How long does It take to build a wine cellar?
By the time someone has decided to build a custom wine cellar in their home, they’re already excited about the prospect of this home enhancement and can’t wait for it to be done.
One of the most frequently asked questions is, “How long will it take to build my wine room?” A great question, to which the answer is, “It depends”.
Below we’ll review the factors involved in building a custom home wine cellar and how long you should expect it to take from concept to reality.
12/26/2021
First step: reviewing the site.
Having a wine room built in your home should be a truly custom, unique, and individualized experience. No two wine cellars are the same. The process is fairly involved, though it should be easy on the customer if done correctly.
The first step is to visit the home where the wine cellar is to be installed. This includes reviewing site conditions to insure the space can adequately handle the wine room the customer is envisioning.
What part of the house is the cellar to be located in? Location is your most important consideration. You’re going to want to find a corner of your home that has no direct sunlight. This will either be a fairly quick decision, or the designer and installer may have to walk the home with you should your original choice not be ideal, either to suggest a different location, or to discuss how the chosen location will impact design.
You’ll want to allocate adequate time for a thorough review. The size or capacity of your wine cellar also needs to be discussed, again to determine what the best location for a wine room will be based on your desires. Options for ventilation also impact the site visit and where a room should ideally be located.
Second step: wine cellar design.
Once an ideal location has been decided, it’s time for the designer to go back and design a wine room based on the customer’s requirements. Considerations include not only the functionality and capacity of the wine cellar, but also the style.
There are some options here that can prove invaluable in saving time. First, the client should decide if they want a traditional style custom wine cellar or a modern wine cellar design.
Deciding on the style, and the features that are best suited for each style, can take a significant amount of time as the designer strives to understand the wine room a customer is envisioning. To save time, consider referencing resources such as Houzz or Instagram to share with your wine cellar designer. Give yourself plenty of time to insure you and your cellar designer are on the same page.
Third step: features and functionality.
A part of the wine cellar designer’s task is to incorporate all the desired features and functionality into the wine room’s design. Clients should thoroughly understand climate control options, as well as lighting, flooring and wall finishes.
No different than working with an interior design specialist, you’ll want to commit a good amount of time to get the finishing touches just right. Questions such as the type of wood used, the types of racks or even should the wine cellar be glass fronted, or have a glass door?
This depends on how much you want to balance between style and showcasing versus security and functionality of your cellar, and should be carefully considered.
Forth step: wine cellar installation.
Once the installer is onsite, the actual home construction work begins. Depending on the location, the work may include sealing a concrete floor and installing vapor barriers on walls.
Framing and insulation of walls is also likely involved; the larger the space the more work to be done and the longer it will take. Then there is the finishing of the walls; drywall or redwoods are two typical materials used.
Then there is the application of paint or stain. Flooring also needs to be installed with adequate time to set. All of these steps need time to cure and set.
Next come doors, which not only need to be installed, but tested to insure a good seal is achieved to protect the wine collection.
Last, comes the racks themselves, lighting, and other features such as a wine cellar refrigeration system. Many of these features will need to be tested once installed to insure quality, and should not be rushed.
There are so many factors to consider when a wine room is built that it’s difficult to give an answer to the question, “How long will it take to build my wine cellar?” but understanding all the factors that go into a custom wine room will enable the homeowner to have a better understanding of the time commitment needed for their dream cellar to become a reality.
