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 Quickset 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 Note: Due to the complex nature of this particular project, the DIY editors have decided to provide one document (link, above) with the complete instructions and downloadable instructions and to provide a day-by-day account of how the wine cellar was built. Please be sure to refer to the complete instructions for cut sizes, exact measurements and all other intricate details. Gray Mosby, a wine seller and collector, was tired of storing his wine in an old closet in his basement (figure A), so with the help of some friends (including master carpenter, Joe Glass), he built his own wine cellar. Day Five The last episode (BWC-104) completed the building and installation of the wine racks, and in this final episode Mosby's new wine cellar is finished. The wine cellar is ready for the final two elements: 1) the cooling unit and 2) the door. After figuring out how many wine bottles would be lost by installing the cooling unit, Mosby and Glass came up with 20 -- far less than originally guessed. The final tally on storage space will be 658 bottles of wine. - Cut the racks that must go in order to install the cooling unit. Mosby cut the rails and posts, then nails up additional spacer bars (figure B) across the face of the rack above and below the cooling unit. The spacer bars ensure proper spacing for bottling and help support the remaining racking.
- Hoist the cooling unit (figure C -- a WhisperKool -- for more information on cooling units, see Episode BWC-101) into place, slide it in. This particular unit is 17" deep, and most of it sits inside the cellar. It can cool up to 650 cubic feet. An airtight seal is extremely important, and Mosby used a foam tape (figure D) around the edges of the unit. The foam will compress and block any air gaps between the unit and the wall.
- Make sure the cooling unit is perfectly level so it won't collect water, then continue to secure the unit into the wall.
- For this type of self-contained refrigeration system to work properly, it must be vented into a space that is at least twice the size of the area to be cooled, and Mosby's basement meets this requirement.
- Each unit comes with a digitally controlled thermostat and a probe attachment (figure E) that work to keep a constant temperature and humidity in the cellar. How the thermostat works is to fill a wine bottle with water, place the probe inside and place the bottle at the highest point in the cellar (heat rises). The unit attaches to the cooling unit, and since it's digital, all you have to do is set the temperature at 55 degrees (figure F) and turn the power on.
Note: There can be one huge drawback to a self-contained cooling unit -- noise! - With the cooling unit installed and working, Mosby nailed up the final crown molding above the unit.
- The last major step is to put up the cellar door:
- Exterior grade door -- critical for a wine cellar. The door must be insulated and sealed in order for low temperatures and high humidity to remain constant. Glass doors must be double paned. It's also important to install insulation and weather stripping around the door. Mosby chose to go with a 2" thick redwood door (figure G) with a full-length double paned insulated window.
- The 34" wide door came pre-hung for easy installation. First, Mosby and Glass fir out the doorjamb to ensure a snug fit, then a 1/4" bead of caulk was applied to the seal to prevent any air from escaping the wine cellar. (The caulk seals the threshold to the door.)
- Once the caulk is set, the door can be put into place. If needed, add some shims to tighten the door, and make sure to check that the door is flush to the wall (figure H).
- Once the door is installed, add insulation between the jamb and the wall. This will keep the cool air in and the warm air out.
- The next step is to cut the casing for the door. First, be sure to make an accurate measuring, then nail the trim/casing into place -- inside and out (figure I).
- Add the door handle and strike plate and the door is ready for testing. If it doesn't shut smoothly, you can sandpaper the edges and try again.
- Clean the glass and the door installation is complete.
- There are only a few finishing touches to the exterior walls of the cellar before the project is done. The switch plates and outlet covers are attached and the final baseboard molding is nailed into place.
- Stock your new wine cellar and enjoy your beautiful new room.
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
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: Finishing the Wine Cellar |
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