klmama Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 I know in older homes it's not a good idea to put a piano on an outside wall because of poor insulation, but what about in newer construction? Should we be concerned about the sound board cracking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 I don't know, but my mom's grand piano has been sitting next to an outside wall (with large windows) in their 1950's era house for the last 40 years or so with no sign of a cracking sound board.... Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 New construction can be iffy in quality of insulation, too. A lot of builders seem to cut corners... How picky is your pianist? Is it basically a piece of furniture or do you have a kid who notices every little imperfection while practicing (our family)? Emily 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 6, 2018 Share Posted March 6, 2018 (edited) Ours is on an outside wall because every other wall also has issues in our house...not big enough, opposite the oven, floor heater vents, and windows. We leave it 6 inches from the wall for air flow and haven't had a problem in 10 years. Edited March 6, 2018 by Tap 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Ours is on an outside wall because every other wall also has issues in our house...not big enough, opposite the oven, floor heater vents, and windows. We leave it 6 inches from the wall for air flow and haven't had a problem in 10 years. Same. We don’t have any other options. It’s technically the garage wall, but I was still concerned. So far it seems to be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busymama7 Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 When we moved and I was worried about it I called local tuners and got their opinion. They said it wasn't a problem in our climate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 Our tuner declared our piano a "piano shaped object" at the last visit and we have sadly given up on it. Dh plans to turn it into a bar. Luckily, no one in my house currently plays it anymore so not a big deal. It would not hold a tuning because it is right in front of a heat register. There is literally no piano-sized wall space anywhere in my house that is not an outside wall or in front of a heat register. The tuner even searched my house, upstairs and down, and agreed. He then suggested an electronic keyboard..... However, when pressed, he did say an outside wall is better than in front of a register. That does not help us as we also have no outside wall space large enough to put a piano that is window-free. Apparently, the people who built this house were not pianists. If the outside wall backs to a garage, I would be inclined to think it is OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 (edited) Thanks, everyone. Rats. I'm looking at a house I really like, but the only decent wall space for a piano is on an outside wall, under a high window, and right next to a fireplace. Sounds like a no-go all around. ETA: LOL! I just looked at the photo again, and there's a heat register there, too! I'll bet the people who live there are moving because they want their dc to play piano and there's no safe place to put it. Edited March 7, 2018 by klmama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 In the second home I lived in, my piano was in a 3rd bedroom that we use as a study because the room is rectangular and hard to fit a twin bed. In this home, my piano is next to the kitchen bar counter, very near to my electric kettle. It’s surviving well so far for more than ten years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted March 7, 2018 Share Posted March 7, 2018 (edited) Home construction now is much better than it was before the 70's. I wouldn't have any problem with any modern house wall having a piano against it. The problem is the extremes of temp and humidity. If the piano is relatively tight to the wall, and a drafty poorly insulated wall, then the piano is functioning as part of the walls insulation, the back will see extreme cold and dry conditions one hour, followed by relatively warmer temps and possible condensation the next hour depending on the wind etc. It's the same for extreme cold climates, or hot humid climates, and most places in between. A grand piano is different because the sound board is horizontal so it won't seal against the wall like an upright. If a piano is even an inch from a modern wall, then there will be no significant temperature difference between the wall behind the piano and the wall four feet away from the piano. Same with a heat duct, a modern tight house with a good duct system won't hurt a piano right over a duct, at least not as much as an undersized duct system with an old furnace that blasts heat. This being said by someone who does NOT value pianos for more than furniture. Edited March 7, 2018 by barnwife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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