Proper Piano Storage and Moving

Despite its size and weight the piano is a sensitive instrument. Its condition can be influenced by humidity and temperature. These are key factors that affect the natural life as well as the tuning of the piano. Thus proper piano storage is a must to guarantee proper aging of the wood, felt, and strings. At the least, appropriate levels of humidity and temperature must be maintained if you want your instrument to last.

The storage area must stay at a reasonably constant temperature all year round. Making sure that the storage area is far from outside walls, heat vents and water sources of any kind can also provide added protection.

Proper piano storage away from your home should include careful wrapping and placement on piano boards. Special blankets should be used to wrap all the accessories like the bench, pedals and legs. The warehouse area where your piano is stored should be cleaned thoroughly two to three times a week. This will keep dust to a minimum and to avoid damaging the piano’s moving parts.

If piano storage is done incorrectly, changes in humidity and temperature would cause warping and damage to hardwoods under high string tension. Warranties provided by all modern piano manufacturers indicate that pianos should be placed as far away as possible from all sources that influence temperature change and humidity. These sources include windows, heating and air conditioning vents, fireplaces, open kitchens, the laundry room, radiators and outside walls.

Some homes are not suitable or conducive for pianos. In these cases installation of a humidity control system by a professional technician is recommended. Piano parts can easily be fixed, however the price to pay for ensuring the safety of a piano is much less than having the piano restored. It’s the case of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure.

The best advice for consumers about storing a piano is not to do it if they can avoid it, or at the least have someone who can be relied upon to take good care of it. During times that storing is unavoidable, movers should be hired to do the job.

Piano moving is a complex and technical task that requires an enormous amount of strength. Storing a piano may involve additional moving and keeping the instrument in an unsure environment is risky. The investment and value of a piano must be taken into consideration by making sure that the trip is safe and that the storage area is up to the task. In any case the piano should be thoroughly packaged and protected.

Most pianos like console, spinet and other upright pianos normally need not be disassembled. However, baby grand, grand and concert grand pianos should be taken off their legs with care, draped in blankets and laid on a piano board or skid board.

It would be an advantage if movers were qualified and certified piano technicians. Customers can save time and money with this type of arrangement. Technicians could appraise the instrument while the piano is in transport. If, after delivery, the instrument needs to be tuned or repaired, these technicians can do so without scheduling separate appointments.

Moving pianos is a specialized service. Piano moving should only be done by professionals. Not hiring a professional but opting for a cheaper alternative can result in improper packaging and damage during the move. These damages may be cause damage that is costly to fix, if possible at all

Are you looking for full-feature, top of the line piano course?

We highly recommend "Mr Ron" Worthy's course Play Piano Like A Pro. It starts at beginner and takes you through to semi pro. Both sheet music "sight reading" and playing by ear are taught and lessons are well laid out and are easy to follow.
Click here for more information. .
Visit the Play Piano Like a Pro website.