Whether you are a wine enthusiast or someone who wants to have wine on hand for special occasions in your abode, having a wine cellar in your home is almost like a dream. Except it is possible to have one. And you can build it yourself.
You can avoid spending thousands of dollars to renovate an extra room for storing wine. Your house already has many spots to be the foundation for your cellar. But the best place you can keep your wine is in the garage.
Normally, wine cellars are built in a basement because it’s underground. They have the right conditions to help maintain the wine’s flavor and keep the aging process steady, which is why most wine breweries have a cellar below their facility. But let’s face it. Not all houses have a basement below their floorboards.
Your garage is the next best thing. It has the same potential to carry the same properties as a basement. With this guide, we will teach you how to transform your garage into your wine cellar. From learning how to properly preserve your wine stock to customizing the cellar without worrying about the amount of space your garage has.
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Your Custom Cellar
Before you start building your cellar, it’s important to understand cellar types. These types will offer creative options based on how your garage was built.
1. Cave-Style
As mentioned above, wine is traditionally stored underground or on the side of a hill. This is what is known as a cave-style cellar. This cellar prevents sunlight from damaging the wine’s aging process and keeps it at a constant cool temperature to protect its flavor. Basements and staircases are great in-house examples of an underground environment. If you have a tall staircase that leads to your garage, the cave-style cellar may be your pick.
2. Glass-enclosed
If you want to show off your wine inventory without someone walking into the cellar, the glass-enclosed cellar is a great choice. Your glass material needs to be UV coated to prevent any ultraviolet radiation on your wine bottles. And it needs to have a thermal resistance of R-0.9 to have a constant cooling temperature inside of the cellar.
3. Wine Wall and Small-Spaced Racks
The average single-car garage is 12 feet wide and 22 feet deep. That may sound like there won’t be enough space to store your wine collection but fear not. The wine wall cellar is adjustable for all garage sizes using wall shelves. Small-space rack cellars are another bold choice for small garages. You can use a small area with customizable rack kits specialized for storing wine while still having the needed space to park your car.
4. Wine Cellar Room
For wine enthusiasts and house-party hosts, you will love the wine cellar room for group wine-tasting. This can involve combining different cellar types and added furniture. A good suggestion for small garages is to have a bar counter with stools. For larger garages, tables and chairs are a must.
Refurbish Your Garage
1. Sealing Cracks
Check around for any cracks on both your floor and your wall. If you spot any, fill it with caulk. Do not use silicone or the paint will be unable to stick. If there are none, you can get started on the painting.
2. Painting with Light/Neutral Colors
When it comes to painting your garage for an environment your wine will be stored in, it’s important to use light and neutral-colored paints. The lighter the paint color, the more stable your wine’s temperature will be.
Also read: What Color To Paint Garage?
3. Protect the Paint
After painting the room once, you want to paint the room again with epoxy paint after the first coat dries. This will ensure protection for the walls and floor from wine spills staining the floor easily. It will give your cellar a more inviting atmosphere, too.
4. Flooring
Flooring is optional depending on your cellar type. For wine cellar rooms, use a neutral-colored wood floor or light-colored epoxy paint. For every other cellar type, paint your concrete floors with neutral-colored concrete and epoxy paint.
Also read: How To Clean Oil Off Garage Floor
5. Cooling Unit and Humidifier
Install an HVAC unit that can adjust temperatures from 45-65℉ (7-18℃) and track 50-80% humidity. Most of these units carry a drain line to carry the condensation into the outdoors for it to evaporate naturally. This is to prevent mildew from building up in humid climates. For dryer climates, we recommend installing a non-heat humidifier with a built-in hygrometer.
Safety Measures
In case you are using a wine fridge, have an electrician check your wiring in your electrical system every once in a while. This helps prevent future disasters such as electrical fire and overheating.
Invest yourself in an electronic keypad to prevent wine robbers from entering your cellar. Install surveillance cameras in-and-out of your garage can be used as a failsafe and capture footage of the theft in action.
Here’s a toast to having your wine cellar in your garage!
