If your average relative humidity was over about 25% in your previous
location, the piano will dry out if moved to most locations in Colorado.
I suggest you get a good humidity gauge and hang it near the piano,
before and after you move. If it's significantly drier here than your
California location, the piano could develop some serious problems.
You might want to consider getting a room humidifier (not a steam
vaporizer) for the room where the piano will be, setting it to your
current humidity level, and then gradually letting the humidity down
over the winter to see if the player starts to get harder to pump.
The humidity gauge is just as important as the humidifier or you won't
know if you're making it too humid.
I've seen a few old pianos that let out a loud bang a month or two
after being moved here from somewhere very humid, when the pinblock
came loose from the back structure. That should be preventable if
the humidity doesn't drop too rapidly. Keeping the indoor humidity
around 42% is beneficial for you and the rest of your furniture too.
(Disclaimer: I don't sell humidifiers.)
a. How old is the piano?
b. Is it foot-pumped, electric, or both?
c. Where is it located now?
d. Does it stay in tune pretty well?
e. What type of heat does your new home in Colorado have?
Don't place the piano over a heat vent in the floor underneath or
in the wall behind it. It's best not to place it against an outside
wall, but that's not as much of an issue here as it is in more humid
places.
Art Reblitz
Colorado Springs, Colorado
http://www.reblitzrestorations.com/
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