[pianotech] Protection from underfloor heating

[Ron Nossaman]

On 12/11/2012 2:01 PM, David Boyce wrote:

> That just leaves temperature itself.  How many degrees higher is the air
> temperature on or just above the surface of the floorboards, than, say
> at piano key height in the room?  I do not know.  Surely not as much as,
> say, 20 degrees Farenheit?  SUch that, if the air in the room were at a
> comfortable 70 degres F, the floor would be at 90 degrees F?

I'd guess not that much, but don't have anything to judge by.

When in doubt, look it up... Here, in spite of a .GOV suffix, is a 
pretty good general information page. Nothing about temperature ranges 
though.
http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/radiant-heating

This one says 85°F floor for a 72°F room, requiring 140° water temperature.
http://www.schluter.com/3765.aspx

Google "in floor heating temperature of water" and prospect away.


>Even if
> the wooden floorboards WERE at 90F, given that the air does not have low
> RH, how would temperature at the bottom of the piano damage it?

No. If anything, it would be the heated air drying out the wood. The 
heat itself is nothing.


> Ron, I enjoyed the "leak to inherit the earth" remark, and the
> anecdote!

Got lots more. <G>


>Lots of builldings, including apartment blocks and tower
> blocks, were built here in the 1960s to designs that were simply
> unsuited to the climate.

As was this house.


> Almost all the flat roofs, including those on
> 18-storey tower blocks, had pitched roofs put on them eventually.

Same here. They eventually got tired of chasing leaks and moved them.
Ron N