Many people enjoy wine, and quite a few of them also enjoy collecting wine. Regardless of whether a collection is small or large, constructing a wine cellar to house the prized collection helps to preserve the wines’ quality. Usually a basement is dark and cool, which makes the perfect environment for resting wine, and when constructing a wine cellar in a home, probably no place is better suited for this purpose than the actual basement of the home.

The Perfect Environment
The perfect climate for a wine cellar is from 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and it should maintain a humidity range from 60 to 70 percent. If the basement area is a finished portion of the home, then some of the dark, damp quality of an unfinished basement may be lost, however, the homeowner can still find the coolest corner of the basement, like an out of the way closet, for a wine cellar location. If the basement simply does not maintain the right level of humidity and temperature, then it is probably a good idea to install a wine cooling unit as the wine cellar’s foundation.

Tiny Adjustments Yield Big Results
Even in a basement that is humid and cool, the area can be made even more wine-friendly with a few simple adjustments. For example, if the basement is too humid, adding a vapor barrier to the area may prove to be helpful. This addition can be completed simply by hanging a sheet on the wall that is resistant to moisture. Generally 6 to 8 ml plastic sheeting will do the trick, and it will cut moisture while insulating the area. Also adding R19 insulation to basement walls and R30 insulation to the basement ceiling will help to even out humidity and temperature.

Once the functional parts of the wine cellar have been handled, it is time to turn attention towards the appearance of the wine cellar. Start by framing the walls to hide the moisture barrier and insulation. It is also a good idea to constantly monitor the humidity and temperature conditions in the basement to make sure that they continue to be wine friendly. When covering walls or adding flooring, hide insulation behind the finished wall or floor. When installing walls, consider constructing them of wood instead of drywall so that installation of the wine rack is easier. The floor can be wood or tile, and it is a good idea to add a moisture barrier to the floor too. If there are no lights in the basement, this would be a good time to add some, because it will be needed to select the perfect bottle of wine.

Wine Racks
With wood walls, the wine racks can simply be attached to the walls, however, if the walls are drywall, then make sure to anchor the wine racks into a stud for safety. The racks should begin about fourteen inches above the floor, and this allows for extra storage for cases of wine. The racks can be custom built, or choose a kit available to make the installation process much quicker and easier.

Stocking with Wine
With the proper atmosphere and wine racks in place, it is time to populate the wine racks with bottles of wine. When first loading wine into the new wine cellar, if many bottles are added at one time, the room will need a little more cooling power until the wine is brought down to the desired temperature. For a young collection containing just a few bottles of wine, it is a good idea to add some bottles of water to the wine rack to help keep the temperature properly regulated. As more wine is added to the wine cellar, some of the water bottles can be removed.

Author Bio: Artist/Designer, Jessica Ackerman, writes for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com and offers aspiring home designers the opportunity to decorate with Tuscan metal wall art or decorative table art sculptures.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: home, decor, design, wall art, improvement, remodel, budget, repair, organize, feng shui, clean