Welcome to LivingPianos.com, I’m Robert Estrin. Today we have an important topic: How to avoid destroying your piano. While we’ve discussed many things you should do for your piano, today we’ll focus on what to avoid. Some of these tips are common sense, but others might surprise you.
Avoid Hot Air Vents
Placing your grand piano over a hot air vent or near one can cause significant damage in just a few months. The dry air can warp and crack the soundboard, making the piano a total loss unless you opt for expensive repairs. Always ensure that your piano is not in the path of a hot air vent.
Stable Temperature and Humidity
Maintaining a stable environment is crucial for your piano. Extreme temperature swings can affect tuning stability, while high humidity can cause rust and corrosion. Conversely, very low humidity can dry out the pin block and felt parts, leading to a noisy action and other issues. Aim for 45-50% humidity, and use a hygrometer to monitor the levels. Consider using a room humidifier or a piano lifesaver system to keep conditions stable.
Protect from Sunlight
Sunlight can bleach your piano’s finish in a matter of months. It can also affect tuning stability if it shines directly on the soundboard. Even if you use window treatments to block UV light, it can still damage your piano. So protect your piano from direct sunlight to keep the finish looking new.
Regular Tuning
Pianos that haven’t been tuned for years will require multiple tunings to stabilize. Similar to changing the oil in your car, regular maintenance is essential. Neglecting this can lead to pitch issues and unstable tuning.
Avoid Furniture Polish
Using furniture polish on your piano can cause wax build-up that requires professional removal. For satin finishes, use a soft microfiber or cotton cloth. For high gloss finishes, a microfiber cloth with a bit of Windex works well.
Reshape Piano Hammers
Piano hammers can become grooved and hardened over time, leading to a harsh tone. They need to be reshaped periodically, but this should be done by an experienced technician to avoid damage.
Don’t Tune with Pliers
Using pliers to tune your piano can strip the tuning pins, causing severe damage. Invest in a proper tuning wrench or hammer, available on Amazon, and avoid makeshift tools.
Avoid Wood Stoves
Wood stoves can severely dry out a room, damaging your piano’s finish and internal components. If you must have a wood stove in the same room, use a humidifier to add moisture back into the air.
Beach Environments
Living near the beach can expose your piano to high humidity, leading to rust and corrosion. Use a string cover to protect the strings from excessive humidity if you can’t keep windows closed.
Use Correct Parts
Replacing piano parts with incorrect ones, like using Steinway hammers on a non-Steinway piano, can severely affect the instrument’s performance. Always consult an experienced piano technician for the right parts.
Ivory Key Maintenance
Closing the fallboard over ivory keys can cause them to yellow. Keep the fallboard open to maintain the bright, white appearance of the keys. Dusting the keys regularly is sufficient to keep them clean.
Conclusion
These tips will help you maintain your piano in optimal condition. If you enjoyed these tips, consider subscribing to LivingPianos.com for more articles and resources.
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6 thoughts on “How to Avoid Destroying Your Piano”
You said, “Sunlight can bleach your piano’s finish in a matter of months. It can also affect tuning stability if it shines directly on the soundboard. Even if you use window treatments to block UV light, it can still damage your piano. So protect your piano from direct sunlight to keep the finish looking new.” How do I protect it? Will covering it with a white sheet be enough?
Yes, covering your piano, or having shades that block the light during the day can alleviate problems of sunlight on your piano.
I keep a tennis ball at the far end on my piano. Since I teach, an occasional young student will grab the fall board to get on to the bench and bring it down slamming towards the keys. The ball stops the fall and has saved a lot of little fingers.
That’s a great solution for pianos without a slow close fall board!
Robert,
If you do use Windex or a glass-cleaner, just make sure that it is alcohol-based and not ammonia-based. Ammonia will damage the polyester finish.
Robert: Two other things with your grand piano to avoid:
1. Do not move it more than necessary. Most don’t do this, but some do. Pianos need to settle in.
2. Not playing your piano. The soundboard needs to be excited by string vibration. No playing, no vibration.
Good video.