<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">To extend Jer's comment a little further . . .I have found that when a piano has been thru a fire, the damper felt which seemed fine at first, develops a noisy crustiness after about a year, as the invisible oily smoke residue hardens. I concur with Jer. Wait to see what develops. <br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 20px/normal 'Book Antiqua'; color: rgb(34, 58, 168); "><span style="font: normal normal normal 20px/normal 'Corsiva Hebrew'; "><b> </b></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; ">Tom Gorley</span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Kokonor; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#910f08">Registered Piano Technician </font></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Book Antiqua'; color: rgb(62, 0, 147); "><span><b> </b></span></div></span></div></div></blockquote></div><div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal 'Book Antiqua'; color: rgb(62, 0, 147); "><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; "><br></span></div></span></div></div></div><div><br></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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<br><div><div>On Oct 12, 2011, at 4:56 AM, Gerald Groot wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div>I've found that rust in particular, will not necessarily show up for a full<br>year afterward. That can take quite a while to show its brutal head. I<br>generally recommend not to settle with the insurance company for a good<br>year. You will know for sure by that time, the full extent of the damage<br>caused.<br><br>Jer Groot<br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: <a href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org">pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</a> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf<br>Of David Doremus<br>Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 9:39 PM<br>To: <a href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</a><br>Subject: Re: [pianotech] Water damaged piano<br><br>This is absolutely spot on. Besides the obvious, like dampers stuck to <br>strings with rust, the whole thing seems to come down to the glue <br>choices used in manufacture. I can tell you from experience that <br>Baldwins seem to come apart, while some cheaper pianos hold together. I <br>have a customer who still has pictures of her piano floating in 3 ft of <br>water after hurricane Betsy with her birthday presents piled on top. It <br>still works, according to her it had some leg and lyre repair and that <br>was it, and as far as I can tell she's right. Let it set and dry as long <br>as possible before passing judgement, things will change. Swollen parts <br>will shrink, other parts that looked ok will warp, veneer will peel off. <br>Before you set it up make sure the legs are not coming apart, most of <br>them are made from glued up blocks and the joints can fail after getting <br>wet. Hopefully they have the proper insurance, and enough of it.<br><br>--Dave<br>New Orleans<br><br>On 10/11/11 6:07 PM, Delwin D Fandrich wrote:<br><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Start by insisting that the piano be up on its feet. But, before it <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">goes up inspect the bottom of the piano; check the soundboard to rim <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">joint, make sure the ribs are solidly glued. Usually you will be able <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">to see a "waterline" which will tell you how high the water has been. <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">(Assuming it was in a flood-type situation.) Determine how old the <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">piano is. Is it old enough to worry about animal hide glue joints? If <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">it is a more modern piano-one using a thermal-setting water-proof <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">adhesive-you probably won't have structural problems. Pull the action <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">and examine the action parts. Even if you don't see evidence of direct <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">water damage make sure the centers are free (not rusted stiff) and not <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">loose. Listen to the piano-assuming it is playable-how are the <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">hammers? Check the pinblock to make sure there is no delaminating <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">going on. Tune through the bass (the piano was on its side, right?) <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">and see how the pins feel. How do the metal parts look? How much rust <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">can you see? How are the dampers? The damper levers? The damper guide <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">rail?<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">After you've given your initial inspection, explain that before you <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">are willing to put anything about the pianos condition in writing <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">you'll want to check the piano again after it has been dry for a <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">couple of months-when I check a piano that has actually been in a <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">flood I want it to be dried out for about four to six months before I <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">render any final decision on salvageability and the costs involved. It <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">doesn't sound like this has actually been in a flood but you don't yet <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">know how high the water might have gone. I've found decently built old <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">pianos falling apart after a flood that came only six inches up on the <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">walls and I've found other pianos that were literally floating in four <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">or five feet of water that cleaned up reasonably well with only <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">hammers and dampers and a few assorted bits and pieces.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">ddf<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Delwin D Fandrich<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Piano Design & Fabrication<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">6939 Foothill Court SW, Olympia, Washington 98512 USA<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Phone 360.515.0119 - Cell 360.388.6525<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="mailto:del@fandrichpiano.com">del@fandrichpiano.com</a> <<a href="mailto:del@fandrichpiano.com">mailto:del@fandrichpiano.com</a>>- <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="mailto:ddfandrich@gmail.com">ddfandrich@gmail.com</a> <<a href="mailto:ddfandrich@gmail.com">mailto:ddfandrich@gmail.com</a>><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><br></blockquote><br>-- <br><br></div></blockquote></div><br></body></html>