Storing a piano & other questions

bilbo__baggins · Post by **bilbo__baggins** » 05 Jun 2004, 10:27

I have just received a piano that has been handed down through my family, it is an old Bentley upright.

I currently live in a house too small to accommodate the piano, and have had to resort to storing it in the garage. I have covered the piano with polythene sheeting to protect against dust/dirt, and I have just bought a dehumidifier to stop the piano getting damp.

Can anyone recommend any further precautions to avoid the piano becoming damaged?

My parents also noticed some fresh saw dust on the carpet when it was collected last week. It has been treated previously for woodworm, but not recently.

What products do you recommend for treating woodworm, and how should they be applied to a piano? Is it worth getting it treated by a specialist, and how much is this likely to cost?

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 05 Jun 2004, 14:28

Lift the piano off the floor most garages have concrete floor which can be damp

To do a piano right for wood worm you need it done by a pro they place it in a big bag and gas the little pest – you can do it by hand but it is a long job you need to take all the keys out and do each one – they love the keys also, the back post and keybed they don’t normally go for the action or westplack wood to hard but they will go for the sound board if they get past the polish

The dust may have been from the last infestation

Barrie,

bilbo__baggins · Post by **bilbo__baggins** » 05 Jun 2004, 15:02

Thanks for the reply. I've laid polythene sheeting on the floor, then placed some door mats on top of that, and the piano stands on the mats. The polythene sheeting is then lifted up and over the top of the piano and taped to itself. This should protect against damp from the floor.

Can you give me an approximate idea of the cost of a pro gassing the woodworm, and how I go about finding someone (can you recommend a company?). Do I need to look for a Piano specialist or a woodworm specialist? ie. which section of the 'yellow pages' should I be looking in?

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 05 Jun 2004, 16:20

woodworm specialist is what you need I would start with Rentokill as to cost don’t know there will be some variation in price up and down the UK it will be over the 100 pound mark I would get in a tuner first to see if the piano is worth spending money on also, he /she should be able to tell you how bad the infestation is and how much damage has been done

Barrie,

bilbo__baggins · Post by **bilbo__baggins** » 07 Jun 2004, 09:01

Rentokil quoted me 600 pounds ha ha ha.

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 07 Jun 2004, 18:29

I tad over the top - I would see what your local tuner has to say on the piano the tuners could take out the action and keys for you so you can treat the timber yourself

Barrie,

bilbo__baggins · Post by **bilbo__baggins** » 07 Jun 2004, 20:45

Thanks for the suggestion. I've contacted a local tuner (who is on holiday at the moment unfortunately) but I will get them to have a look at the piano as soon as possible.

In the mean time I have bought some permethrin woodworm treatment and I'll start by treating everything I can get to (I know most of the holes have been sprayed previously).

I presume that after I have treated it for woodworm, using a beeswax polish will help to protect the piano in the garage too?

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 07 Jun 2004, 20:50

Don’t forget to treat any exposed wood in the Garage you don’t what your house infested

Barrie,