[CAUT] Smoke damage

[Willem Blees]

Gene

There are always exceptions. You just happen to get a piano 
that "survived" a fire. But I have been at the other end of that 
spectrum, too. I have seen pianos where the insurance company only 
offered to clean the case and remove the rust from the strings, only 
to have the piano suffer major damage years later. As I mentioned in 
my post, some of these problems don't show up for 20 - 30 years later. 
Even with your piano, up to now it's been fine. But in another 10 
years, when the pinblock starts delaminating, you are in a position to 
correct it. But a customer would have to pay out of pocket. 

I was just trying to give Joel a heads up on this. 

Wim 

Quoting Greg Newell <gnewell at ameritech.net>:

> Joel, Wim & list,
>          I suggest that you don't immediately jump to conclusions 
> here. A story,if you will allow;
>          A few years ago I had a victim of a house fire contact me 
> regarding purchasing her piano that had been through a fire. This 
> person had contacted several other technicians who told her that the
> 
> piano would cost upwards of $30k to rebuild and that it simply wasn't
> 
> worth it. The fire had been in the basement of the opposite end of 
> the house, started by a candle making hobby in the basement. The wax
> 
> spilled or something and the fire got out of control almost 
> instantly. The firemen came, put out the fire, and we're lucky enough
> 
> to localize their efforts to mostly the one end of the house. Since 
> there was an abundance of soot and smell the insurance company 
> considered everything a total loss and paid out big! After the 
> reconstruction began I got the call asking if I was interested in the
> 
> piano. When I went to look I found that really only soot and smell 
> had reached the area where the piano was. I wasn't too afraid of a 
> little clean up and perhaps even a re-stringing. The finish, a black
> 
> high polish finish, cleaned up very nicely and the insides cleaned up
> 
> quite well too with some time and alcohol and Q-tips. The smell went
> 
> away on it's own after a year or two and it has been rented out for 
> special occasions since then to rather high brow events with 
> absolutely no complaints. Fearing the worst I only paid about $2k for
> 
> the piano. BTW, it's a  6 1/2 ' Bosey!!!!
>          Think twice about it, eh?
> 
> all the best,
> Greg Newell
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 05:21 PM 2/8/2007, you wrote:
> >Quoting Joel Levine <involumes1 at cox.net>:
> >
> > > I am in the process of putting together for insurance purposes a
> > > quote on an older smoke damaged Wurlitzer grand piano.  The fire
> > > occurred in a new addition, away from the living room where the
> piano
> > > is located.  Supposedly the restoration company cleaned up the
> house
> > > but a strong smoke smell remains.  There is no visible damage to
> the
> > > piano but I suspect there could be possible effects from humidity
> and
> > > lack of heat overnight.  Also, at this point it is impossible to
> > > determine if the smoke smell is imbedded in the piano.  I was
> > > planning to change the hammers on this piano before this fire
> > > happened, as it appears someone in the past refinished it and
> > > repinned it but neglected to change the hammers.  I am also
> assuming
> > > the hammers will retain a smoke smell as well as the wood
> especially
> > > in the action.
> > > Any ideas on how to quote this besides carefully?
> > > Thanks,
> > > Joel Levine
> >
> >Joel
> >
> >Besides the hammers, all felt in the piano, including understring,
> >key bushing, dampers, etc., will retain that smoke smell, not to
> >mention the wood itself. The other thing to look for is soot or
> rust
> >on the strings. Not where you can see it, and remove it with
> >steel wool, but at the pressure points, under capo bars, through
> >agrafs, and on the coils on the pins. If there is any effects of
> the
> >fire on the strings, they should be replaced. You need to ask the
> fire
> >inspector what temperature was in the room with the piano. Very
> high
> >heat will dry out the pin block, and it should be replaced.
> >
> >The problem with fire damage is that most of the problems resulting
> >from a fire don't show up until 20 - 30 years later, long after the
> >claim has been settled. I am working on a Kimball grand right now
> that
> >was in a fire 40 years ago. It took this long for the pin block to
> >totally give out. I just pulled the plate, and there is soot on the
> >soundboard under the plate.
> >
> >Unfortunately, unless the owners have replacement value insurance,
> the
> >cost of totally rebuilding the piano will be far more than the
> piano
> >was worth, or what it will be worth once it has been restored.
> >
> >You will need to give an appraisal of the piano before the fire,
> what
> >the piano will be worth after it has been repaired, and the price of
> a
> >comparable new grand piano. Be sure the customer pays you for the
> >estimate/appraisal.
> >
> >Willem Blees, RPT
> >Piano Tuner/Technician
> >School of Music
> >University of Alabama
> >Tuscaloosa, AL USA
> 
> 


Willem Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
School of Music
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL USA
205-348-1469