How to Maintain Your Piano in Ontario’s Climate
An acoustic piano is a masterpiece of craftsmanship—a living instrument fashioned from wood, felt, and steel. For those who own one in Ontario, we are gifted with four distinct seasons, but this beautiful climate of extremes presents a significant challenge to the health and stability of these delicate instruments. The swing from our hot, humid summers to cold, dry winters can wreak havoc on a piano’s intricate components.
Protecting your cherished instrument is paramount to ensuring it provides a lifetime of musical enjoyment. At The Piano Boutique, we consider ourselves custodians of these fine pianos, and this guide will provide the essential knowledge you need to properly care for your investment.
The Challenge: A Climate of Extremes
The core of your piano—the soundboard, the pinblock, the action—is made primarily of wood. By its very nature, wood is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air in humid conditions and releases it in dry conditions. This constant expansion and contraction is the primary threat to your piano's health.
The Enemy of Wood: Humidity Swings
Summer (High Humidity): As the wood in your piano swells, you may notice keys becoming sluggish or sticking. The action can feel heavy and unresponsive. Internally, moisture can even lead to rust on the strings and tuning pins, affecting both the tone and the instrument's longevity.
Winter (Low Humidity): When the furnaces turn on, the air becomes exceptionally dry. The wood in your piano contracts, which is far more dangerous. The soundboard, the very soul of the piano, can shrink and develop cracks. Tuning pins can loosen within the pinblock, making it impossible for the piano to hold its tune. Felt and leather components can become brittle and noisy.
Your Piano's Defence Strategy: A Three-Tiered Approach
While you cannot change the weather, you can create a stable environment for your piano. Proper maintenance is a combination of strategic placement, regular professional service, and proactive climate control.
1. Strategic Placement in Your Home
The first step is to position your piano correctly. This foundational care costs nothing but can have a significant impact.
Place your piano against an interior wall, away from the fluctuating temperatures of exterior walls.
Keep it out of direct sunlight, which can bleach the finish and cause rapid, damaging temperature changes.
Avoid placing it near heating or cooling vents, fireplaces, windows, or drafty doorways.
2. Consistent, Professional Service
Regular tuning is non-negotiable. We recommend having your piano tuned a minimum of twice per year, timed to coincide with the major seasonal shifts—once in the late spring after the heat is off, and once in the late autumn after it comes on.
A tuning appointment is more than just a pitch correction; it is a regular wellness check. During this visit, a qualified technician can spot the early warning signs of climate-related stress and perform preventative adjustments. This commitment to routine care is essential for maintaining your piano's performance and value, and it is a cornerstone of our professional piano services.
3. The Ultimate Solution: Humidity Control Systems
While room humidifiers and dehumidifiers can help, they only manage the ambient air and can’t fully protect your piano from fluctuations. For absolute stability, the gold standard is an internally installed climate control system.
We exclusively recommend the Piano Life Saver System from Dampp-Chaser. This system is installed discreetly inside your piano and creates a perfect microclimate, maintaining the ideal 45% relative humidity year-round. It works silently, activating a humidifier in the dry winter months and a dehumidifier during the humid summer. It is, without question, the single best investment you can make to protect your piano from the damaging effects of Ontario's climate. Learn more about our professional humidity control system installations.
Partner with the Experts to Protect Your Investment
Your fine piano is built to last for generations, but it requires proper care to withstand our challenging climate. By being proactive and partnering with expert technicians, you can ensure its stability, preserve its tone, and protect its value for years to come.
The team at The Piano Boutique is dedicated to the long-term health of your instrument. Contact our service department today to schedule a tuning or to inquire about installing a humidity control system in your piano.