THE PIANO DOCTOR
Technical Questions Answered
(Editor's Note: Here is another in our series that focuses on maintaining your piano. This time, we draw from Steinway's own technical data. The topic is "Living with your Steinway," or "Where to Place Your Piano in Your Home." We receive numerous questions on this topic, so here's what the experts at Steinway have to say. Submit your own questions to our technicians here. Enjoy.)
Q: Where is the best place for my piano?
 A: About 70% of your piano is wood, which even though it has been carefully selected and dried, is still "alive," so to speak. It reacts just as your body does to variations in temperature and humidity. Constant fluctuation in either of these variables is definitely bad for your piano's health. And may lead to more frequent servicing. The action regulation, tuning, and voicing will become unstable.
We urge you to adhere to the following recommendations which will help you minimize wear and tear and help you keep your piano in optimum condition.
- Don't position it in the path of an air conditioning outlet or a heating outlet.
- Don't put it near an evaporator cooler or a room humidifier.
- Don't put it close to an uninsulated outside wall.
If you think of yourself rooted to any of these spots and subjected to the changes of temperature and humidity thereabouts, you will be able to imagine what a piano in the same location would have to endure. Pianos placed in such locations cannot be expected to stay in tune and keep their adjustment. More important, the instrument subjected to such environmental insult may be permanently damaged.
Ideally, your Steinway piano should reside in a temperate atmosphere where relative humidity ranges from 45% to 65%. If this is not possible, remember that the idea is to keep environmental factors within a fairly narrow range.
When placing your piano within a room it is important to pick a spot where it will not be hit by direct sunlight. The exterior of your piano is made of wood from the same tree, carefully stained and color-matched at the Steinway & Sons factory. Exposure to direct sunlight will bleach the wood and ruin the piano's carefully prepared finish.
It is a good idea to place a fairly accurate hygrometer near the piano so you can monitor humidity swings. Room dehumidification, humidification or air-conditioning may be needed to maintain a stable environment. The consideration of these items if necessary far outweigh the increased servicing, which may become necessary if these guidelines are not followed.
[more technical information from Steinway...]
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