Pianotech

Comments needed on best way to clean up a grand that has suffered a fireplace backup, with soot everywhere. 

Do I need to condemn the strings due to any acidic nature of the soot, or just clean them up best I can?

Best way to actually clean it. 

Action of course I would blow out with 90 psi air. 

What else do I need to be aware of?

Thanks 

Pwg

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Peter Grey
Stratham NH
603-686-2395
pianodoctor57@gmail.com
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Peter

Soot gets into everything on and in the piano. Just cleaning the strings is not good enough because the soot gets in the coils and under the hitch pins and bridge. So you'll need to replace them. The felts absorb the smoke smell, so ALL the felts, need to be replaced, including balance and front rail punchings, understring felts, and of course the hammers. It even gets into the felts of the wippens. You might be able to clean the finish, but since you've got the strings off, you might as well refinish the plate and soundboard.

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Willem "Wim" Blees, RPT
Mililani, HI 96789
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-14-2019 21:07
From: Peter Grey
Subject: Soot damaged piano

Comments needed on best way to clean up a grand that has suffered a fireplace backup, with soot everywhere.

Do I need to condemn the strings due to any acidic nature of the soot, or just clean them up best I can?

Best way to actually clean it.

Action of course I would blow out with 90 psi air.

What else do I need to be aware of?

Thanks

Pwg

------------------------------
Peter Grey
Stratham NH
603-686-2395
pianodoctor57@gmail.com
------------------------------

Peter,

 Should you wish to pursue a factual and tested approach to smoke damage restoration with excellent results, please contact me.  I've written a complete protocol with videos addressing this subject.  There is much conjecture and misguided information regarding odor bearing particulates, ill advised techniques and concepts that are demonstratively false, it is difficult to address in an email response.  I've dedicated the past 25 years of my career to help technicians deal with this issue.  We have also created a complete product line for specific use in our piano industry.  You may reach me:

Dave Swartz, RPT
Cory Products, LLC
info@corycare.com
1-800-552-2679

Thanks.

------------------------------
Dave Swartz, RPT
Cory Products, LLC
www.corycare.com
dave@corycare.com
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-14-2019 21:07
From: Peter Grey
Subject: Soot damaged piano

Comments needed on best way to clean up a grand that has suffered a fireplace backup, with soot everywhere.

Do I need to condemn the strings due to any acidic nature of the soot, or just clean them up best I can?

Best way to actually clean it.

Action of course I would blow out with 90 psi air.

What else do I need to be aware of?

Thanks

Pwg

------------------------------
Peter Grey
Stratham NH
603-686-2395
pianodoctor57@gmail.com
------------------------------

Peter, For a light sooting with only minimal contamination of the strings you could blow it out and clean it up but the odor will likely remain.

The current treatment for smoke odors is ozone treatment.  While you could probably do this yourself a professional company would likely do a much better job.

If the strings are badly contaminated then you likely need a restringing.  With that level of damage it is also likely that there will exist some residual odors or damage that even a thorough rebuilding could not rectify.

If this is anything but the lightest of smoke damage I would recommend totaling out the piano.

I personally have seen and done a few fire restoration jobs and none have turned out acceptable.

It is cheaper and easier to build a new piano than to restore an old one.

Don't get your name associated with inadequate or poor quality work.

------------------------------
Blaine Hebert
Duarte CA
626-795-5170
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-14-2019 21:07
From: Peter Grey
Subject: Soot damaged piano

Comments needed on best way to clean up a grand that has suffered a fireplace backup, with soot everywhere.

Do I need to condemn the strings due to any acidic nature of the soot, or just clean them up best I can?

Best way to actually clean it.

Action of course I would blow out with 90 psi air.

What else do I need to be aware of?

Thanks

Pwg

------------------------------
Peter Grey
Stratham NH
603-686-2395
pianodoctor57@gmail.com
------------------------------

I should be seeing this piano tomorrow and be able to assess the situation. Thanks for the input. 

Pwg

------------------------------
Peter Grey
Stratham NH
603-686-2395
pianodoctor57@gmail.com
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-15-2019 02:00
From: Blaine Hebert
Subject: Soot damaged piano

Peter, For a light sooting with only minimal contamination of the strings you could blow it out and clean it up but the odor will likely remain.

The current treatment for smoke odors is ozone treatment.  While you could probably do this yourself a professional company would likely do a much better job.

If the strings are badly contaminated then you likely need a restringing.  With that level of damage it is also likely that there will exist some residual odors or damage that even a thorough rebuilding could not rectify.

If this is anything but the lightest of smoke damage I would recommend totaling out the piano.

I personally have seen and done a few fire restoration jobs and none have turned out acceptable.

It is cheaper and easier to build a new piano than to restore an old one.

Don't get your name associated with inadequate or poor quality work.

------------------------------
Blaine Hebert
Duarte CA
626-795-5170

Original Message:
Sent: 12-14-2019 21:07
From: Peter Grey
Subject: Soot damaged piano

Comments needed on best way to clean up a grand that has suffered a fireplace backup, with soot everywhere.

Do I need to condemn the strings due to any acidic nature of the soot, or just clean them up best I can?

Best way to actually clean it.

Action of course I would blow out with 90 psi air.

What else do I need to be aware of?

Thanks

Pwg

------------------------------
Peter Grey
Stratham NH
603-686-2395
pianodoctor57@gmail.com
------------------------------

The one soot damaged piano I evaluated the customer could take a clean white cloth and rub it over what looked like perfectly clean key sticks and the cloth would come up black.
The damage is far more pervasive than you see. I vote for totaling the piano

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Sheffey Gregory, RPT
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-15-2019 02:00
From: Blaine Hebert
Subject: Soot damaged piano

Peter, For a light sooting with only minimal contamination of the strings you could blow it out and clean it up but the odor will likely remain.

The current treatment for smoke odors is ozone treatment.  While you could probably do this yourself a professional company would likely do a much better job.

If the strings are badly contaminated then you likely need a restringing.  With that level of damage it is also likely that there will exist some residual odors or damage that even a thorough rebuilding could not rectify.

If this is anything but the lightest of smoke damage I would recommend totaling out the piano.

I personally have seen and done a few fire restoration jobs and none have turned out acceptable.

It is cheaper and easier to build a new piano than to restore an old one.

Don't get your name associated with inadequate or poor quality work.

------------------------------
Blaine Hebert
Duarte CA
626-795-5170

Original Message:
Sent: 12-14-2019 21:07
From: Peter Grey
Subject: Soot damaged piano

Comments needed on best way to clean up a grand that has suffered a fireplace backup, with soot everywhere.

Do I need to condemn the strings due to any acidic nature of the soot, or just clean them up best I can?

Best way to actually clean it.

Action of course I would blow out with 90 psi air.

What else do I need to be aware of?

Thanks

Pwg

------------------------------
Peter Grey
Stratham NH
603-686-2395
pianodoctor57@gmail.com
------------------------------