Saturday, February 19, 2011

A Wine Cellar for your Home-

"Most wine cellars run between $6,000 and $12,000. No matter how much money you're spending on your cellar, there are certain precautions and considerations to factor in to ensure your vino keeps perfecto.
Keeping an optimum humidity level is integral to wine cellars because extreme high humidity of 70 per cent or more with no air movement can be a recipe for bacteria and mould.
It can also cause valuable wine labels to peel off, rendering expensive vintages worthless. Instead of spending thousands on a separate humidification system, most homeowners opt to invest in a climate-control system, says Arnel Marchand, owner of Koolspace Wine Cellars in Calgary.
"You want the humidity to be consistent," says Marchand. "Climate control systems work to raise humidity to 60 per cent, and gets rid of any humidity over 65 per cent. Climate control systems for cellars operate at a lower temperature and are designed to move the air a lot more. They run about 60 to 70 per cent of the time."
Insulation is another key factor. When you're building a wine cellar, you're essentially building a fridge. Therefore, the better insulation you have, the less temperature fluctuation will occur, in the cellar and the better your wine will keep.
Insulation requirements are determined by the outside wall area the cellar will occupy and the depth of the cellar below grade. The best type of insulation is sprayed-in-place two-pound polyurethane. However, this is a more costly option.
The second best option is insulation baths fitted into the stud cavities. This means the outside walls and ceiling joists, which can be difficult sometimes given the placement of plumbing pipes, ductwork, electrical wirings, etc.
And, of course, what's a cellar without storage?
"If possible, the racking design should be determined before cellar construction commences," says Durst. "The walls can then be proportioned to the exact size of your racking layout, thereby giving the racks the look of a true custom installation. This is for both walls and ceiling height.
"Racks should be chosen according to your collecting style. Depending upon your budget, design ideals and available cellar space, you can use a modular, premium, custom or vintageview racking/ storage systems."


T H I N G S T O REMEMBER

. Control humidity levels
. Have good air circulation
. Apply effective insulation
.-Try to implement good rack design
-Use nonaromatic wood like a hardwood such as mahogany or cherry
. Include inventory control system
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