Wine Chillers - Cellar Construction
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There really isnt any one set of rules or guidelines to follow when building a wine cellar, many custom wine cellar builders will be able to recommend and advise you according to your needs and budget. With state of the art technologies and some imagination you can have your dream wine cellar for an affordable price. Knowing some simple and general information that are essential in building a wine cellar will save you from unscrupulous businesses who tries to pass off low quality materials at high cost. Below is some basic information you should be aware of for the construction of your cellar
First lets start with location, the best option is always the basement, but if you do not have the luxury of a basement in your home then any room in the house can be converted into a cellar with some basic minor reconstruction. Despite the popular beliefs that unused crawl spaces in homes can be used as a replacement for a cellar, these spaces are actually the most unsuitable for storing wines due to the extreme sensitivity to temperature changes, where it either gets too hot during summer or too cold during winter.
Now comes the part on framing and insulation for the converted room. Moisture resistant drywall or commonly called greenboard is recommended all walls and ceiling coverage. The greenboard provides an excellent finished surface that is ideal for painting. Do keep in mind however if you are using wood products, that non-aromatic wood species such as Western Cedar, California Redwood or Mahogany are best for interior walls. Always remember that the outside walls should be framed using 2 X 6 inch wood studs and cellar walls that faces into the house interior should be framed with 2 X 4 inch studs, however in general 2 X 6 inch studs are used throughout if you have the space and are using regular insulation. If your floors are generally cold, then you might want to consider installing a 2 X 2 inch wood “sleepers” on the floor so that rigid insulation of R-7.5 are able to be placed between them.
Insulation is a key requirement if a climate control cooling unit is going to be used. It is essentially very important to have the correct insulation for the wall thickness, so that the cellar temperature remains as consistent as possible during summer and winter. Also remember that cement walls or floorings are not good insulators.
Insulation requirements are always determined according to the condition of the outside wall area and height of the room that is to be converted into a cellar. The very best type of insulation used for todays cellar designs is the sprayed-in-place
2-lb. polyurethane. It also provides a Type-2 vapor barrier that is needed for wine cellars. However it is rather expensive. A slightly less expensive option is insulation batts fitted into the stud cavities. With 2X 6 inch walls, you can get up to a R-20 rating or an R-12 rating with 2X 4 stud walls. The R-value or thickness of insulation is determined by the thickness of the walls and ceiling. Generally, a minimum of R-13 should be applied to the walls of a cellar while R-19 to R-30 is recommended in the ceiling. An approved 6 mm vapor retarder must be installed on the warm side of the cellar. This is the area where you have the plumbing pipes, ductwork and electrical wirings. A vapor retarder is a definite must have in order to maintain the coolness and control the moisture levels.
Now that the essential part of the structure are clarified, we shouldnt forget the cellar door and windows, if you have windows in the cellar, it is recommended to wall it off completely but you prefer to have windows, then it is recommended that you change the glass to a sealed thermal pane unit with at least a ¾ inch overall thickness. Meanwhile the door must have a very good sealing design to keep the cool air in the cellar from escaping. If you are installing a cooling system, an exterior grade of 1¾ inch should be used as the door, and weather stripping is attached to all 4 sides of the doorjamb. A bottom “sweep” or threshold is also recommended. One of the most common problems faced by cellar owners with a cooling system is that cooling units will run continually due to not sealing the door properly. Solid core doors or doors with a full glass insert are most commonly used while glass doors must at least be double pane-tempered glass. These doors can be bought at lumber stores at a more affordable price if appearance is not a main concern for you.
Finally, racking, your racking design must be determined before you start your cellar construction which allows your walls to be built to fit the exact racking layout you have chosen.
The racking layout and design is the main presentation feature to your cellar at the end of the day.
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