Passive Cellar in Apartment Building Basement Storage Room? Experiences, Material Suggestions, etc... - The Athan Zafirov Wine Blog
I'm wondering if anyone has experience or advice on building out a very simple cellar in a basement storage room in a multi family apartment building. It is 2 floors underground and the temperature seems great down there, but it is a bit damp. I need to set up some sensors to track it for a bit, but I'm saying it is 14-18 C and 65-80% humidity depending on the season.
I can't install any active systems but I am thinking some passive humidity control could help with the humidity and really... that's it?
Some detailed questions:
- Should I paint the walls with a sealing primer (like Killz) or bring them back to raw concrete? On the one hand, priming everything is going to control mold (for a bit?) on the other, permeable concrete is probably going to mediate humidity better over the long term?
- I was thinking either a gravel or loose lay terra-cotta/ clay tile floor. If tile I'd probably want to elevate it a bit on battens or pedestals for air flow?
- For storage I'd like to avoid wood racks because it's just more organic material down there to feed the mold. Cedar could probably work though? Or can anyone offer recommendations or diy solutions for affordable metal racks in Europe?
- I've also seen those clay tile cells that you can stack and fit a wine bottle - can anyone tell me an EU manufacturer for those or what I might search for?
Any other helpful suggestions or things you wish you did in your cellar?
For 15 years, Athan Zafirov has traveled the vineyards around the world and worked with some of the greatest chefs including Francois Duc and Alan Brown.
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