I had a client with a Kawai Grand right under an upstairs whirlpool tub that leaked through the ceiling. two things saved it -the lid was closed and the woolen string cover sucked up the water like a sponge. the only problem was a swollen cheek block at the bass end. your case sounds far worse . i would check as much as i could with moisture meters to see what amount of moisture is really in the wood- it is not always visible . you need to be concerned about warping in the keysticks, loosening of the key buttons, key bushing and keypunching, keyframe, keybed, and glue joints. a weeks long monitoring program is worth setting up taking pictures, notes, looking for cracks, swollen joints, key lead tightness. I recently condemned an upright that was under a leaking roof and ceiling and had black mold growing in it.
check the keyframe for levelling as well as the keybed, keytop separation from keystick
other things that could have been effected include the integrity of the glue in the hammer felts, dampers, damper guide rail bushings, felts in action centers, damper wires. water can do lots of damage in short time . how long was it before the leak was discovered ? did it start on friday and go unnoticed ?
caution about settling a claim too soon- you can have things go south weeks and months later. a baldwin acro that was in a foot of water just a few days was removed to a dry in town location. i took moisture readings all over and the levels went down to a safe level. not long after things started to fall apart, crack apart, separate go dead. soundboard crack opened up, bridge cap lifter, bass strings went dead, pedals corroded, bottom board cracked, rear bottom beam came unglued, damper felts came off their dowels , keys warped
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James Kelly
Pawleys Island SC
843-325-4357
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2018 17:11
From: Henry Nicolaides
Subject: Steinway water damage assessment questions
Dear colleagues,
I am in need of your expertise regarding a Steinway B that sustained water damage. Apparently a pipe leaked in the ceiling above the bass end of the piano over a weekend several weeks ago. This may have been condensation that accumulated in an evaporation tray that overflowed. Our facilities stated there were several loose fittings and so it could have been a combination of both. Nevertheless, the water dripped on the bass end and saturated the keys, keyframe, and keybed. There was some minor finish damage. There was noticeable water spots on the stretcher bar in the area of the bass pins adjacent to the area of the serial number on the plate. I could not see evidence of water on the plate around the pins, but am concerned there may have been some that got to the pinblock especially since there are no plate bushings.
There does not appear to be direct water damage to the action, back action, or hammers.
This is a 12 year old B that is the primary piano in one of our piano faculty studios.
I have inquired regarding replacement keyframe and keys from Steinway. About $6 K just for the parts. I have consulted with Bob at Pianotek and also with Pianocrafters in Michigan regarding repair and replacement of the damaged parts. There have been others that have questioned the long term effect(s) of the water/humidity to the piano in general.
Any thoughts and opinions are welcome. I have to write up a comprehensive plan to submit to our director and the university Insurance Risk Manager in the immediate future.
Thank you for your feedback.
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[Henry] [Nicolaides] []
[Piano Technician]
[Southern Illinois University]
[Carbondale] [IL]
[618-967-3796][henryn@siu.edu]
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