To ensure your beloved instrument is always in good condition, and to avoid otherwise unnecessary tuning and adjustments, it’s vital that you invest in piano climate control in Washington DC. Climate affects the overall condition and sound of a piano, and can help keep that instrument in tune or cause it to slip out of tune sooner rather than later!
While piano climate control in Washington DC is vital for maintaining the condition of your keyboard, many piano owners fail to realize the proper climate for their instrument or how to maintain that climate throughout the year! Every instrument will need eventual piano tuning in Washington DC but proper climate control prolongs its life between tunings while reducing wear and tear on its moving parts. Note some vital information about piano climate control in Washington DC so you know you’re making the best decisions for your instrument year-round.
Why Do You Need Piano Climate Control in Washington DC?
Piano climate control in Washington DC refers to ensuring that the climate or environment in which you store your piano is ideal for maintaining the overall condition of its wood and leather parts. As you might know, wood expands when it absorbs moisture and also shrinks when it dries. When the wood body of a piano goes through this cycle, it stretches and pulls all the parts under the lid!
Excessive movement of the piano body due to improper piano climate control in Washington DC puts pressure on the soundboard, hammers, pins, wires, dampers, and all other parts of that instrument. The more stretching and pressure on those parts, the more out of tune that piano becomes and the sooner they need adjustment as well as eventual replacement!
Improper piano climate control in Washington DC also means more stress on the piano body, so the more likely it is it eventually chip, split, curl up around the ends, and otherwise suffer damage. You might also notice the piano body looking lackluster and dull throughout the year, rather than rich and shiny as you expect!
Start With Piano Temperature Control in Washington DC
Room temperature, meaning between 70-74 degrees Fahrenheit and 21-23 Celsius, is ideal for a piano; note that this means 24 hours a day, not just during the daytime! While you might sleep more readily in a cooler room or prefer a warmer space during the day, your piano doesn’t adjust to fluctuating temperatures so readily. Keep a programmable space heater or portable air conditioner in the room where you store the piano if needed, to ensure consistent temperatures both day and night.
It’s also vital to keep a piano away from a home’s outer walls, where room temperature might be several degrees cooler than in the center of the space. It’s also suggested that you keep a piano away from vents, registers, and other such openings, as temperatures around these also fluctuate and especially when a furnace or air conditioner cycles on.
Do You Need a Piano Humidity Control System in Washington DC
Humidity fluctuations are one important reason for needing piano climate control in Washington DC. Wood piano pieces and its body absorb humidity rather easily, and it doesn’t take much moisture for wood to start swelling and then pulling those wires and other pieces along with it. Expanding wood pieces also put pressure on hammers and pins, moving them out of position and causing early wear and tear.
As humidity levels dry up, wood then shrinks and continues to pull and push piano pieces. Added stretching and pressure on piano wires pulls them out of tune so that you need piano tuning in Washington DC sooner rather than later! The many wood parts under a piano lid also shrink and then risk cracking, splitting, and other damage as they dry out.
To avoid these risks, ensure proper humidity levels for your piano climate control in Washington DC; typically 42% relative humidity is ideal. During winter months, you might need a programmable humidifier in the room where you keep the piano and then a dehumidifier during summer months! There are also humidity control systems designed specifically for pianos you might purchase, as these make it easy to maintain proper humidity levels around your home’s piano.
Quick Tips for Piano Maintenance in Washington DC
Piano climate control in Washington DC is one vital way of ensuring that your instrument always sounds its best and looks like new! However, you might note a few added tips for proper maintenance and care of your keyboard, and be sure to discuss these tips with a piano tuning contractor in Washington DC as needed.
- Playing the piano on a regular basis actually helps keep it in tune! When piano wires are at rest, they tend to stretch or settle, pulling the piano out of tune. The strike of hammers against wires as you play keeps them stretched properly so your piano stays tuned and sound its best!
- Keep piano keys cleaned as needed. Sticky keys often cause a person to bang on them to produce proper sounds, even without realizing it, leading to excess wear and tear of an instrument’s moving parts.
- Ensure you dust and clean the piano, both inside and out. Dust causes friction between moving parts and gets in the way of proper hammer movement, so that your piano goes out of tune sooner than it should. Dust also dries out wood parts so they shrink and pull on other parts under the piano lid, as said.
- Avoid DIY piano tuning in Washington DC. It’s not unusual for amateurs to over-tighten strings during this tuning process, leading to excessive wear and tear. It’s also impossible to tune a piano as well as a pro, no matter the tools you use and equipment you buy!
It’s also advantageous to have an expert set up your needed and ideal piano climate control in Washington DC. He or she might note the relative humidity in your home and will be familiar with changing temperatures and weather conditions in your area, to ensure your piano is cared for properly and always in good repair.
