[SML] Now homeless due to fire.

[billn at peak.org]

> Truly saddened to hear of your personal disaster and relieved that no one was
> injured. Smoke damage is really difficult to remedy, particularly the smell. I
> had a Victorian cherry piano that went through a fire after I bought it. I
> didn't realize how strong the odor was as I picked it up from the burnt out
> church that was its home and now where everything smelled and transported it
> 600 miles in an open trailer. It wasn't until I got into our house that the
> reek became apparent. Even after years of on again/off again restoration by a
> pro piano restorer type guy and repeated cleanings with a variety of furniture
> restoration products (I was a professional antique furniture restorer at the
> time so I knew a bunch of things to try) it still had a distinct odor.

I don't think a thorough job can be done on an immediate basis. The smoke is
probably in the unfinished wood inside the piano - and that should probably
not be sealed.

Even a partial job would probably involve completely disassembling the piano,
cleaning the harp with an organic solvent and replacing all the other internal
components.

The odor does fade over time, but it can take decades for the smelly compounds
to completely degrade/evaporate.

Bill