Outside wall?

[Grenache]

Hello, I need to rearrange the room that my upright piano is in, and would be grateful for some advice. I have a choice of three walls (the fourth has a window, so that's out!). At the moment, the piano is on an inside wall, but right next to the central heating radiator which is on the same wall. It's not ideal, but as the house is an old stone cottage, the rooms are not large and choices are limited. Another choice would be the other inside wall, but then the side of the piano would be directly facing the radiator about three feet away. Moving the radiator is also out of the question. It's on the wall as you come in the door, so moving it would take up wall space which is at a premium. So, the third option would be the outside wall. I've read here that the outside wall is not recommended, but I was wondering if the effects could be mitigated by placing a sheet of insulating polystyrene between the piano and the wall, using one-inch thick sheeting (or thicker) which builders use for thermal insulation. Would this last option be feasible? The polystyrene would act as a thermal and damp barrier so that the piano would feel as if it were against an inside wall?

Thanks

G

[Barrie Heaton]

Outside walls use to be a problem years ago because of damp in the walls, but most old houses have had some sort of damp proofing done. So it is not the problem it use to be these day it normally too dry for pianos

I would monitor the humidity in the room just round the piano on the outside wall if it turns out that the outside wall is very damp then a Damp Chaser can be fitted or a piano life saver, have a word with the tuner on the next visit. if needed a damp chaser is quite cheep to run, a piano life saver is quite expensive to install but works wonders in rooms with large swigs in humidity.

Barrie

[sussexpianos]

get a hygrometre, a digital one from B&Q is about £8. This will give you a reading of the max and min. A night, when the temperature drops is when to get a reading but I prefere to sleep at night so the unit will give the max since resetting it.

[Grenache]

Thanks Barrie,

I presume the outside wall is preferable to being beside / near the radiator? If it were on the outside wall, it would be about 12 feet from the radiator.

The wall is stone, about two feet thick, with a cavity then lath & plaster, so the plaster is not directly on the stone. The floor is suspended floorboards over a ventilated earth solum, so the floor is more likely to be the source of any damp, perhaps?

I have a humidity dial on a combined clock / thermometer / humidity meter thing, so I don't know how accurate it is, but it moves between 55% and 65% between seasons.

Thanks again

G

[WinstonChurchill]

Gotta say I've never had a problem with a little extra damp, but dry heat's a killer. Go for the outside wall. Just leave a bit of a gap between the piano and the wall.

Then again, the radiators you have here in the UK are much gentler than the furnace setup we have back home, so as long as we're not talking about extremes, you should be OK whatever.

[Gill the Piano]

You don't say how old the piano is; I find new pianos to be more sensitive to damp, showing their displeasure by having slugguish centres and sticking notes. Old pianos don't like new houses much, getting loose screws and splits (in extreme cases).

[Grenache]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies, I think the outside wall will be the place, and I'll get a digital hygrometer too (I already have a dehumidifier which I use in another part of the house, so I can control the humidity).

My current piano is a 1920s model, but I'm going shopping for a new one tomorrow (hence the need to rearrange the room). I'm thinking about buying a new Yamaha U1.

Thanks again

G

[Openwood]

I'm thinking about buying a new Yamaha U1.

Good choice, but i.m.h.o. get them to voice it for you or you might find it too bright.

[Bill Kibby]

Keeping a piano in direct sunlight, or within five feet of a heater will almost certainly cause serious, permanent, irreparable damage. See www.PianoGen.org

[drg2217]

Grenache,

Coming back to your original question, the two possible reasons why a piano might not like an outside wall are temperature (excessively warm / cold) and damp. You are familiar with your room, and you can probably tell if one or other is likely to be a problem. If so, I would imagine that putting some insulation on the wall as you suggested would be very effective.

David

[Bill Kibby]

My point, which I thought was fairly clear, is that being on an outside wall is much less of a problem than being near a window or a heater. Two-inch polystyrene will do a good job of preventing cold and damp, or you can buy sheets of insulation material used by builders.