Rielley Piano
Call us: 630-667-6053
Dings and Chips and Gouges, Oh My!
Dents. scratches, and chips sometimes occur, spoiling the appearance of an otherwise perfect finish. Such damage can usually be corrected, often while the piano remains in your home.
Finish Repair
Scratches
While these damages usually occur in the process of moving a piano, other times a lamp falls, a vacuum takes a wrong turn, or a pogo-stick mysteriously launches itself across the room. This type of repair involves replacing any missing wood, returning original color and texture, and working the area to match the original sheen. The results of this repair range from very good (it no longer catches the eye as a defect) to perfect (you can no longer find the original damage).
Buffing and Shining Services
Scratches can be deep gouges (as described above) or light blemishes caused by the movement of sheet music and fabric covers across the surface or anything in between. Depending on the depth of the scratch, it may disappear with a quick new topcoat, it may require sanding and buffing, or it may require opening up and filling, followed by sanding and buffing. Results of these repairs are generally excellent and invisible.
Over time a piano's finish may dull due to exposure to light, it may receive micro-scratches that make it appear dirty (especially on the music desk), or it may simply loose that shine it had when new. A much cleaner, brighter looking piano can usually be achieved through the use of buffing and shining services. We generally perform this service in the home and it usually only takes a few hours.
Cost of Finish Repair Services - $95 per hour
The cost of a finish repair depends on the type of repair, the extent of the damage, and the nature of the finish (lacquer or polyester). Here are some rough guidelines for the time needed for different repairs:
High gloss polyester (very hard, mirror-like surface)
- A few light scratches - an hour or so.
- Deep scratches or small chips - a half day
- Larger chips and/or extensive, deep scratches - a full day (or more).
Lacquer, can be flat, satin, rubbed, or gloss
- Lacquer can be more forgiving than polyester
- Because of set-up, even the smaller repairs still require about an hour
- Most repairs can be finished in a half day, with only the most extensive work requiring a day or more.
***If you send us pictures by text or email, we can often give you a rough estimate.
Care of High Gloss Polyester and Lacquer Finishes
For a detailed explanation of how to care for the finish on your piano, as well as the keys and other parts click HERE.
