Piano Care

Humidity & Temperature

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. As the piano is made of wood, it will move to keep a constant state with the RH (relative humidity) of the room it is in. A piano’s soundboard is very sensitive to humidity changes and this affects the tuning as the strings will go sharp or flat with the movement of the bridge which is attached to the soundboard. Humidity is the main problem when a piano goes out of tune; the only way to tell what range of RH your piano is subjected to is to purchase a hygrometer gauge. A digital gauge is better as it will give you the minimum and maximum that the RH has been since it was last re-set. Try to keep the piano’s environment as constant as possible and never below 40% or above 60% or worse, with rapid fluctuations.

You can protect your piano with humidity products.

Take a look at Dampp Chaser which we fit.

Position

Where the piano is positioned is very important. It should not be placed near radiators or other heat sources. Direct sunlight will bleach the casework; this makes some areas lighter than others. Bleaching is more common on modern pianos due to the modern stains. Using a piano cover will help. The piano needs to be in a place which is stable in temp/humidity but where the pianist feels comfortable. Wooden and stone floors can be damaged by pianos so it’s best to get castor cups. A small room will make a large piano too loud, especially if there are not many soft furnishings to absorb the sound. Placing a rug underneath the piano can absorb the sound to soften it.

Tuning

Tuning is vital in order to keep your piano in perfect order. The piano should be tuned at least once a year. It is recommended to have the piano tuned every 6-12 months in order for the piano to maintain its pitch. A regularly tuned piano will stay in tune longer as the strings are not moved a lot, only small adjustments are needed. If a piano is left too long then it will loose pitch and more than one visit, or a longer tuning session will be needed. Pianos which are not tuned for a very long time will sometimes loose tension unevenly which puts a strain on the frame. A piano should be at standard pitch, for the UK, standard pitch is A=440 Hz. This is important as the piano will sound the same as another piano tuned to  pitch as well as a CD which might be played with the pianist. Some people using an App to learn or playing against a song online, will notice if their piano is not at the same pitch.

John Thompson is a member of the Piano Tuners Association.

Servicing/Regulation

The piano has many felts, baizes, leathers etc contained in the action & keys. These are the workings of the piano which transmits the pianist’s wishes with touching the key, to the note sounding when the hammer hits the string. There are many measurements which technicians use to regulate a piano. Once regulated, the piano will perform evenly, responsively and repetitively to how it was designed to do. During a service the technician will re-shape the hammers to remove string grooves, check for moth and checking the centre pins on the action parts. Regulation and servicing should be routine depending on how much the piano is used. Piano Service

Case Work- French Polish

This is the traditional method used to finish pianos before modern spraying techniques became common use. Mostly found on pianos before 1950’s. This finish is delicate and needs to be looked after.  Avoid water, solvent and alcohol contact at all costs. It is best to ask the advice of a professional French Polisher but the owner can clean the case using liquid paraffin and water (70/30). on a rag. You can then dry off with another rag and then polish up using a micro fibre cloth. This will remove the impurities of the case and give you a nice shine to your piano. If the finish goes dull, you can use a reviver like burnishing cream. This will not remove scratches nor will it add polish, you can only work with what’s present. Consult a professional if the case is too bad for advice. This is the most difficult finishes to apply and the most time consuming. Crazing  is mostly caused by the finish drying too much, very low humidity or direct sun. You will have to strip the finish and start again.

Cssework-Spray

A modern spray finish is found on pianos from the 1950’s. They can be matt, satin or high gloss. There are many types, pre-cat, bar top, polyester, cellulose, 2pack and much more.  They can be clear or solid for colours.  Bleaching of the case is most common with these finishes as fast stains are sometimes used and these are affected by UV light more than water stains.  These finishes are hard to repair as spraying it required. They are waterproof, hard wearing and resistant to most liquids. To clean these finishes, a damp cloth followed by dry one is mostly adequate but you can purchase cleaners.

Polyester came about in the early 70’s. It’s a high build resin which is used today. All high shine pianos sold today are polyester. It is hard wearing, water proof etc but again, hard to repair. Black is the easiest to repair. Sun bleaching is common with wood finishes due to the stains used.  The finish can be cleaned with a damp cloth followed by a dry micro fibre cloth.