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Storing pianos: Be Kind When You Put It In Storage

You own a piano or organ you love, but life happens and you find that you need to put it in storage for a while. How should you go about doing it? Storing pianos kindly, is the only way to do it.Storing pianos image

Many experts will tell you to avoid storing pianos or organs if at all possible. It’s suggested to do everything you can to find a relative or friend who can keep the piano in their home or apartment until you’re ready for it again.

What if that’s not possible?

A climate controlled storage facility is the best storage choice, which means the piano won’t be subjected to big temperature swings and big humidity changes, both of which can cause a lot of damage to a piano.

Pianos are very sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. Frequent or severe swings in temperature and humidity can wreck the wood the piano case is made of; doing unspeakable things such as drying it out to the point of cracking. Also, if it’s too dry for a long time it can warp .(Nooooo!) yet, on the other hand, wrecking the wood if it’s too humid.

Frequent or severe temperature and humidity changes will also cause the piano to go out of tune sooner than it normally would. It can also cause the wool cloth in the piano actions on better quality pianos to deteriorate.

If you have a piano at an unheated summer home or cottage, it’s probably better to keep the piano there during the cold winter months than to move it back and forth every year. If a person has to choose between storing a piano in a place that’s very hot versus very cold, the piano will usually fare much better in the cooler place.

Some experts suggest placing moth balls in the piano during the winter storage period, taking care to make sure the moth balls don’t touch the finish of the piano. Just be sure to remember to remove them before you start using the piano again. Ode to mothballs was not one of the greats, for good reason!

One additional warning comes from “The Piano Book” by Larry Fine (an excellent and comprehensive resource book on pianos). He says a piano that has been kept for years in an area that was damp or unheated should never be moved to a dry location or a well-heated location. Larry says pianos that have had this done to them have been known to “self destruct” in a short period of time. It will just adagio away… (Chuckles to self)

Should you need a storage space with steady temperature and low humidity that is meticulously well-kept and free from dust and pest contact EeziSpace in Sandton. They know all about storing pianos and safe keeping is their forté.  Pun intended.

Storing piano image

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