[pianotech] Advise please

[wimblees at aol.com]

David

When a piano is subjected to?a lot of water, it has an effect on the strings, the pin block, and the soundboard. (not to mention the dampers and action). If the insurance company will only pay to restring and repin the piano in the customer's home, I would highly recommend to the customer that they do not "sign off" on the claim for at least 3 or 4 years. They?should be able to get the insurance company to pay for subsequent damage to the piano, which was a direct result of the flooding.?

A customer of mine did that once with a piano that was in a fire. The insurance company would not pay for a new soundboard, although I recommended it. But the customer would not sign off on the claim. Less than a?year after the piano was back in?the home, several cracks appeared in the soundboard.?The insurance company wound up paying for a new board, and a new block and strings (again). 


Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
Mililani, Oahu, HI
808-349-2943
Author of: 
The Business of Piano Tuning
available from Potter Press
www.pianotuning.com


-----Original Message-----
From: David Lawson Pianos <dlawson at davidlawsonspianos.com.au>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Sun, 18 Jan 2009 7:10 pm
Subject: [pianotech] Advise please



?Due to overhead water damage to a Kawai GE-1 grand a quotation has been made to the insurance company for in situ re-pin and re-string.

?

This was an extensive flooding to the plank area effecting the dampers, 
> agraffes and who knows how much damage to the plank.
>??? Ron Overs has also inspected it and recommended a new plank, be fitted. 
> I wrote the piano off, as there was too much unknown about the longevity 
> of any repairs that may have to be done.
>??? The insurance company have, naturally taken the lowest quote 
> irrespective of any further problems down the track, that is the 
> re-string.
>??? Could I ask the list what they feel about this sort of repair, and the 
> value of going the full hog on repairs to such a piano.
>??? Thanks,
>??? David Lawson Wangaratta Australia.


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