Mold spore damage

[Annie Grieshop]

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) refers to the filter (99.97%
Filtration efficiency @0.3 micron @100 CFM), and the vacuum is just very
powerful:
http://www.ncsu.edu/ehs/www99/right/handsMan/air_qual/mold_remediation.htm

I'm guessing all the felt will need replacing, as I don't know of any simple
way to really sterilize it once it's been growing mold.  Don't know about
the wood........

Annie Grieshop

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Israel Stein [mailto:custos3 at comcast.net]
> Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2007 8:55 PM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: Mold spore damage
>
>
> To the list,
>
> I recently examined a Steinway L - nice instrument, recently restrung
> and refinished - that spent a couple days in premises that were
> flooded. There is no direct water damage to the piano - but it did
> spend some time in a very humid environment, standing on
> water-saturated floors in fairly warm weather before the owners were
> able to move it out of there to a storage facility. The most obvious
> damage is to the finish - it pretty much cracked apart (looks like
> semi-gloss water-based nitrocellusose) in long, parallel cracks.
> Other problems include some surface corrosion on the strings, and
> totally gummed up action centers.
>
> They had flood damage technicians test air samples from the premises,
> and they found a high mold spore count (a particular mold specific to
> water damage). This requires that the premises and all contents be
> "hepa-vacuumed". Eventually I am going to see their report and
> perhaps even consult with them - but in the meantime, does anyone
> know anything about "hepa-Vacuuming", how it's done and what horrible
> things it might do to the poor piano (or not)?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Israel Stein
>
>
>