Maintenance Tips and Tricks
Q: Where should I place my piano ?
A: Do not position your piano against an outside wall. If however, there is no other choice, make sure there is at least 1 to 2 feet from the wall to the piano. Also, never let the sun fall directly on the piano; keep all sunlight filtered or totally away from the piano. The direct sunlight can destroy the finish of the piano, and the heat from the sun can cause drastic changes in the soundboard, and pinblock, causing cracks and major problems.
Q: How often should I tune my piano?
A: It is a worthwhile investment to have your piano tuned twice a year by a technician / tuner. Best Times to tune it are in the fall, after the heat has been on for about one month and again in summer, after the air conditioning has been on for about one month. Using a technician / tuner means that not only can the person tune the piano, they can also fix any major or minor problems with the working parts of the piano. A technician / tuner is much like a mechanic versus a person who just pumps the gas. A good technician / tuner will give you a written estimate of any additional work that needs to be done on your piano before they do the work, and often, if the work needed is quite extensive, can do the work over a period of time.
Q: Humidity?
A: During the winter it is best to keep your home at a moderate temperature to better maintain the tuning of your piano. If you live in a humid area, it is also important to keep the humidity around your piano below 46% to prevent the rusting of strings, minimize the continuous expansion and contraction of the many wooden parts including the bridgework and soundboard. If your HVAC system can't maintain an adequate humidity ~(30-45%) consider having a Damp-Chaser system installed on the piano to assist with this problem.
Q: Clean the Keytops / Ivories ?
A: The safest and most practical way is simply to use a damp cloth. It is, however, wiser to ask your Piano Tuner to do this for you. Keep the fall (keyboard-lid) Closed when the piano is not in use.
Q: Other than tuning, what other maintenance is required for my piano ?
A: Regulation of the touch should be carried out every 10 years (more often if used heavily), and occasionally the interior should be cleaned. Again, a qualified tuner or technician should carry out both tasks.
Q: Will restoration change the character of the instrument from its former quality of tone & touch ?
A: The ultimate aim of restoration is to return the piano to as close to its original style & character as possible. If the instrument is restored using the finest parts & materials, the original character should not be lost by restoration.
Q: Moving a Piano ?
A: Because a piano represents such a large investment and is so unwieldy, it is unwise to try to move a piano yourself, for both health and financial reasons. Even if you have lots of help and some equipment to assist, all it takes is poor preparation or one small drop of the piano and you will be stuck with a large bill for refurbishing the piano. You are far better off to use piano moving professionals to prepare the piano for the move, load it, transport it and set it up at the new site. In this context, "piano moving professionals" may not necessarily include "professional movers." Some professional movers can and have handled pianos successfully, but you may be taking a greater chance using your regular mover to move the piano. If you plan to use your regular mover, speak in detail to them about the transport of the piano to satisfy yourself that they can do it safely. Call us for local and long distance piano moving recommendations.
Most pianos made in the U.S. come with the traditional matte / satin black (i.e. non-shiny) lacquer finish. However, modern polymer science has provided us with tougher, more stain resistant polymer finishes like various polyester-polyurethanes and polyurethanes. "Polymer" finishes (usually polyurethanes or polyester-polyurethanes) are particularly prevalent on pianos imported from Europe or Asia. These exhibit a hard, usually shiny finish which is virtually impervious to water and most stains, though they can be damaged with solvents like alcohols.
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Lacquer Finishes
We suggest using a liquid cleaner such as Old English Furniture Polish with Lemon Oil. It is a liquid furniture polish that you have to put on the piano and then rub into the finish. The result is worth every ounce and every bit of elbow grease. The moisturizer in the polish is great for maintaining the balance in the external wood. Do not use cheap spray waxes on your piano. Although it looks beautiful, do not place plants, flowers or any drinks on the piano unless you have a lot of towels, or other emergency equipment available in case water should spill on or into the piano. The finish on a piano can be ruined if water is spilled on it or condensed onto it from a cold drink; the soundboard and strings can be permanently damaged if beverages are spilled on them. Do not touch the strings, felts or any internal parts of the piano with your hands; the oils from your fingers can leave a residue on these parts and can cause extensive damage. -
Polymer Finishes
Need not be waxed or polished. Indeed, unless they become particularly dirty or fingerprinted, about the only care necessary is to wipe accumulated dust from them regularly. Microfiber cloths are well-suited for this, though any clean, soft cloth that you might use for dusting fine furniture will work. Should you need to clean a polymer finish, a very dilute solution of a mild detergent in clean water will work fine. As you clean an area of the finish with detergent solution, immediately wipe away moisture and detergent residues with a dry, clean soft cloth to prevent streaks, much as you might if you wash windows. Be particularly careful not to get water into the interior of the piano and anywhere between the keys. If you should do so and the water is accessible, wipe it away immediately. If the water is small in amount and not readily accessible, usually the best thing to do is to simply let it evaporate, rather than risk mechanical damage to the piano.
