About Piano Climate Control
The advice I give all piano owners is to control the humidity in the room where the piano resides. This is easier said than done due to the vast humidity swings and seasonal changes of Eastern Kansas.
The Problem: The piano is made up mostly of wood. Consequently, the piano picks up and loses the ambient humidity as the wooden parts of the piano absorb and release the moisture. At the least, the tuning stability will be compromised whenever the humidity changes. At worst, the repeated changes of humidity over the hears will damage to the wooden parts of the piano - the soundboard, pin block, bridges and the action parts - thus compromising the serviceability and value of your piano.
The Solution: It is best to try and keep the relative humidity between 40% and 60%. Central air isn't usually enough - when the heat comes on in the winter, humidity levels can easily drop below 40% while summer time (even with a/c) can and do climb above 60%.
How to do it: Depending upon your budge and your willingness to involve yourself in humidity control, there are a number of options available.
1.) Place room humidifiers and de-humidifiers in the piano room. These are relatively cheap, yet they need daily maintenance and are noisy.
2.) Add humidifiers to the home heating system. This will not only benefit the piano room, but the entire house, from the doors to the hard wood floors. Most newer central air systems can be retrofitted. This will help primarily in the winter to avoid dryness, but summer humidity will still need to be addressed. Runs between $600 - $1500 appx.
3.) Piano Humidity Control System. The best is the Piano Life Saver system from Dampp Chaser, Inc. This is a humidifier/de-humidifier system that installs directly into the piano. Recommended by almost all piano manufacturers and piano technicians. I've installed several of the systems. Costs run between $400 and $600 depending upon the size and type of piano. This requires some monitoring of warning lights and adding water to the humidifier system in the piano.
4.) A mixture of both systems. You may have a humidifier in the room already, yet are in need of a means to dehumidify. I am more than happy to work with you to find a means to stabilize the humidity around your piano so it sounds better longer and lasts longer.
The Problem: The piano is made up mostly of wood. Consequently, the piano picks up and loses the ambient humidity as the wooden parts of the piano absorb and release the moisture. At the least, the tuning stability will be compromised whenever the humidity changes. At worst, the repeated changes of humidity over the hears will damage to the wooden parts of the piano - the soundboard, pin block, bridges and the action parts - thus compromising the serviceability and value of your piano.
The Solution: It is best to try and keep the relative humidity between 40% and 60%. Central air isn't usually enough - when the heat comes on in the winter, humidity levels can easily drop below 40% while summer time (even with a/c) can and do climb above 60%.
How to do it: Depending upon your budge and your willingness to involve yourself in humidity control, there are a number of options available.
1.) Place room humidifiers and de-humidifiers in the piano room. These are relatively cheap, yet they need daily maintenance and are noisy.
2.) Add humidifiers to the home heating system. This will not only benefit the piano room, but the entire house, from the doors to the hard wood floors. Most newer central air systems can be retrofitted. This will help primarily in the winter to avoid dryness, but summer humidity will still need to be addressed. Runs between $600 - $1500 appx.
3.) Piano Humidity Control System. The best is the Piano Life Saver system from Dampp Chaser, Inc. This is a humidifier/de-humidifier system that installs directly into the piano. Recommended by almost all piano manufacturers and piano technicians. I've installed several of the systems. Costs run between $400 and $600 depending upon the size and type of piano. This requires some monitoring of warning lights and adding water to the humidifier system in the piano.
4.) A mixture of both systems. You may have a humidifier in the room already, yet are in need of a means to dehumidify. I am more than happy to work with you to find a means to stabilize the humidity around your piano so it sounds better longer and lasts longer.
