Piano Movers
St. George

Pianos end up in storage regularly: between houses, during a renovation, while an estate is settled, or because nobody has decided what to do with it yet.

Done properly it is fine. Done in an ordinary unit in this climate, a few months can do damage that costs more to correct than the instrument is worth.

Just-In-Time Moving works throughout St. George and Washington County. We are licensed in Utah and carry general liability insurance.

Why an ordinary unit is a poor choice here

A piano is a wooden structure holding roughly eighteen to twenty tons of string tension, and it stays in balance only while its environment does.

A standard unit is unheated and uncooled. In southern Utah that means large daily swings and extreme summer temperatures, in air that is already very dry.

The soundboard loses moisture and shrinks, which slackens its crown and can crack it. Tuning pins lose grip in a drying pin block, so the instrument stops holding a tune. Glue joints, including in the action, are affected by prolonged heat. Felt and cloth are vulnerable to pests.

Climate-controlled storage is the answer, and for anything beyond a basic instrument it is straightforwardly worth the difference.

How it should be stored

An upright stays upright, on its own feet or a dolly, not on its back.

A grand goes on its bass side on a padded board with the legs and lyre removed, exactly as it travels, and stays that way.

Wrap it in proper moving pads rather than plastic sheeting. Plastic traps moisture against the finish, which is worse than leaving it uncovered.

Keep it clear of exterior walls and off the floor on boards. Close the lid and the fallboard. Never stack anything on top of a piano, which people do constantly in storage.

Before and after

Photograph the instrument before it goes in, with its condition. Ask your insurer whether it is covered in storage, since a facility's cover is generally for its building rather than your contents, and a scheduled instrument on a homeowners policy may or may not extend.

When it comes out, let it acclimatise in the room for a few weeks before tuning. Tuning an instrument that is still adjusting means paying to do it again.

Expect it to need a tuning, and after long or poor storage possibly more than one.

Ask the real question first

If a piano is going into storage because nobody has decided about it, work out what it is worth having a technician assess it. Storing an instrument for two years that was never going to be played is an expensive way to defer a decision.

Call (435) 862-3080 or email office@movingjustintime.com.