Heating cold winter air can cause very low humidity levels (30 - 40% rather than the usual 50-65% we see in the summer). Timber shrinks across the grain when the humidity is low and this often caused dampers to be less effective in the winter.

Let me explain: When we heat cold winter air it becomes very dry and dries timber. Since harpsichords and spinets tend to be made with the wood grain running round the case, the case height will often shrink by as much as 1-2mm. This reduces the distance...
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