If you are into collecting vintage wines or just a lover of fine wines, it would be best to secure such investment.
Take a look at your basement as it is probably the best place to serve as your wine cellar.
But before embarking on this additional home feature, employ stress-free ways you can turn a plain basement into a threshold of wonderful wines.
Firstly, decide how you want your wine cellar to be.
Is it an elaborate room or just a simple one? Envision how many bottles the cellar would hold.
Conceptualize a rough draft of its lay out and design, including the details of the racks and storage facilities.
Be decisive as well if the new space would only be for storing wines or you prefer to have an adjacent wine tasting room in it.
As you determine every inch and detail of the cellar, take into consideration the cost of the project.
Settle on whether you or a professional contractor would take over the construction.
While you may save massively on doing this yourself, it is equally important that you only proceed if you have proper skills and knowledge about having a proper wine storage system.
What could help you in budgeting is to do some canvassing of the key wine cellar materials.
Check out online shops or local stores and see current prices for different types of racks or other storage items.
In addition, factor in other important components that are mandatory in a wine preservation room.
A great cellar has these basic needs: 1.
Optimal room temperature - the room should have a 55 to 59 degree Fahrenheit temperature with humidity between 60 and 70 percent.
Lower temperatures may lead wines to taste flat.
To ensure you can achieve this requirement, having a wall unit air conditioner, split system for temperature and humidity control or duct system are some of your options.
2.
Wall framing and flooring improvement - lumber is usually used to frame the walls of a basement to make it more suitable for stocking wines.
Cold floors can be improved by combining furring strips and foam insulation.
You might also want to consider having new flooring material that can effectively resist dampness, such as hardwood or tile.
3.
Room insulation - further protection against excessive moisture is by having a moisture-resistant sheath installed in the interior walls and floor.
Use R19 wall insulation and R30 ceiling insulation for best results.
A vapor barrier, typically 6 or 8 mil plastic sheeting can also boost insulation.
4.
Electricity, lighting and miscellaneous items - these are essential to be considered especially if you want to incorporate a wine tasting room in the basement.
The electricity supply has to be sufficient to support the cooling system.
The lighting fixtures and furniture pieces in the wine tasting area should not cause an imbalance to the room temperature.
For example, light bulbs with high voltage may emit heat, which can upset the controlled temperature.
Heavily upholstered chairs can absorb sweat, which in turn when massed up can cause the room to be damper.
Most basements are easily ready to be converted into a wine cellar.
But to be sure your wines would have the best preservation environment, take into account the steps above.
These can give your wines longer shelf life compared to storing them in the refrigerator.