Wine Cellar Construction Details

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1. Wall Framing

• A. Review your floor plans on site and identify the wine cellar door location, making sure that your design flows well with your existing space. You will need to:
  
  
  • 1. Frame the wine cellar walls with a minimum of 2" x 6" studs spaced 16" on center.
  • 2. Treat any adjacent exterior foundation walls with a waterproof protectant.
  • 3. Erect wall framing for all wine cellar walls, even against foundation walls.
  • 4. If you are using a through-wall wine cellar cooling system, you must identify the location for the system and build the wall framing according to the manufacturer's specifications. Make sure that the through-wall system is venting into a space at least 50% larger than the wine cellar space. Otherwise, it will not work properly.
  • 5. If you are using a ducted or split wine cellar cooling unit, the ducting or refrigerant lines should be run upon completion of the framing.
  • 6. When framing for the wine cellar door, make sure to provide the correct Rough Opening or "R.O." as specified by the door manufacturer.

2. Electrical

• A. Upon completion of the wall framing, run all electrical wiring for lighting, outlets and your wine room cooling system.



• B. Cooling systems normally require a dedicated circuit, so check the manufacturer's instructions and voltage requirements.



• C. Light switches with dimmers, if desired should be placed near the wine cellar door and should control all the lighting in the wine cellar. Switches with timers or motion detectors are a nice feature that can turn the lights off for you when your hands are full. This is the time to start thinking about what kind of lighting fixtures you would like and to have the wires run for them. Consider sconces, chandeliers, recessed lighting, can lighting and track lighting.

3. Vapor Barrier

• A. The application of a proper vapor barrier is a critical factor in maintaining the ideal wine cellar conditions and will prevent moist air from condensing on the exterior walls of the framed room.



• B. Sheets of 6 mil polyethylene must be applied to the framing on the warm side of the wine cellar wall, between the insulation and the outer sheathing. This should be done to all walls and the ceiling, including the floor if it is made of wood or has a living space below it.



• C. Tape all the joints of the vapor barrier with moisture-resistant tape and seal around all outlets and lighting fixtures that penetrate the vapor barrier.

4. Insulation

• A. Insulation isolates your wine cellar from exterior elements and helps to maintain a cool, moist environment for your wine. It will keep your passive cellar from becoming too warm and will help to conserve energy for a wine room that is actively cooled by a system.



• B. Non-cement floors with living or crawl spaces below must be insulated with rigid foam, spray-in insulations-preferably closed cell, or traditional fiberglass batting. Vapor barrier must also be applied on these surfaces as well.



• C. Walls must be insulated with a minimum value of R-19 and ceilings must be insulated with a value of R-30. R-value indicates the ability of the insulation to restrict heat flow – a higher R-value indicates better insulation.



• D. When applying traditional fiberglass batting, make sure to orient the paper or foil barrier toward the warm side of the wine cellar wall. Seal all joints with a foil-backed tape.



• E. When insulating your wine cellar, more is always better. Standard fiberglass rolls or batting provide an R-value of approximately 3 per inch.

5. Wall Finish Materials

• A. Wine cellar walls should be covered in moisture resistant durable materials. Vigilant recommends DensArmor Plus^® Interior Drywall. You can also use 1/2" moisture-resistant gypsum wall board or green board is the most common and cost effective wall material. This wall board must be painted with a moisture resistant paint.



• B. Rot resistant hardwoods are an attractive alternative and while more expensive to purchase and install, provide a superior appearance and require no long-term maintenance.

Wine Cellar Construction Steps

Getting Started	Wine Cellar Designs	Wine Cellar Details
Wine Cellar Conditioning	Wine Cellar Humidity	Wine Cellar Decorating
Wine Racking & Storage