There are several benefits to be gained from wine lovers building their own basement wine cellar.It provides easy and direct access to a personalized collection of wine in the home.
For wine lovers looking to build up a collection of vintage wine that will improve over time, a wine cellar allows you to purchase and store a large amount of young vintage wine.
These younger wines can be bought at a cheaper price and stored while they increase in value and taste over time. Wine cellars are not just a convenient location to store wine but also a shrewd investment as the addition of a wine cellar may cause the value of a property to increase.
Certain conditions must be met to store wine and It is important that the cellar is constructed in a room that has as little exposure to direct sunlight as possible. This is because the temperature and humidity of the room greatly impact wine preserving its qualities.
Due to its concrete walls and consistent temperatures, basements are a common location for the construction of a wine cellar. However, failing to waterproof a basement wine cellar increases the risk of flooding and leaks which could affect the quality of the wine and impact the property.
DANGERS TO PROPERTY
Although basement wine cellars can be a shrewd investment, a flooded or damp basement may lead to a property’s value decreasing. Ignoring a leak in a wine cellar may lead to rot in the basement structure which can have significant consequences for the structural integrity of the property.
It is strongly advised not to ignore any signs of damp that exist in the wine cellar. Damp problems are known to become more expensive and complicated to resolve if ignored.
IMPACT OF DAMP BASEMENT ON WINE
There are several sources of water ingress into the basement such as a leaky pipe or leak in the foundation. A basement wine cellar that has not been waterproofed increases the risk of water ingress.
Due to gravity, hydrostatic pressure forces water to the lowest possible point which could seep into the basement without waterproofing. This may lead to the unsightly appearance of mould which can spread around the basement if ignored. As the mould spreads, it may alter the appearance of vintage wine by spreading to labels of wine bottles in the cellar.
It is important to note that the cellar should not feature wooden wine racks if there is any excess moisture or water on the floor. Damp conditions can significantly deteriorate wooden wine racks. Damp and soggy wooden racks will rot over time and this rot could have disastrous consequences to the structural integrity of the wine rack.
There is a risk that the rot in the rack will eventually cause it to collapse and subsequently smash all the bottles of wine it holds in the process.A drainage system may need to be installed to create an exit point for water ingress so it can not build up on the basement floor.
HOW TO IDENTIFY WATER DAMAGE IN BASEMENT
Peeling Paint – Water finding its way through the walls may lead to peeling paint along the basement walls
Mould – If there is mould in the basement that continues to appear after being cleaned, it would suggest there is an ongoing damp problem in the basement. The source of the damp must be treated to prevent the mould from returning. It is important to act fast as the mould may spread around the cellar if left untreated.
Buckling Walls – A damp basement may lead to walls appearing to be bowed inwards. This suggests that the walls have been damaged by hydrostatic pressure which forces fluids to the lowest possible point.
Cracked Walls – Cracked walls are known to be the result of severe pressure or structural damage to the basement walls.
CAN I STILL BUILD A WINE CELLAR IN A DAMP BASEMENT
It must be emphasized that while damp problems can cause structural damage to a basement wine cellar, these problems are completely avoidable if the right precautions are taken in time.
Therefore, it is strongly advised that a basement must waterproofed before the wine cellar is built to ensure water ingress can not impact the wine or the basement structure.
This guest post was provided by Jake Ryan of Wise Basement Systems exclusively for Social Vignerons.
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