Pianotech

  • 1.  Mold

    Posted 08-28-2024 13:12

    Folks,

     

    Anyone here have experience with mold in pianos? My customer's Yamaha G1 sat in a classroom during the summer recess during a damp season here and with the AC running.  When school resumed, the entire classroom, including her piano, was moldy.  The school brought in a mold exterminator who fumigated the place but didn't bother to open the piano.  So, the mold's still in the piano and arguably posing a risk to the just-fumigated room.  It's her personal piano, and the school wants it out of there, at least temporarily. Given the environment, she probably needs to find it a new home anyway, but she has no room for it in her apartment.  I haven't been able to get a look at the action, but it plays and sounds fine.  The only place I can see mold is on the sound board next to the treble bridge.  Her questions:

     

    • How likely is it that the mold that infected the room originated in the piano (the exterminator thinks so)?
    • Does topical application of a mold-remover product  (e.g. Cory Mold and Mildew Remover or LA Awesome Cleaner) normally address the problem?
    • What is available otherwise?

    Thanks in advance.

     

    Harry Miller

    Lawrence, Kansas



  • 2.  RE: Mold

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 08-29-2024 01:18

    Personally I would think that a thorough cleaning and keeping it dry would be adequate.

    I suspect that there is an industry developed around keeping the populous paranoid about mold, when mold has been in our environment  for at least billions of years (not an exaggeration).  Our lungs have specilized "dust cells"  (macrophages) that destroy bacteria and mold spores constantly.  Farmers and people in tropical environments don't constanly die from mold, even though they are exposed to it regularly.

    Also don't confuse Ecsaine "beards" for mold as the dust from artificial Ecsaine forms stringy accumulations that have been confused with mold.



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    Blaine Hebert RPT
    Duarte CA
    (626) 390-0512
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  • 3.  RE: Mold

    Posted 08-29-2024 03:15
    Blaine - my experience is in entire agreement.

    I had a similar experience a few months ago with an instrument stored in a garage and it presented as very grim. Before bringing it into the house I told the people to hoover everything inside it and when I went to tune it was entirely different. Provided it's going to be kept in a dry environment any spores won't germinate. 

    Spores are everywhere. It's not the spores which are the problem but the humidity which enables multiplication

    Best wishes

    David P

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    David Pinnegar, B.Sc., A.R.C.S.
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    +44 1342 850594



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Mold

    Posted 08-29-2024 08:02

    A few months ago I ran into an upright piano which I'm pretty sure was the victim of mold remediation.  In this pianos case they must have pulled the kickboard out and the strings were subjected to (if not directly sprayed with) the chemicals used for this procedure.  The result was that all of the copper wound strings turned black on one side (the half facing the front).  If that had been the only consequence I wouldn't have had to do anything but unfortunately the sound was deadened significantly along with many of them rattling badly.  Fortunately I was able to bring it back by using the half twist method which improved the sound and eliminated the rattles.



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    Neil Vanderschaaf
    Round Rock TX
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  • 5.  RE: Mold

    Member
    Posted 08-29-2024 17:17

    I have dealt with many pianos with mold issues due to lack of proper humidity control, improper storage, leaking roofs, broken pipes, flood waters etc.

    I disagree with some of the responses since there are a number of concerns and exposure to some molds can be deadly. Three very bad, moldy pianos caused me to not touch the pianos at all due to the presence of "black mold" in and around the keys, keybed and action. 

    I had a school contract and could not figure out why all of the pins on the bass end hammer flanges of a Baldwin Hamilton had walked out. I finally had a discussion with the custodian who told me the piano sat in the hallway all summer with no AC while class floors where stripped and waxed. The piano was eventually moved INTO the classroom and the AC was on turbo for a week .... All HVAC was controlled from the Central District office to save on the electric bill 



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    James Kelly
    Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
    Pawleys Island SC
    (843) 325-4357
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