The cooling unit will also produce massive amounts of water drainage under these conditions. With the extra space, I would be able to fit two layers of insulation, thus doubling my R-value. Step 1: A Discussion About Budget and Requirements. However, there are unique considerations that go into creating a smaller space. We recommend closed cell foam insulation because it acts as a vapor barrier, preventing water vapor from accumulating on your closet cellar's walls. You can see I left a 1/2" overlap on one door. You can go with the aforementioned wine cooler/fridge. Therefore, I decided I would forgo a wine cooling system and try out passive-cooling. To help create more uniform conditions within my cellar, I mounted a small USB-powered desk fan at the top of my cellar to help circulate and mix the air within the cellar. Turn closet into wine cellar door. Once the unit is in position, stabilize the unit and insulate and seal the opening to the unit. In some areas, my measurements were nearly perfect, so covering the seams was easy. Inside the Closet Cellar. There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the location of your closet wine cellar: Heat - Wine should be stored at a constant temperature of 55 °F. This can be another interior room of your home, as long as its ambient temperature is 80°F or below.
Insulation and foil tape to seal seams – I used two layers of foil-faced polyisocyanurate rigid foam. Ambient air surrounding a potential wine display space needs to be factored into the design and execution of a project. Even with insulated walls, your cellar build will greatly benefit from the addition of 1 – 3 or more inches of foam insulation. I'm no thermodynamics engineer, but it seemed to me that if I could insulate the closet well, the inside temperature would not fluctuate as quickly or as wildly as the outside. The following two photos show the installed VintageView racks in my new wine cellar. How to build a Wine Cellar / Wine Closet - a step by step DIY guide. If the air barrier is placed on the cool side of the cellar, ambient air will be able to move to the barrier, cool and release water behind the barrier.
I secured it using the staple gun. They're meant for wines that you plan to consume within a two-year time frame. If it just a small closet with a small wine collection, refrigerating and insulating may not be necessary. Without sufficient insulation of the wine cellar ceiling, walls and floor, temperature changes will occur more frequently and tend to mimic the temperatures of the air surrounding the wine cellar. Although you can use anchors and install these racks to drywall surfaces, driving screws directly into 1″ cedar boards is easier and sturdier. This would have easily increased my R-Value by at least another R-10. A good wine cellar should also operate at a reasonable cost. However, it limits your design flexibility and you may severely restrict how many bottles you can store in your closet. As I discussed earlier in the article, VintageView Wall Series racks come in one, two, three and four-foot lengths. Transforming Small Spaces Into Wine Rooms - Wine Guardian. It's important to mention that when installing fiberglass, it is highly recommended you wear gloves, protective glasses, a long-sleeved shirt, pants, and a breathing respirator. Maybe more in the summer and less in the winter. Most well insulated (non-glass) wine cellars of less than 500 cubic feet should be able to use through the wall cooling units. Gary Sullivan, director of sales for The Wine Enthusiast, explains in "Wine Spectator" magazine that the vapor barrier "goes on the warm side -- which is the exterior of the cellar, the interior of your living space.
This homeowner transformed unused space in their house into a small wine room using Vigilant's standard Mahogany wine racking. Constant footsteps can lead to unintentional vibration in your cellar. Connect a drain line to the unit for condensate drain water produced by the cooling unit. If the unit produces any condensate, I want the cutout and shelf as protected as possible. Wine Cellar Flooring. Then I went back and built the side walls (again, frame, insulation, and drywall). However, instead of a window, this unit sits in a hole that you've cut in the cellar's wall. STEPS | Build A Wine Cellar. Once I had the rest of the framing in place, I cut up the necessary fiberglass insulation for the ceiling and then cut my first piece of drywall, which would become the ceiling itself. The last thing I did for the cellar build was insulate and seal the door. Window unit air conditioners generally do not work well as they are not designed to maintain wine cellar levels of cooling. Turning a closet into a wine room. Not every closet in your home will be the right location for your wine cellar.
The advantages of contained, through the wall cooling units include; the simplicity of installation, lower noise levels in the area immediately outside the cellar (unless ducted) and usually lower cost. Crown and base molding. Air and vapor sealing the cellar space greatly improves the performance of your cellar's insulation and prevents the entrance of large amounts of warm, humid air. Vibration from large appliances such as washing machines, furnaces and boilers can also affect the quality of wine over the long term. Closed-cell foam insulation acts as both an insulator and vapor barrier, which might free up valuable space. In a ducted split set up, the system has two separate units (an evaporator and a condenser) that are connected by a line set. Ideas for Converting a Closet Into a Wine Cellar. The Small Wine Cellar. You can shop for wine racks here and here.
Begin the rack install by first spacing the proper distance from the adjacent wall (2 3/4″) and installing the first frame. The majority of wine is meant to be enjoyed within 24 months of purchase. If there are lights inside the closet or just outside, use low-heat lights such as LEDs as opposed to halogen, which generate a lot of heat. From design to order to delivery, the Vigilant team was there to answer any questions and provide assistance. Home Depot had one in a color call "Cabernet". Turn closet into wine cellar. Given that this isn't a high traffic area, I bought some minimal drywall edging to cover the outside corners. Unfortunately, my closet cellar space made it unpractical to mount my cooling unit high in the cellar and I had to settle for a midway location. The Benefits of a Wine Cellar and Proper Wine Storage. Doors = existing door, two layers of insulation board = R-value ~ R-26.
When installing the rigid foam, I tried to cut to fit fairly tight, so the panels would hold themselves in place before I could tape the seals with foil tape. In fact, the client was so pleased he sent us the following testimonial: I'm completely satisfied with my order. Light can prematurely age wine. In most ducted splits, one part of the unit is inside the cellar and the other part of the unit is located on the exterior of your home, much like a traditional HVAC system.
Another option is to use rigid foil-faced foam (polyisocyanurate) to insulate your cellar and as the finishing surface inside the cellar. This gives you more space to store more wine. But, all things considered, I couldn't more pleased with how this wine cellar turned out. Make sure to use a stud finder and mark the stud locations on your air barrier prior to installing insulation over it – assuming you will need the stud locations later for paneling install or shelving. Cedar boards make excellent cellar walls/ceilings – they are an excellent fastener base for mounting racks and the look and smell terrific. There are several different makes of wine cooling units. This option is usually not the best for closet cellars because it's quite expensive for a small space. The following steps assume you are starting with an existing, finished space. Wine Cellar Refrigeration Cooling Units.