For point of reference, from one in Minnesota, where a winter humidity of more than 35%, on cold days (perhaps -20 degree F) leads to severe window condensation and wood damage, even with triple-glazed argon-filled windows.
Even 30% is problematic, since moving the instrument to a venue with typical 10-20% on winter days results in a long wait for stabilization, retuning in steps with tightened strings leading to other recently tuned strings becoming again flat, etc… This stress can’t be good for an instrument.
(Phsyics lesson alert - even with a perfect vapor barrier in walls and ceiling, air infiltration from exterior high RH% at cold temperature becomes a low RH% once warmed up. Hence the challenge of keeping indoors humid when it’s really cold outside.)
This being said, I now have the luxury of a dedicated music studio with good vapor barriers. The ease of keeping this single room more and less humid than the rest of the house is remarkable. It IS possible to keep it near 30% with humidification AND dehumidification on those cool damp fall and winter days. NO TUNING REQUIRED!
But merely opening the french doors to the rest of the house for a few minutes makes a <marked> difference in humidity. The water molecules disperse through the air gasses with ease - far faster than temperature migration. I made a noticable improvement in humidity control by adding seals to the bottoms of the french doors!
Lately with more gigs, I have given up keeping it that high in the winter and have adopted summer and winter humidity/tuning.
For those in temperature climates, it is wonderful that you can enjoy higher humidity year-around. (The wide-open windows at the Uffitzi gallery in Florence come to mind.)
In the upper midwest, this is out of the question.
Bruce
On 5/5/16, 6:08 PM, "Harpsichords and Related Topics on behalf of Rob Brooke" <[log in to unmask] on behalf of [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Tom, your harpsichord seems to have been happy at 50% relative humidity
>but the difference between 50% and 20% is fairly large. My instruments
>are in Florida where everybody air conditions in the summer and there
>are a few days in winter when heat is needed. The indoor relative
>humidity range for us here is between 40% and 50%, though it could go
>higher in the summer, depending on the level of AC. The only times I
>have had to use a dehumidifier is limited to the shop when I am drying a
>soundboard prior to installation.
>
>The tolerance for any harpsichord to changes in humidity has to do with
>where it was built (England, Florida vs drier climes) and how the
>builder designed to increase that tolerance. The adverse effect of low
>humidity is usually a split soundboard. High humidity can result in
>bulging or sunken soundboards and the sticking of action parts (keys,
>jacks, jack tongues) as the wood swells.
>
>Every harpsichord is different but in your case, I'd get a humidifier
>for use during the dry months and try to keep the humidity at or above
>40%. In Florida, I would worry if my ambient humidity got much lower
>than that. Your nasal tissues will also thank you for the humidity
>increase...
>
>Best of luck.
>
>Rob
>
>--
>ROBERT BROOKE HARPSICHORDS
>4214 18th Ave W
>Bradenton, FL 34205
>
>www.robertbrookeharpsichords.com
>
>941-746-6725
>
>
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