can also help uncover parts of the painting that have gone missing. For instance, the color of certain paints may have faded or moved behind the surface of the work. This also helps technicians identify previous attempts at restoration that have failed or further damaged the art.

Another restoration technique used by art restorers is spectroscopy. This allows the restoration technician to determine the specific composition and features of varnishes. With this information in hand, the technician can then pick the ideal solvent to remove the discolored layers of varnish.

Once the sought information has been found, the actual process of restoration can begin. Though there are many techniques at the technician’s disposal, a common one involves adding an intermediate coat of varnish to the original artwork. This coat helps form a physical barrier between the new paint and the old paint. The main benefit here is should the painting need further restoration in the future, the original paint remains.

The intermediate varnish layer also helps the technician add stylistic fluctuations. For example, the restorer can fill in damaged or missing components. Typically this is done with a synthetic solvent to help prevent the need for additional restoration.

For documents, we take a similar approach to restoration. This can help keep everything from books to medical records in proper condition. Following water or fire damage, we’ll use true vacuum-freeze drying to suck up all the moisture lingering in the documents. We’ll then fumigate and deodorize the objects to ensure they aren’t carrying mold spores or other damaging contaminants. If needed, we can then use our reproduction services to recreate or reproduce the documents, too.

What We Can Help Restore

Any time your home or business is physically damaged, the emotional trauma can be difficult to handle. As you sift through personal belongings, you may struggle to piece together what was lost, what was damaged, and what can be restored. Often, these damaged objects hold more than personal value to us. They may be essential documents that are not easily replaced.

That’s why at Steamatic of the Red River Valley, we are proud to offer a variety of art and document restoration services. Through our regional partners, we can help restore a wide variety of belongings:

• • Antiques
  • Books (including rare ones)
  • Bound volumes
  • Canvas artwork
  • Drawings
  • Historical documents
  • Medical records
  • Murals
  • Photographs
  • Sculptures
  • Textiles
  • Watercolors

Contact Steamatic in Grand Forks to Get Started Today!

At Steamatic of the Red River Valley, we know the anxiety that comes when your home incurs fire, smoke, or water damage. That’s why we offer a diverse lineup of services to help people recover. From dehumidification to mold remediation to content recovery, we’ve got your back should disaster strike.

Contact us right now if you need help with art or document restoration. Grand Forks residents can reach us at 701-746-1856.