flood damage

[Fenton Murray]

I dealt with this recently on a 1895 S&S A2 I rebuilt. A month after a new action, keyset and new soundboard restoration, the piano was flooded when the roof caved in on the lid. After some thought and questions to this list my letter to the insurance company simply stated there was no way I could guarantee anything on this piano unless it was completely rebuilt again. The client got a check for more than the total amount of the previous rebuild, plus got to keep the piano. At that point, at his request, we proceeded with a more minor recondition. In the end the piano had some problems, but the client was happy because he received value compensating him for his loss. One bright note, an absolutely flawless job by Classic Woods in LA of reglueing and refinishing the lid which was broken in 5 pieces. You can not see the repair!
So, even though my crystal ball was not perfectly clear in trying to come up with a less than complete re-restoration that would put the piano back in service, the client was covered. In the end, the client decides how thorough a job he wants to pay for, we just need to give him sound advise. Your 100 year old B most likely needed rebuilding before the flood, let alone after it.
I learned  yet another lesson from this experience, hopefully it helps.
Fenton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: wimblees at aol.com 
  To: stbrown9 at frontiernet.net ; pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 6:28 PM
  Subject: Re: flood damage


  Hi Sue

  First of all, since this damage was a year ago, did your customer keep the case open with the insurance company? Any damage to the piano as a result of the water damage is covered under home owners insurance. But if the customer signed off on it, she's on her own.

  Concerning the  rust on the pins and coils. Yes, in time the rust will cause the strings to break. it might take another year, or maybe even longer, but eventually the rust will eat through the strings, and they will break.  

  Concerning the pin block. After one heating season, the pin block might still feel OK. But in a couple of years, the pin block will dry out, and start to fail. 

  Concerning the wippens. With that many having been exposed to the water, I'm surprised only a few came appart. Again, in a couple of years, the rest will probably go bad, too.

  All in all, unless the customer signed off on it, the insurance should pay to have a new pin block and string, and new action parts put in the piano. The piano was not in the same condition after the flood as it was before the flood. The purpose of insurance is to help get property back in it's original condition. Since the piano can't be put back in the condition it was in, the insurance should pay to have the piano rebuilt. 

  Willem Blees, RPT
  Honolulu, HI




  -----Original Message-----
  From: Sue Brown <stbrown9 at frontiernet.net>
  To: pianotech at ptg.org
  Sent: Tue, 16 Sep 2008 2:10 pm
  Subject: flood damage


  Hi,

  I have a client who's 1905 Steinway B was in a flood in which water leaked from the toilet upstairs overnight and flooded the piano, carpet, etc.  The main areas of water exposure were the webbing and keywell.  The surrounding carpet,ect. was also soaked.  The room was dried out pretty quickly, using a commercial flood cleanup service.  I have waited the recommended one year time since the flood.  The strings still sound good - the lid was down.  There is water staining on the plate and rust on the coils.  There are plate bushings and they are water stained.  The pinblock still feels tight.  I am concerned that since the webbing area was exposed to water, should the pinblock be checked for water damage (by destringing, taking the plate out and looking.)  Also do I need to worry about rust in the plate. 

  During the flood several wippens became unglued under the rest rail cushion.  I glued them back together.  The piano got soaked in the key well to the point where about 2/3 of the balance rail puchings got soaked.  There is a hairline crack in the keywell about 10" long.  Does a handful of wippens coming apart warrant a new action?  (My customer doesn't notice anything wrong in the action so she's a bit resistant to having work done)

  I also have questions about glue joints coming loose in the keywell area that seem OK now.  Does the piano loose value because it now has a history of having been through a flood?  

  Thanks in advance for any ideas, input.

  Sue Brown

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