Hi all,
First off, big thanks to everyone on my other thread about insulation and passive cellars. A lot of good info there that inspired me to finalize my design.
Using the semi-quarantine time (my work is considered essential, but I get about half the week off now) to start building the cellar. Got all the insulation and lumber delivered a few days before the lockdown.
4’x8’ inside. 2x6 walls with Rockwool surrounded by 2" poly-iso all taped and foamed for a vapor barrier. Completely stuffed the 2x10 joists with Rockwool on the ceiling. Bare concrete floor.
So far I have the exterior and joist insulation done and have the top and bottom plates secured. Hope to finish framing this weekend.
Plan is try passive with some blocking framed out for a cooling unit in the future (if necessary). Should hold around 500 bottles, although I don’t have close to that many right now.
More to follow with pics when I get a chance.
Awesome! Look forward to progress reports.
Yay!
I will live vicariously as you go through this!
Anthony - Can you link to the other thread? I can’t find it.
With 4x8 will you do double depth on one side pr center aisle?
Pic of the progress.
I already had the racks: mahogany X’s and individual racks from Wine Cellar Innovations. I didn’t want double depth because I will forget about what’s in the back and I wanted X’s for odd sized bottles and more flexibility. I know I didn’t maximize the space. I will have room for cases and a small table or shelf to keep bottles upright ahead of serving.
Hoping to get the walls up today so I can get the insulation batts installed and get my garage back.
And here’s the general plan. Might put the other racks on the narrow wall as well, but the outside wall there should be cooler.
My cellar is similar in size, 8 x 5. I put the door on the narrow end and racked out the sides with a center aisle. My intention was to put a small shelf at the far end but ended up stacking cases in the space.
Same, though 7x11. Played around and concluded that was the best way to maximize rack space - less empty wall (and corner racking really doesn’t get you more space).
Sadly I can’t use the short wall for a door. One side is the block wall and the other will eventually be a half bath.
I may put those other racks on the short wall as well and do a little half-round table for standing up bottles or taking notes (not that I plan to taste or stay in there long).
And yes, corners really are lost space – those spiral cellars may be onto something there 
Corners don’t have to be lost spaces with bins. Only lost w racks. Don’t use diamond bins. And be sure bins hold your bigger bottles.
I would recommend curved corner units and agree about nixing the diamond bins, but looks like you said you already have the racking so are pot-committed to it. Like any cellar it is wonderful to have and will fill up way sooner than you expect.
We did a layout check before drywall and like the racks on both ends. One will be a rectangle/diamond wall and the other will be full individual racking. Leaves enough room for me to make a staging table and maybe some horizontal bottle holders on part of that long outside wall (future project). Wiring done and every wall insulated except the interior (door) wall and blocked out for a CellarPro cooling unit if needed.
Gonna order the drywall (DensArmor Plus) on Monday. Need to get the drywall in before I build the doorway or I won’t be able to fit whole sheets in.
Slowly coming along.
For that “dead space” in the corner an easy solution would be to get a mover’s dolly and build a stand up height desk on it with shelves for cases etc. This way you can put a laptop on it for entering info (I found this handy in my old cellar) use it for standing bottles and store whole cases. Mover’s dollies are dirt cheap and support plenty of weight. You can roll out of way to access those lower corner shelves or use as an island. Wouldn’t cost much of anything to knock together out of redwood to match the shelves.