The Dangers of DIY Wine Cellars
10 Critical Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Collection
Advice from WineRacks.co.uk
For a problem free wine cellar that will last years
Designing and building a wine cellar should be about preserving and enhancing the enjoyment of every bottle you own. Sadly, every year we get at least 5 enquiries from clients asking us how to rescue wine cellars that have been compromised by well‑intentioned but inexperienced builders.
Wine Cellars have two key challenges that make each project so difficult to get right;
- the environment
- the fact that they need to last for years, like good wine
Below you let anyone ‘give it a go’ please read our list of the ten biggest, and costliest failings we encounter, along with a explanation on how to avoid them.
1. Skimping on Insulation & Vapour Barriers
A dedicated cellar is essentially a refrigerated, high‑humidity room. If the insulation (minimum 75 mm closed‑cell or equivalent) or vapour barrier on the warm side of the wall is missing or poorly installed, warm ambient air condenses inside the wall, feeding mould, rot and foul odours.
Tell‑tale signs: musty smell, drywall “sweating,” cooling unit running non‑stop.
Fix cost: HIGH as it may require wrapping the entire envelope, including ceiling and floor, in a continuous barrier, tape every seam, and specify closed‑cell spray foam in cavities.
2. Mis‑sizing (or Mis‑placing) the Cooling Unit
Cooling units are rated for a precise thermal load.
- Choose a big one, just in case, can cause the unit to short‑cycle and spike humidity
- Skimp on your unit size and you will get a warm cellar, or the unit with burn out early trying to hit the right temperature.
Even with the correct unit size, if you instal the unit on a wall shared with a boiler cupboard or in a loft with no fresh air clearance the unit may not perform as needed.
Fix: Tough one as it is a mix of knowledge and experience that Wineracks provide. Just work hard on accurately calculating heat load based on cubic footage, insulation value and glass area.
3. Ignoring Damp‑Proofing & Drainage
Britain’s is wet. We enjoy a famously damp climate at time. That means that below‑grade spaces must meet BS 8102: grade 3 “no water ingress” standard or you will end up with a damp room. Leaving out cavity membranes or sump pumps will inevitably lead to efflorescence and swollen corks.
Fix: Specify a fully tanked shell (or modular PE membrane) with perimeter drainage before you think about racking. (wineracks.co.uk)
4. Leaky Doors & Seals
A single uninsulated timber door or frameless glass panel can leak enough warm air to defeat an otherwise good system. Cheap magnetic seals degrade in 12–18 months.
Fix: Use purpose‑built, triple‑pane IGU doors with thermally broken frames and commercial‑grade gaskets rated for –5 °C.
5. Building in the Wrong Location
Garages, kitchens and utility rooms fluctuate wildly in temperature and are riddled with vibration from appliances and vehicles. Wine hates both.
Fix: Choose a space that can remain below 18 °C naturally, away from footfall and mechanical noise.
6. The Wrong Racking Materials
Standard Pine that you would use for bookshelves should never be used. Nor MDF. As they will both corrode in 70 % humidity. Even metal brackets can corrode.
A decent collection of wine is very heavy. A wall of 200 wine bottles weighs as much as a Shetland Pony.
Fix: Use British kiln‑dried, furniture‑grade oak or powder‑coated steel, pocket‑screwed and braced to carry at least 300 kg per section (that’s only ~250 bottles!).
7. Underestimating Capacity & Flexibility
Building for today’s 200‑bottle collection saves pennies now but costs pounds later when you double your cellar in five years. You know you are going to want to keep adding great wines!
Fix: Plan for growth, incorporate adjustable display rows and magnum cubbies, and design racking in modular panels that can be re‑configured.
8. Over‑Lighting & UV Exposure
Standard LEDs and fluorescents emit enough UV and heat to fade labels and age wine prematurely over long periods of time. For perfect wine you need perfect lighting.
Fix: Fit low‑intensity, UV‑filtered LED strips (< 3000 K) on motion sensors; avoid direct downlights.
9. Code, Safety & Structural Overload
We have already mentioned that wine is heavy, weighing up to 700 kg per square metre in a packed rack. Over time, this can cause structural sag, especially in older timber floors.
10. The Retrofit Nightmare (a.k.a. The £25k Lesson)
Adding a forgotten vapour barrier later can mean emptying the room, stripping drywall and racking, then rebuilding from scratch—a five‑figure bill we see all too often.
Takeaway
If you are serious about wine, treat your cellar with the same respect you give the bottles on the table. Getting the envelope, cooling and racking right first time costs less than rescuing a failing DIY build later.
Need help? The design team at WineRacks.co.uk has been building humidity‑controlled, fully warranted cellars across the UK for over 30 years. We’re happy to review your plans—or start from scratch—and ensure your collection ages exactly as the winemaker intended.
Ready to protect your wine? Book a free consultation »