How to Make Wine Closets

Basic wine storage can easily be installed in any closet.

The modern wine closet is the answer to the medieval wine grotto, an easy and reliable way to maintain a temperature in an area of your home that is more accessible than the deepest dungeon. With a few basic home-building materials, it is possible to create an inexpensive and attractive way to store your wine collection in a manner that preserves and displays it to best advantage. Additionally, this wine closet can be adapted and customized to be as elaborate or as simple as the builder desires by purchasing gadgets and higher-quality materials.

Things You'll Need

• 2-inch thick foam insulation
• Measuring tape
• Saw
• 3-inch drywall screws
• Drill
• Drill bits
• Fabric
• Scissors
• Carpentry stapler
• Door draft stopper

Instructions

1. Arrange 2-inch foam insulation boards on the ceiling of the closet and attach them to the drywall using 3-inch drywall screws. Cut out pieces of insulation to fit into any sections of the ceiling surface that are smaller than the full board size.

2. Continue to mount insulation boards on the sides of the closet, screwing the insulation into the drywall. Attach insulation to the inside of the door as well, screwing the insulation directly to the door, leaving enough space at the edges of the door for the door to shut completely. Cut and fit pieces of the insulation to cover the floor without attaching them with screws, as gravity can hold them down securely.

3. Drape fabric over the ceiling and attach it evenly using the carpentry stapler. Place staples in the edges and in a staggered pattern so that the fabric is not quite tight but slightly billowed. Continue to attach fabric in the same manner along the sides of the closet, the door and the floor. Make sure that the door fabric does not prevent closing of the door but provides a tight closure.

4. Lay a door draft stop on the bottom of the closet floor where the door closes or attach it to the bottom of the door so that the draft stop seals off the floor opening when the door closes.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a cooling system to your closet by placing the unit on the inside of the closet and running the control panel cord out the doorway and mounting it next to the door. Add a thermometer by placing the temperature detecting portion of the device on the inside of the closet and running the cord out the doorway to mount next to the door.

• Consider the potential temperature inside the closet whenever the home is no longer climate controlled, such as during summer or winter long-term vacations, when the greatest temperature swings may occur. Protect the wine closet by placing automatic heaters or coolers within the closet to maintain the temperature.

References

• French Scout: How to Build Wine Cellars and Wine Racks
• Winemaker Magazine: Build Your Own Garage Wine Cellar
• Tree.com: Building a Wine Storage Room