Photo: Anna Shvets

Can a piano be stored in an unheated garage?

No, your piano should not be stored in a cold garage because you cannot easily control the temperature, which can damage your piano's wooden soundboard.

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October is in full force here in Oregon, and the colder temperatures are here to stay!

Some embrace this time of year while others are mourning the suns disappearance. In terms of preparing for even colder weather, people start to winterize their houses. But have you ever thought about caring for your piano while the temperature continues to drop?

Depending on where your piano resides and/or how you store it, you need to take the changing of the seasons into consideration. Consider our cold weather piano storage tips to keep your instrument in the optimal piano temperature range year-round.

Effects of Temperature on Your Piano

As strange as it may sound, weather and temperature can have a huge effect on the overall well-being of your piano. If your piano is kept inside your temperature controlled house, there should be no issues with the changing seasons. That being said if your piano is kept near windows where the cold temperatures can penetrate through— you could be dealing with damaging effects to your piano.

Temperature Affects Your Piano Soundboard

Every piano has a wooden soundboard on the interior of the piano that is almost like the heart of the instrument. This is where the sound reverberates and the beautiful music is created. Wood is elastic in character and can either expand or shrink depending on the environment that it is in. If your piano is exposed to higher temperatures, the wood will expand. In cold temperatures, the wood will shrink. The piano soundboard will continue this process as the temperature fluctuates. The continual shrinking and expanding of the wood is detrimental to the soundboard and can leave your piano in poor condition.

Can a Piano Be Stored in a Cold Garage?

No, your piano should not be stored in a cold garage because you cannot easily control the temperature, which can damage your piano’s wooden soundboard. Now that we have some background on how temperature fluctuations can affect the overall “health” of your piano, let’s talk about why you shouldn’t store your piano inside a cold garage. First of all, this is a very common idea when you are thinking of where to keep your piano if you do not currently want it in the house or don’t have space for it inside of your home. Ideally, when you are storing or keeping a piano, it will always be in a climate-controlled area. When doing research on different storage complexes or piano storage facilities, you will notice that they are almost always climate controlled (if they are not, we would suggest storing your belongings somewhere else). Keeping your piano at the same constant temperature is very important to keep it in tip-top condition. Garages are a risky storage option because of this temperature range.

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The Best Piano Temperature Range

The ideal temperature range for a piano to be stored or reside in is room temperature- about 70-72° F. Now depending on where you live, chances are your garage doesn’t stay within this optimal range, especially during the winter. Oregonians, in particular, know that it can drop down to freezing temperatures regularly ranging from about October-March. This makes the garage not the ideal place to store your instrument for the long-term or even short term.

Piano Storage Best Practices

Regardless of if you have a sentimental attachment to your piano or actually use the instrument, you want to keep the piano in its best condition for future resale or to keep up its quality and overall value! Taking the time to do some research and to maybe find an alternative storage situation rather than your garage may seem like a hassle but will keep your piano in great playing condition for a long time. Storing your piano in the proper environment is important and should be taken into consideration. This way you will be playing and using your piano for years to come!

West Coast Piano Storage Services

Our piano storage specialists understand the effects of temperature on a piano, and because of this, we ensure our warehouse facilities are climate controlled to keep pianos in their optimal environment. We offer short or long-term storage in Portland, Oregon options. Reach out for your free quote today! Once you’ve taken your piano out of storage, it’s important to have the instrument retuned to ensure it’s ready to be used. West Coast Moving & Storage is also a proud partner of Portland Piano Company and Eugene Piano Company – home to some of the best piano technicians in the Oregon.