[CAUT] Smoke Damage

[Marcel Carey]

Hello Steve,

Here are my 2¢ answers to your questions:

1- Yes, the cleaning company can clean the cabinets. Be sure to be there
and help them taking the uprignt apart so they can clean the inside of
cabinet parts as well. Same with grand. The cleaning company should have
products to neutralize carbon particules that produce odor.

3- If they are going to use an ozone machine in the church, make sure
you plastic wrap the pianos before they do the treatment. Ozone can
affect plastics on the long run and bass strings.

I suspect the grand (since it was covered) didn't suffer that much
unless the fire produced a lot of heat (you should be able to ask the
firemen for an approximate heat temperature).

Here's a copy of a email I got from Dave Swartz a few years ago: 

"Where to begin?  Rule of thumb...where there is
residue there is odor.  Use common sense, use latex
gloves, vacuum everything and use blower end of vacuum
or air compressor to remove loose soot and odor
bearing particles.

Below are a list of products to find:

Cream Wood Restore (manufactured by Chem Spec)
9D9 counteractant (Unsmoke)
Degrease All (Unsmoke)
Double O (Unsmoke) this is a counteractant for greasey
residue
Counteractant cyrstals (Unsmoke) dry odor crystals you
can put in bottom of piano in small pan and let fan
blow through piano
Space Spray (Unsmoke) put a little on rag and wipe
keybed, keys, etc as necessary (a little goes a long
way)
Chem sponge (don't remember who makes these..but all restoration places
use them..for bare wood, i.e. keys, keybed, etc.  do not apply any
liquid.....works like an eraser..just wipe)

Thermal fogging unit (you may rent one) using
Unsmoke's petroleum based product

you may mix 1  of the counteractants with Degrease All
in a bucket with warm water.  Use a cloth, rag, etc
and wipe down everything possible with the exception
of the action and strings.

Order of procedure:
vacuum first
then using fan blow from bottom up
then remove parts, vacuum, blow
make a tent and thermal fog keys, action...let sit 24 hours....blow with
fan for half a day or more.

This should get you started.....feel free to email me
should you have further questions.

have a great day!
Dave Swartz, RPT
swartzy@frontiernet.net"

Hope this will help.

Marcel Carey

> -----Message d'origine-----
> De : caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] De la 
> part de Steve Snyder
> Envoyé : 27 février 2006 07:29
> À : CAUT
> Objet : [CAUT] Smoke Damage
> 
> 
> Dear Friends,
> 
> Our church had a fire  and I need your advice on taking care 
> of 2 pianos that have smoke damage.
> 
> Here are the details:
> 
> Yamaha C3 grand which was covered with a heavy duty Madrid 
> padded,quilted vinyl cover. Wurlitzer studio which was 
> uncovered. Neither piano appears to have any heat or water 
> damage, but there was a significant amount of smoke. I 
> briefly inspected the interior of the Yamaha and other than 
> the smoke odor I did not see any signs of damage. Insurance 
> will cover any costs to clean and restore both pianos as 
> needed. A professional company has been hired to clean the 
> church. My questions are:
> 
> 1. Should the professional company be allowed to clean the 
> piano cabinets and remove the smoke odor from the instruments?
> 
> 2.If not,how should I go about cleaning the pianos?
> 
> 3. Should the pianos be moved and cleaned off site while the 
> cleaning and restoration of the church is being done?
> 
> Any advice is most welcome.  Thanks!
> 
> Regards,
> Steve Snyder, RPT
> 
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