Given that I am not sure if this is the right category, if it isn't, I apologize.
A couple of months ago, a lady gave me an upright piano as a gift. Since I already have my own piano at home, I brought it to the studio where we rehearse and where we can all play it. Being a countryside location (an old milking parlor) that is quite isolated and without heating (aside from a small gas heater for the winter, but the room is large and takes a while to warm up), I intend to create a good winter cover.
I have no intention of buying one of those faux leather and red felt covers they sell, just to protect it from dust. I need something serious, quite thick and heavy, that protects both from the cold and temperature fluctuations (it gets really cold in winter) and from humidity (even though it is not an excessively humid place).
Pensando of sewing a double duvet together with a faux leather sheet on one side (or even nylon) and a wool tarp on the other (on the inside).
Will it work? Or should I look for factory-made ones that might be specifically designed for this, but above all, how much might they cost?
I might be talking nonsense (I'm not a technician), but I don't like to overdo it with covers and similar things, unless it is for protection against dust or if we are talking about a long period during which the instrument will not be used. I think every time it is a stress for the piano to undergo continuous and sudden changes in temperature and humidity. It is as if, in the middle of winter, you slept in a 30°C environment and then went out naked into the snow and the elements during the day. I believe it is more suitable to stabilize the climate inside the studio. The upright piano should be positioned at least 30 cm from the wall (preferably not an external one and/or with hot water pipes) so that the soundboard is free to move more air mass and not stifle the sounds (which must travel).
Tudo I have written should be taken with a grain of salt; maybe I have just written nonsense and a technician will know how to correct me. It is simply the treatment my pianos receive.
It can be done with a wool blanket, or anyway using fabrics that are absolutely breathable (no eco-leather, nylon, etc.) because they could trap moisture and do more harm than good.
If the room is not air-conditioned, adverse weather conditions such as humidity and cold in winter will still affect the piano; the cover only causes a delay in the exchange between the piano environment and the room environment, but sooner or later they will reach equilibrium.
So it is just as well to use a cotton cover, with the aim of limiting the effects of dust alone.
I think that every time it is a stress for the piano to undergo continuous and sudden changes in temperature and humidity. It is as if, in the middle of winter, you slept in a 30°C environment and then went out naked into the snow and bad weather during the day.
I don't quite understand what you mean. Perhaps you are referring to the temperature fluctuations every time I take off and put on the cover?
Inside the room (being a stable where cows were milked) there is no heating or water pipes, there is only the electrical connection. In winter we warm ourselves with a gas stove, which is the only "climate control solution" we can afford. Aside from the winter cold, there are no water leaks, except from a window when it rains with wind (stable windows made of metal without particular insulation). But the piano is located in the center of the room (about 40 sqm) so it faces no danger from water or damp walls.
I know that if it is cold I cannot "warm" the piano with a large cover, but at least I would like to minimize the most pronounced fluctuations in temperature and humidity (above all to protect it as much as possible from the latter)
Thank you all for the timely and well-formulated responses
There is a device (the name of which I don't remember, but it has been discussed several times on this forum) that regulates temperature and humidity levels at the piano. I believe it costs around €1000.
