How to Build a Cellar

Cellar Construction

Wine Cellars require proper insulation and vapor barrier to properly seal the room to allow for ideal temperature and humidity inside the cellar.

Insulation

For reference, higher R-Values provide rooms with better insulation. We recommend cellar walls to be insulated with a minimum of R-19 insulation. We recommend the cellar ceiling to be insulated with a minimum of R-30 insulation.

Vapor Barrier

A vapor barrier is required to regulate moisture in and out of the room. Plastic sheeting (4 mil) is adequate. It should be tacked down on all insulated walls and ceilings prior to drywall or greenboard installation. It will not allow humidity to exit or enter your conditioned space.

Polystyrene Layer

It is also recommended to add one inch of polystyrene (R Value of 5) to insure a high R value. Each inch of fiberglass batting adds about 3.5 R value.

Doors

For best performance, use an exterior grade door, sealed on three sides. If you utilize a glass door, be sure that it is thermo-paned to avoid condensation.

Glass Look

We recognize the popularity of the “glass look” wall. It is important to consider any additional heat load the room may see if this wall sees direct sunlight. Also, complete glass walls are difficult to seal. Large temperature/humidity differences between the cellar and house can lead to condensation and evaporator frost up.

Sizing Bacchus Units

Bacchus units are designed strictly for wine cellar refrigeration. The recommended and design set points are 56 F, 60% rH. The unit can be sized strictly by cubic footage. Order the following units based on the size of your cellar:

BCS1000(D) = Cellars up to 1000 cubic ft
BCS1500(D) = Cellars from 1000 to 1500 cubic ft
BCS2000(D) = Cellars from 1500 to 2000 cubic ft
BCS3000(D) = Cellars from 2000 to 3000 cubic ft

*A BCS-XX00 is a ceiling mount unit, A BCS-XX00D is a ducted unit

*Cubic footage is calculated by taking room length x width x height