Piano Restoration Basics: Why Your Piano Needs Rebuilding

Piano Restoration Basics: Why Your Piano Needs Rebuilding

The basic reasons why your piano may need restoration relates to several important factors, the most critical of these which I will cover in this article includes age, usage and environmental factors. How extensive the repairs will need to be is related directly to these three issues and how each of them will affect the piano's playability, appearance and overall health. In many cases, making the restoration repairs before the condition worsens can save you money in the long run.

Pianos are built to last many years, most being able to sustain a lifetime of use if properly maintained and cared for. While the life of a piano is relatively long, time and passing years can eventually take a toil on certain parts of the instrument even though it is seldom used. Strings will eventually become rusty and dead, the felts of the hammers, dampers and other action parts also becoming old and crusty. In pertaining to appearance, the case varnish, probably made from thick oil based shellac will become cracked and alligatored making the piano have an unsightly appearance.

While time will eventually cause the havoc as described above, the degree of rebuilding and how soon it will be needed is also determined by the type of usage the piano has been subjected to. A piano that is used for many hours a day will age much quicker than a piano seldom used, and then only for parties or special occasions. Piano buyers will need to beware of purchasing newer pianos that have been used in an institutional situation. While they still are in playable condition they may need to be completely rebuilt sooner than other pianos.

Another reason why your piano may need restoration work relates to environmental factors and climate. A grand piano used in a institution where the heating or cooling is limited to only when the piano is played, for example a church or lodge will be subjected to more sudden changes in humidity and moisture levels. You should note, the degree of dryness or humidity and its fluctuation has more to do with direct damage to the structure of the piano like the soundboard and pin block than the actual room temperature where it is housed or stored. Always take into consideration that pianos located in extreme climates may require restoration work sooner than others located in a climate where the humidity stays relatively similar year round.

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