Contents

• 1Insulation
• 2Vapor Barriers
• 3Wine Cellar Flooring
• 3.11. Cork Flooring
• 3.22. Tile Flooring
• 3.33. Wine Barrel Flooring
• 3.44. Mosaic Flooring
• 4Various Wood Species Used to Build Wooden Custom Wine Cellars in California
• 4.11. Pine
• 4.22. Redwood
• 4.33. Mahogany
• 5Installing a Wine Cellar Cooling Unit
• 6The Need for Professional Help in Wine Cellar Construction

Among the various wine storage solutions, having a custom wine cellar built in your home in California is the best choice to make. A residential custom wine cellar isn’t just a regular closet. It is specifically designed and constructed to keep wines safe, and to allow them to age properly.

Here are the things that you need to know when having a custom wine cellar constructed:

Insulation

One of the very first things done when building a wine cellar is applying the insulation. All of your wine storage room’s walls and ceilings must be properly insulated, using fiberglass, polystyrene/rigid foam, or blow-in insulation. Thicker insulation is always better, because it means that the cooling unit will be more efficient in cooling the wine cellar.

The interior and exterior of the cellar should both have a minimum of R22 insulation, while the custom wine cellar’s ceiling ought to have at least R32. If your wine storage room is built at a location wherein the ceiling is directly exposed to the sun or strong winds, it recommended that a higher grade of insulation is applied to the ceiling.

Floor insulation is not always necessary. It is only needed if the flooring of the cellar might directly affect the temperature of the room. Your wine cellar builder will determine this for you. If it does affect the temperature of the cellar, 2” x 2” wooden sleepers should be installed with a rigid insulation of R7.5 in between them.

Constructing a Wine Cellar in California

Vapor Barriers

Wine enthusiasts and wine collectors know that it’s not only temperature that should be controlled in a home wine cellar, but also humidity. Ideally, the humidity inside your wine storage room should be at around 70 percent. Part of controlling the humidity is installing vapor barriers before beginning the wine cellar construction. Having a vapor barrier applied in between the wall and the insulation also prevents moisture from developing outside the insulation. This moisture, when left without intervention, will cause mold to grow.

Generally, a 6 mm plastic with seams in between sheets is used for the vapor barrier. But the type of vapor barrier needed actually depends on the type of insulation used. For example, if the insulation applied is fiberglass batt, you need to have a 6 mm plastic vapor barrier applied. A lot of people think that the coated paper on some fiberglass batts are enough as vapor barrier, but this is not true. A 6 mm plastic vapor barrier is not needed if you use blown-in foam insulation. This spray-in foam is a type of insulation that also acts as its own vapor barrier.

Wine Cellar Flooring

Residential Custom Wine Cellar Flooring

There are various options for wine cellar flooring. The flooring you choose should be able to withstand the humidity inside the wine cellar. Here are a few of the most common choices of wine cellar flooring in Los Angeles, California:

1. Cork Flooring

Don’t throw away your wine corks after you consume a bottle. Wine cork flooring is simply recycled wine corks, grouped together to create a beautiful wine cellar floor.

2. Tile Flooring

Tiles are another option for your wine cellar floors. They are very durable and are highly moisture resistant. You can also get creative by having them painted with the designs of your choice.

3. Wine Barrel Flooring

Wine barrels basically have 3 parts: Cooperage, Stave and Infusion. Reclaimed wine barrels can be used for your wine cellar flooring, and you have the option to use any of these 3 parts, depending on your style preference.

4. Mosaic Flooring

You can use mixed media for your wine room’s flooring. Mosaic wine cellar flooring is a combination of various materials, such as antique china, porcelain tiles and stained glass.

Although there are other options for wine cellar flooring, you should never use carpet. Carpets do not do well in cool and damp conditions because they promote the growth of mold and mildew.

Various Wood Species Used to Build Wooden Custom Wine Cellars in California

Coastal Designs Wooden Wine Cellars in CA

Ideally, your wine collection should be stored in an efficient custom wine cellar that is not only durable, but also beautifully designed. Among the different types of residential custom wine cellars in Los Angeles, California, wooden custom wine cellars are the most elegant. Wooden wine storage rooms are beautiful, because they create a traditional look and a classic, earthy ambiance, which is fitting for wines (which come from vineyards and wineries).

Wooden custom wine cellars in California can be made from a variety of wood types. Here is a list of the most popular wood species used to construct wooden wine rooms:

1. Pine

Pine is one of the most popular choices of wood used for constructing custom wine cellars in California, and is one of the least expensive types, too. Pine has a soft, creamy color, and grows abundantly throughout North America. There are around 110 different species of Pine in the United States. Pine wood is quick to absorb any stain or finish.

2. Redwood

There are two subtypes of Redwood, and these are Premium Redwood and All Heart Redwood. The color of this kind of wood can range from light pinkish brown to deep reddish brown. The wood is characterized as closed-pored with a medium texture. Redwoods abundantly grow throughout the coastal northwestern United States. Although this kind of wood is durable and can withstand humid conditions well, it does not easily absorb stain.

3. Mahogany

Mahogany is a reddish brown timber that is indigenous to the Americas. It is the most durable among the 3 most common types of wine cellar wood. It is highly resistant to decay, it will not warp or swell, and it absorbs stains and lacquers well.

Installing a Wine Cellar Cooling Unit

Different wine cellars in California require different wine cellar cooling units. The wine cellar cooling unit needed for your home wine cellar depends on various factors, which include cellar size, construction plan, intended use, etc.

To make sure that you have the appropriate wine cellar refrigeration unit for your wine storage room, it is best to consult a wine cellar professional. An HVAC professional will also help you install the cooling unit properly.

The Need for Professional Help in Wine Cellar Construction

It is necessary for a wine collector to understand that what is discussed here are only a few of the many things needed in order to build an efficient and effective residential wine cellar in Los Angeles. If you do not have a professional wine cellar designer and builder help you, there will probably be flaws in the construction of your wine room, which can obviously negatively affect your wine collection.

Have a professional wine cellar builder help you, so that your wine collection can have the best residential wine cellar built for them to rest in.