Vintage Cellars Kessick Wine Cellar Preparation - Manual (Page 3)

319 Garlington Road, C-2, Greenville, SC 29615
864-297-1911 Office, 864-297-1944 Fax
[email protected], www.kessick.com
Although a standard ½” sheet rock may be used, it is highly recommended that you
use moisture resistant "green board". Dens Armor by Georgia Pacific makes a
paperless drywall that is perfect for wine cellars because, unlike most drywall, it is
not vulnerable to the mold that high humidity conditions can produce. We do not
recommend installing a baseboard as the racking will be flush to the entire wall and
include a toe­kick molding.
Acceptable interior wall surfaces:
U
Passive wine cellar
U
– raw, painted or coated
concrete or concrete block as well as most interior wall materials.
U
Active climate
controlled wine cellar
U
– Ship­lapped or T&G Cypress, Mahogany plywood, ‘green
board’ sheetrock, Dens Armor by Georgia Pacific, stone, slate, tile, Limestone
Plaster, and any material that is rated for exterior use.
We recommend a solid core, exterior grade door for your wine cellar. All doors
should be weather stripped and completely sealed to prevent loss of cooling and/or
infiltration of warm air that will cause condensation. If you select a decorative glass
door, be certain that the glass is thermo­pane and tinted.
Other factors to be considered in the construction of your wine cellar include
locations of electrical switches (in order not to be covered by racking) and locations
of plumbing and lighting. Electrical switches should be dimmable and placed outside
the room so that you can adjust the lighting without opening the cellar and releasing
the cool air. Proper lighting should be low heat (if lighting will be left on) and
properly insulated and installed. Lighting options include wall sconces, chandeliers,
low­voltage halogen track lighting, LED, or sealed can directional spotlights. If your
wine racking is single depth, your lighting should be a minimum of 16" from walls
and 28" from walls when double deep racking is used.
Wine cooling appliances such as beverage coolers and wine refrigerators are not
recommended in a wine room because of the heat output of the compressors in these
units. This heat output significantly contributes to the undesirable temperatures that
damage wine and accelerate the aging process.