Insulating Wine Cellars

June 18, 2016

In any wine cellar, large or small, the two most important factors are temperature and humidity. These will have a direct impact on the wine, and when out of sync, a negative impact. Today, most wine cellars operate with some type of "climate control" system to ensure that temperature and humidity levels are properly maintained. But none of this will be possible if the wine cellar is built incorrectly or insulated inappropriately. And if there's no vapour barrier (or a substandard vapour barrier) the chances of success for the wine cellar are greatly diminished. A wine cellar operates at peak performance when the temperature and moisture levels are in harmony. For this, wine cellar experts suggest Spray Foam Insulation as the preferred application when insulating the space. Once applied, SFI cures into a dense, rigid envelope that provides the ultimate in R-Value, while adding structural strength. SFI is a "code-approved" vapor barrier and air barrier, while it provides thermal insulation to the installed space. The big advantage with SFI is that one installation does it all - moisture control, air management, and insulation. The importance of balanced humidity cannot be overstated in a wine cellar. The humidity keeps wine bottle corks from prematurely drying out, and thus prevents them from losing their ability to seal. Humidity is essentially the amount of water vapor in the air - and regulated humidity is absolutely essential for quality wine storage. When a wine cellar is well insulated and provided with an effective vapour barrier, humidity levels will be better maintained and the cooling system will be better balanced. This is where Spray Foam Insulation can do the best job. As for installation, it's important to have experts do the work. For Great Northern Insulation, SFI is a highly specialized application. Installers are professionals, and with years of experience. They install to code, and they follow the manufacturer's product specifications. Spray Foam Insulation requires expertise with both product and application, and at GNI customer satisfaction is assured with every install. When it comes to wine cellars, the work has to done right the first time - anything short can comprise the integrity of the space and the stock of wine. Importantly, a spray foam application should not be approached as a DIY (do-it-yourself) project. It's work that requires product knowledge and installation proficiency. And it's work that has to be done the right way - otherwise, having to do a re-install could get costly and time consuming. Above all, wine cellars demand perfection when it comes to insulation, so having it done expertly makes abundant sense. Finally, Spray Foam Insulation is a premium product - it's not suitable for all project budgets, but no other product will perform as well for a wine cellar. For a wine connoisseur, the wine cellar can be a part time hobby or a serious collection effort. But whatever the case, it's not appropriate to cut corners when building, or sealing, or insulating. For the very best results, and for long term performance, Spray Foam Insulation is the way to go.