Piano care page 1
Looking after your piano is important as not only does it make financial sense, but also helps maintain your enjoyment of the appearance, sound and touch of your piano. Humidity plays an important part in the life of a piano. Extremes of humidity can damage all parts of the piano and age the woods involved.

Where the piano is positioned is very important and it should not be placed near radiators or other heat source. Direct sunlight will bleach the casework, this makes some areas lighter than others.Using a piano cover will help.Placing the piano away from doors which can hit & damage casework is always a good idea.

There are a few products which can help you protect your investment. Piano covers, humidifiers and dehumidifiers are available from us. Castor cups which helpprotect your floor are available from our products page. Tuning problems are mainly due to bad humidity condition.
Why does my piano go out of tune?
The soundboard is the single largest piece of wood in your piano. It actually vibrates to amplify the sound produced by the strings. The bridges of your piano are joined to the soundboard and support the strings.

As the soundboard absorbs moisture from the air surrounding the piano, it swells, producing an upward bulge. Through the bridge, this puts additional tension on the strings.If there is too much humidity, the bridge will rise more resulting in the pitch being too high in the lower mid-range and treble section.
 
A soundboard rised when humidity is high.
A soundboard flat when humidity is low.
 
As humidity drops, the soundboard shrinks and flattens, the tension of strings over the bridge release a little.If humidity is very low, the tension becomes inadequate. The pitch of the mid-range and treble section is now flat.

Over time, constant changes in humidity levels, with the corresponding shrinking and swelling of the soundboard, will change the tuning of the instrument. Too much change either way will damage the integrity of the soundboard. You will see this damage in the form of a crack in the soundboard.

How long a piano should last depends on many factors. Average rise and falls of humidity play an important factor. The tuning pins might be old or too small due to the wrest plank shrinking under low humidty conditions. Age and condition of the woods in the piano. Quality of the woods, design and build process. If kept in ideal conditions, a good quality piano will hold its tuning longer than a cheaper piano.
The pictures below show what can happen when the humidity is too low. 1 The wrest plank which holds the tuning pins has dried out and a crack has appeared. 2 A split in a soundboard. 3 Cracks running along the long soundboard bridge. All three repairs require a lot of work and could have been prevented by a humidifier or auto system.