Basement Reno - help with wine closet ideas

[paulfielding]

I've seen some ideas here for doing a wine closet but I'm looking for more info than throwing up good wine shelves (which is what i've done in the past). Developing my basement, the only wine space I'll have is a custom built closet, about 36" wide (inside edges) I can go out to about 29" in depth from the back of the closet to the outside of whatever enclosure (door, whatever) I use, and I've got 9' ceilings. My three main goals are:

1. As much capacity as possible while still maintaining accessibility (I'm willing to go right up to the ceiling and keep a stool near by)
2. Potentially use part of the space with a built-in wine fridge for the the long term special bottles
3. Good insulation, (air flow yes or no?) for the rest of the closet and door, try to control the climate as much as is reasonable, for the rest of it - The goal is to be able to keep some bottles long term, quite a few bottles medium term and then some space for short term ready drinkable storage.

I'd love to have a proper wine room but don't have the space, so I figure if I can build as efficient a closet as possible that is well designed for capacity and climate I should be ok. I was considering putting maybe a 3' wine fridge built in at the bottom, a small shelf for messing around just above it and then an efficient closed in, insulated, closet above that going to the ceiling.

Alternately, I could forgo the wine fridge and shelf above it, and simply do a big insulated closet and try to climate control the whole thing a bit. Good or bad idea?

Looking for good suggestions - I'm willing to put a bit of money into it as I'm starting with a blank slate. I don't need a luxury closet, but I'd like it to be something that I'll be happy with for the long haul...

 

[paulfielding]

Side note - one wall of the closet will be adjacent to the furnace room, which has two implications:

1. I'll definitely want to ensure it is well insulated to protect it from any heat variation from that room
2. If I want to do any sort of active climate control, I've got that wall as an easy space to vent in/out of and deal with the resultant air flow somehow.

 

[JohnT]

Paul,

Next to the furnace is the worst place you could choose. I would first seek an alternative location, perhaps a corner of the basement? This would remove the extra concern that you might have over climate control.

Another suggestion is (if you feel you need climate control) is to get a climate control unit and convert that closet into one big wine fridge.

If you make 2 case batches of wine (or more) I would build "diamond cube" cubbies where you can stack whole batches tightly together. Since there is little to no space between bottles, this is the most efficient method of storing wine that I know. I would position these cubbies from the floor to about 6 feet, then have individual wine racks on the top for your longer term storage.

Oh, and one more thing. Be sure to install nice lighting and also a glass door!

 

[paulfielding]

Hi John, I should clarify - the space isn't next to the furnace, but it is next to the furnace room. The furnace room will be around 16 feet long, the furnace itself will be at the opposite end of the room. The wine closet is outside the furnace room on the opposite end, but butted up to it on the other side of a wall. That being said, it won't get too warm there, but there probably will be a bit of a temperature differential, hence the reason I want to insulate very well. Also part of the reason I was considering climate control. It's my only option - there is no other corner of the basement that will work. Indeed I like the idea of turning the closet into one big wine fridge. I guess the question then is how best to approach doing that? Has anyone documented such a thing?

 

[Floandgary]

Relatively simple task to sufficiently insulate/isolate from the furnace room area. Think about it,,, the interior of a refrigerator/freezer has very little separation from our world! That taken care of, let your imagination go to work

 

[paulfielding]

Anyone have any suggestions on:

1. How best to approach cooling the closet? (I have choice between venting to the hallway, venting to the furnace room, or using the furnace room to run ducting to vent elsewhere.)

2. Assuming the rest of the closet is well insulated, how best to approach the closet door, in regards to being reasonably sealed while still being easy to open/close?

 

[vacuumpumpman]

1- I would vent it to the furnace room and then hook up a continuous fan that can circulate within your duct work. I had to do a similar thing because the basement was always cold - works perfectly.

2 - a cheap or reasonable outside door that has seals on it ?

 

[paulfielding]

The main issue with getting an outside door is dimensions (?). If I want to make this closet go right up to the ceiling, I probably want to have the door open up that high, too. Which probably means a custom door(?). If I really want to get fancy I probably want a glass windowed door. (Don't know if I want to get fancy yet). So I wonder how hard it would be to custom build a door that seals well...

 

[JohnT]

I would suggest at least a door with some glass. Be sure to install some good lighting so that the closet becomes a decorative showcase. No finer sight then that of full wine racks.