Humidity Control for your Piano | Piano Humidity Control

Many people are not aware that humidity can have a profound effect on the tuning and performance of your piano. Humidity is a measure of how much water vapor is in the air, relative to the maximum amount of water vapor it can hold (that’s why it’s called relative humidity!).  Your piano is subject to wide swings in humidity. This is particularly true in the Hudson Valley, where the majority of our clients live. In the summer, humidity levels can go as high as 100%, while in the winter, your heating system can drop the relative humidity in your home into the single digits.

What does this mean for your piano? When the humidity is high, the soundboard and bridges absorb moisture and swell, increasing the tension of the strings and forcing the piano sharp. When the humidity is low, the opposite happens - the soundboard and bridges release moisture and shrink, reducing the downward pressure of the strings and forcing the piano flat. This is why almost all piano manufacturers - and your piano technician - recommend that your piano is tuned twice a year. In addition to forcing your piano out of tune, increased humidity affects the action parts, swelling the wood and increasing friction, which can make your action respond sluggishly (a major cause of “sticking” keys).

How can you mitigate the effects of humidity on your piano? There are several options. The absolute best solution is to have your whole house humidity controlled. This involves either attaching a humidifier to your HVAC system or installing a separate humidifier/dehumidifier system in your home. While this is the best solution, it can be very expensive to install and maintain, and is usually cost prohibitive.

Get More Info : Piano Humidity Control

Websites : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/

Contact Us : Piano Technician Berkshires

Basics of Piano Care | Piano Regulation And Voicing

FIRST POST! Thanks for checking out this blog page. We will be adding content every week or so, as long as we keep coming up with interesting and informative things to say.

I’d like to start by talking about basic piano care… The aspect of piano care that everyone is familiar with is tuning. Pianos go out of tune due to changes in humidity, which swells and shrinks the wood of the soundboard, bridges, and action parts. This happens regardless of how much or how little the piano is played. We STRONGLY recommend having your piano tuned twice a year. This is in line with all manufacturer’s recommendations. If you put it in terms of car maintenance (the other big, complicated machine in your life), tunings are the oil changes of piano care. It’s important to note that your piano may be out of tune and still sound relatively ok, but not be at the correct pitch. More on this in a future post. Is your piano out of tune? Find out how to determine this here.

Get More Info : Piano Restoration

Websites : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/

Contact Us : Piano Tuner Berkshires

Piano Humidity Control | Piano Master Technician

Your piano is affected by the large swings in humidity that we have in the area. A Dampp-Chaser system from Piano Life Saver will keep your piano at a relative humidity of 45% +- 5% all year round. 

This will protect your soundboard from cracks and compression ridges, and stabilize your piano so it stays better in tune between appointments. All of us at New York Piano Works are Certified Installers.

Get More Info : Piano Humidity Control

Websites : https://www.newyorkpianoworks.com/

Contact Us : Harpsichord Repair Hudson Valley