Materials: Four 48" x 96" pieces of 1/2" drywall
Twenty-four 2" x 4" x 96" studs
Six 1" x 3" baseboard molding
Nine 48" x 96" CDX sheets for 1/2" plywood
4 R-13 insulation w/vapor barrier
2 R-19 insulation w/vapor barrier
One 50' roll of 6-millimeter poly-plastic sheeting
1 dry bag of quick-set tile mortar
1 dry bag of sanded grout
One 250-count 8d common nails
One 500-count 1-1/4" drywall screws
One 250-count 2" drywall screws
One 250-count 3" drywall screws
18 gauge galvanized brads (if you go with shiplap wall covering)
1 dry bag of drywall mud
1 roll of drywall seam tape
2 gallons of primer
2 gallons of paint Special Order Items: 2 boxes of 6" x 6" ceramic tile (ordered to size)
8 wine racks (custom ordered to size)
1 exterior-grade door, insulated, double-pane (ordered to size)
1 cooling unit (WhisperKool Model 1600 was used for this particular project)
1 lighting fixture Gray Mosby, a wine seller and collector in Virginia, was in dire need of more storage space for his vast collection of wine, so he convinced his wife, Paula, to give up a portion of the basement (figure A -- the before shot) in their townhouse to build his own wine cellar. Before construction began, Mosby did extensive research on what type of wine cellar would best work for him and his wife. Following are the main considerations when considering a wine cellar: - Racking
- Lighting
- Doors and floors
- Climate control
Mosby quickly learned during the research process that there also are two major issues involved with making a wine cellar different from building other interior household additions: - The ability to maintain constant temperature and humidity levels needed for wine aging and storage inside the cellar.
- Controlling excessive vibration and light, which wine expert Michael Franz, the wine critic for The Washington Post, explains: "We know from long experience that heat will not only abbreviate a wine's life, but also in the near term, in a single day on a hot loading dock, that it (the heat) will actually cook and spoil wine's flavors and aroma permanently. That humidity is important in keeping the wine in a healthy state."
As Mosby continued to gather information, he consulted the experts at Wine Cellar Innovations (figure B), a business in Cincinnati, Ohio, that designs, manufactures and installs wine cellars. As Mosby found out, when it comes to building a wine cellar, there are almost as many designs, styles and construction options as there are bottles in his wine collection. Mosby toured the floor of Wine Cellar Innovations and saw thousands of redwood racking systems (figure C) being sized, cut and partially assembled for shipping. Redwood, mahogany, red oak and pine are woods commonly used for wine cellars. Certain woods, such as cedar, that have a strong aroma can add a strange taste to wine and are not recommended. One of Mosby's main concerns is to have enough racking units in his wine cellar to house his bottles. "The most important element (in building a wine cellar) is planning," Jim Deckebach, CEO of Wine Cellar Innovations, says. "If you don't talk to a specialist before you start the construction, you can easily make mistakes that are very expensive to repair ... so like any construction detail, taking care of things step-by-step making sure it's done the first time is the cheapest way to go." The next step for Mosby was to talk with a design consultant, Rebecca Rader at Wine Cellar Innovations. She took Mosby through the design process, including the different types of racking, storage and then coming up with a design on a computer. First, Rader needed to know the dimensions of the proposed wine cellar: 61" x 69" (figure D), with a 96" floor-to-ceiling height. Next, the racking options were discussed. These vary tremendously. There's everything from individual bottle storage units for standard and champagne-sized bottles to plain display racks and corner curved racks. There are also several styles of bulk storage: - Diamond binds
- Rectangular binds
- Square binds
- Drawers (figure E)
- Case storage
All the options impact the total bottle storage area, the design of the space, and, of course, the price of the wine cellar. The most economical racking options come as simple as assemble-yourself kits ( figure F), which are perfect for the novice wine collector. Many are modular where the bottles can be stacked together in a variety of ways. Mosby wanted a wine cellar -- within his budget, of course -- that would hold as many bottles as possible for the space he had allotted. Rader believed that there should be no problem storing from 500 to 700 bottles in the space Mosby had planned (figure G). Once Mosby made his choice, the racking was then delivered partially assembled with detailed instructions and drawings for completing the job. He also decided to add a small tabletop area opposite the door for either placing a wine book or for taste testing. All of these options were explored via a computer software package that simulates the blueprint for the construction. Once all the choices are made, this software can simulate a 3-D tour of the finished wine cellar (figure H). With the design complete, Mosby then ordered the racking and hardware, which arrived in a few weeks, but there were still some big decisions to make about the cooling system. - The type of climate control or cooling system to use in building a wine cellar is extremely important. Most systems range in price from $1,500 to $10,000. Mosby went with the self-contained system (figure I -- a WhisperKool, see Resources, below), which had the added bonus of being easy to install. The wine cellar will need to be between 55 and 58 degrees with a relative humidity of 75 percent.
Now that the pre-construction phase was over, and after Mosby got home it was time for him to get his materials list together and start with phase one, day one of the construction process: roughing out the space for the wine cellar. Mosby had the assistance of Joe Glass, a master carpenter from Wine Cellar Innovations, in building the wine cellar. Their first task -- after compiling the materials list -- was to measure the walls, remove the baseboard molding and cutting the carpeting. When Glass checked out the exposed concrete under the carpeting, he found a problem -- that the padding was both glued and partially nailed. All the material (figure J) had to be removed completely until nothing was left but a smooth concrete surface. With the carpeting and baseboard molding removed, Mosby and Glass must determine if the two existing walls that will form the interior walls of the cellar will need to be torn out in order to add insulation. Fortunately, the existing walls did have foam-board insulation (figure K) with an R value of 13, which is the minimum required for insulating the walls of a wine cellar. Whew, great break! Unlike other interior additions, wine cellars must have insulation on all four sides, as well as the floor and ceiling to ensure proper temperature and humidity control. The next step is to check the ceiling insulation, and when Mosby checked his he found that the R rating was 19, another fortunate break since this is perfect for a wine-cellar ceiling. The recessed lighting, however, must go. Mosby had decided that they wouldn't fit with the style of his wine cellar, and could wind up to close to the racking. Recessed lights can only be used in wine cellars if they are protected against moisture, with insulation installed around them to prevent condensation. Mosby's lights will have to be properly terminated by a professional, licensed electrician. A small amount of insulation will have to be installed inside the cutouts, and then later the holes will be covered with a vapor barrier, plywood sheeting and a moisture-resistant interior wall covering. In the next episode of DIY's Build Your Wine Cellar workshop (BWC-102), Mosby and Glass continue the "roughing out" process!
RESOURCES :
Wine Cellar Manufacturer (Wine Cellar Innovations)
Wine Cellar Innovations
Website: www.winecellarinnovations.com
Specialty Food and Wine Retailer (Sutton Place Gourmet)
Sutton Place Gourmet
McLean, VA 22101
Phone: 703-448-1371
Wine Cellar Cooling Unit
WhisperKool Model #1600
Cools 300 cubic feet!
Wine Cellar Innovations
Website: www.winecellarinnovations.com
How and Why to Build a Wine Cellar
Model: 0967159806
Author: Richard M. Gold, PhD
July, 1996
Order this book from Amazon.com.
Sandhill Publishers
Kelowna, BC V1Y 1Z4
Canada
Phone: 250-763-1406
Collecting Wine: You and Your Cellar
Model: 0732265282
Author: James Halliday
November, 1998
Order this book from Amazon.com.
HarperCollins
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-207-7000
Fax: 212-207-7145
The Wine Collector's Handbook: Storing and Enjoying Wine at Home
Model: 1558214607
Author: Linda Johnson
January, 1998
Order this book from Amazon.com.
The Lyons Press
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 212-620-9580
Fax: 212-929-1836
The Wine Bible
Model: 1563054345
Author: Karen MacNeil
September, 2001
Order this book from Amazon.com.
Workman Publishing Co. Inc.
New York, NY 10003-9555
Phone: 212-254-5900
Fax: 212-254-8098
GUESTS :
Gray Mosby
Wine Buyer & Collector
Sutton Place Gourmet
6655 Old Dominion Dr.
McLean, VA 22101
Phone: 703-448-1371
James Deckebach
4575 Eastern Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45226
Tollfree Phone: 800-229-9813
Website: www.winecellarinnovations.com
CEO
Wine Cellar Innovations
Joe Glass
Master Carpenter
Wine Cellar Innovations
See company contact info, above
Rebecca Rader
Design Consultant
Wine Cellar Innovations
See company contact info, above
Christy Lukemire
Design Consultant
Wine Cellar Innovations
See contact info, above
Michael Franz
Wine Critic
The Washington Post
Information private
Tony Wilke
VP Operations
Wine Cellar Innovations
See company information, above
| ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: | | Build Your Wine Cellar: Getting Started |
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