Planning and Making Space For a Wine Cellar In Your Home

01 Jan Planning and Making Space For a Wine Cellar In Your Home

If you are a wine lover, you would want to be sure that your wines have the right kind of environment to mature over time. It also means that you need to make the right wine storage choices. This can be easier to do if you are planning a new home. You can discuss your requirements with your architect, builder and wine cellar designers to ensure that your new wine cellar fits in perfectly into your home’s structure. However, is this proposition as simple when you want to install a custom wine cellar in your existing home?

Well, not really! Adding a wine cellar to an existing space involves a significant amount of planning. You need to decide which area would be perfect for the feature. It needs to be away from direct heat and light source; and it should be vibration-free too. You would also need to ensure that the area can be insulated and that there is room for installing temperature and humidity control systems that open to the exterior of your home.

Some Pointers

All these factors are crucial in wine cellar construction and specialists will help you with every aspect. However, it’s also necessary to be well informed about different things that matter in wine cellar installation. Here are some pointers for planning and making space for a wine cellar in your home.

An existing space on your residential property can easily become a well-appointed wine cellar with appropriate preparation. As mentioned earlier, the cellar would need to have humidity and temperature control systems. You would also have to plan the lighting well, choose the right rack materials. Some important aspects to keep in view while planning your wine cellar include:

• Use studs that are at least 2”x4” to frame the space. Thicker studs are better because you can add more installations.
• Apply plastic that’s 6mm thick to create a vapour barrier while “warming” exterior walls. Seal all the holes in the plastic and overlap the edges.
• You would have to install a minimum of R-13 insulation for interior walls. The exterior walls would need minimum of R-19 while the ceilings would need
  minimum r-19 and spray foam is the best option.
• All wiring and piping in the cellar areas must be in the right positions, before you start on the wine rack installation.
• Cover the vapour barrier and studs with special moisture and mould-resistant properties.
• You can use the flooring material you prefer but avoid carpets as they retain moisture in the room.
• Your wine cellar door needs to be minimum 1 3/4” thick; it should be made of exterior-grade materials. Install weather stripping along the door’s edges.
• If you have opted for a glass door, make sure that you use tempered, double-paned glass.

Cooling units are available in a range of designs and sizes. Each is best utilised in different spaces of the wine cellar based on maximizing efficiency and minimizing noise.

Plan Wine Cellar Installation During New Home Construction

As you can see, there is quite a significant amount of additional work needed to prepare existing spaces while incorporating a wine cellar into your existing home. You can avoid this if you factor the feature during the home construction phase. It can help reduce extra costs involved in making special preparations for a new custom cellar.

You can contact wine cellar designers who will have detailed discussions with you to understand your specific needs and preferences before coming up with a design that works best for your space and needs. They will provide information regarding the insulation and construction materials, wine rack designs etc.

Since every homeowner will have specific needs, customisation becomes a crucial part of the process. They will also ensure that the spot chosen is ideal for wine cellar construction and that it is largely light, moisture and vibration-free.

To find out how Signature Cellars can help you design custom, contemporary, classic or spiral wine cellars and build a wine storage solution that can help protect your investment and add value to your home, call us on 1300 570 636 or email info@signaturecellars.com.au, and we will respond shortly. Our team is here to help with every aspect of wine cellar planning and design; they will help you choose the perfect materials and fixtures too.

Thanks for reading,
Neil Smallman
Signature Cellars
1300 570 636