Vintage Cellars Kessick Wine Cellar Preparation User Manual
Page 2
319 Garlington Road, C-2
864-297-1911 * 864-297-1944
[email protected] * www.kessick.com
exhaust into an adjacent interior room that is at least 30% cubic feet larger than the
wine cellar.
The ambient temperature of the intended venting area should not be higher than 85
degrees F in order for proper operation of the cooling unit. Other cooling unit options
such as split systems and special units are available and may require installation by
certified HVAC Contractors.
What is the proper cooling system for a wine cellar?
To choose the proper cooling unit, we calculate the cubic area of your room and take
into consideration the amount of insulation in the walls and ceilings. There are 2 main
types of refrigeration units. The standard selfcontained units can be vented through
your cellar wall to the outside or to a utility or mechanical room. There are also split
cooling systems which work like central air conditioning. The condenser is installed
outside your home and is connected via copper set lines to the evaporator unit inside
the wine cellar.
What about other wine cellar construction factors?
Standard 2 x 4 framing is sufficient for wine cellar walls, however, 2 x 6 walls allow
for more insulation. Electrical, HVAC and plumbing roughin work should be
completed prior to insulation and drywall. A vapor barrier is critical in controlling the
humidity of your wine cellar. The ideal humidity of your wine cellar is much greater
than that of the rest of your home. A vapor barrier separates the two conditions and
keeps the higher humidity from flowing out of the room. It also prevents warm and
moist air (in high temperature and humidity areas) from entering the room,
eliminating excess condensation and buildup from the cooling unit. A 6 mil
poly/plastic should be stapled over the studs on the warm air side of the wine cellar.
If done improperly, the result could be mildew and mold.
The interior walls of your wine cellar should be insulated with a minimum of R13
and preferably R19 insulation. Ceilings should be insulated to a minimum of R19.
Poured concrete and concrete block are not acceptable wall surfaces for climate
controlled wine cellars because they provide very poor insulation and vapor
protection. Kessick provides subfloor and wall insulating panels for concrete
surfaces
U H
).
Cork is ideal flooring in a wine cellar because it provides both insulation and
moisture protection from the slab below.