Walk in Humi
 

Click on the link below to see a quick summary of the progress to date.

http://s84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...h_P1030089.jpg

Suggestions and comments are always welcome and are a big help.

Looking forward to completing the drywall and getting on with the finish work!

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Totally awesome.
The only thing I could suggest is that you get a vapor barrier behind that drywall so you can control your humidity. A layer of Vis-Queen (plastic) would make all the difference in the world. :tu
Can't wait to see this filled up!!! :)

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Amazing... living the dream my friend!!

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Dang, I will have to stay tuned to this.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

That is just so cool.

Hmmm - I wonder if I could get by with a *much* smaller home office ...

Re: Walk in Humi
 

It's coming together nicely, good luck finishing her up! Can't wait to see the end result.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

You are a Rockstar.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Very nice !! :chr

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Been watching your progress--That my friend is a beautiful thing

Re: Walk in Humi
 

VERY cool bro!

~Mark

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Nice work. I think we are almost as excited as you are!

Re: Walk in Humi
 

It has been great watching your progress. I can't wait to see this finished up. I only hope I can do the same thing some day.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Great job . Are you doing it your self ?

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Yeah, I was afraid I would not get to see this done... Great job! :ss

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Yup, have had some experience with finishing basements in prior homes. Received a lot of help from my friends on another board and people that do this kind of work here in town.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

I can't wait till this puppy is finished. :ss

Re: Walk in Humi
 

I usually tell people their humidors are too small. :bh

You win!

Re: Walk in Humi
 

I do have a spare bedroom for guests that isn't used very often...hmmm... yeah, they can just sleep on the couch!

Nice room!! :tu

Re: Walk in Humi
 

That's too funny! Now all I have to do is talk Dave into sending me his inventory! Mine is going to look pretty puny in there. :D

Re: Walk in Humi
 

This thread has been going on for a while back in the old forums and is driving me nuts. I want to see the end result! Is there a place for campaign contributions to get this thing done already! It is worse than a reality tv show:fl

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Just wait until I start posting the summer re-runs! :D

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Another milestone! Drywall hanging is finally complete.

Here is the last piece prior to installing:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030115.jpg

The ceiling just before completion:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030119.jpg

I used this handy stud finder to locate the screw positions. My wife says it is very accurate since when she points it at me it does not indicate!


http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030122.jpg



The finished product:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030126.jpg


http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030129.jpg


http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030132.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030136.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030140.jpg

Here are the costs to date. Not too bad so far.


http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...titled-2-1.jpg


Go back on night shift today, but will start working on the mud my next night off.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Seriously! I would have a hell of a time convincing the wife to allow me to do this. I've been trying to talk her into letting my build my man room when we get to our new home. If that happens, I'll be asking you for advice.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Actually this will be a wine cellar/humidor. The wine part got the wife on board! ;)

Re: Walk in Humi
 

With it being a wine celler also, will the wines be kept at a proper temp? Our kitchen is becoming a wine based theme and was going to put a large wine cooler in there, but it will be bigger than I would like to fit the area. So in the home lounge I am slowly working on, I am converting the closet into a humi and It may work out better to build a rack in there off to the side. Maybe even just shelves for all the liquor.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

The ideal temperature to store wine is 55-58 degrees. This provides the best development of the wine. A temperature between 40 to 65 degrees is satisfactory. The higher the temperature the faster the wine will mature. It is also important to keep the temperature constant while the wine ages.

Because most of the wine I purchase is "ready to drink" and I'm more concerned with my cigars, the temperature will be kept at 65 degrees.

The room is being designed however to maintain 55 degrees if desired. I figured when we sell the house it is much more likely the buyer will use this solely as a wine cellar.

Humidity is also a factor. There are not many real corks left these days (at least not on the bottles of Ripple I buy ;)) but for the ones that exist the recommended humidity is 60 to 65% to keep the cork from getting brittle.

In addition, will not be using cedar in the room, over time it can add flavor to the wine much as it does to a cigar.

So 65 degrees and 65% humidity will keep the cigars and wine happy!

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Great! Thanks for the reply.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Got started on the mudding, first coat is complete.

Here are the tools of the trade:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030147.jpg

Some pics of the progress:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030152.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030154.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030156.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030158.jpg

First coat went on fairly well. No disasters in fit so it should come out looking pretty good.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Are you going to put cedar on the walls? (I apologize if you already gave this info)

Pip

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Why aren't you using cedar? Just curious. I just have to let you know that I owe you BIG. My wife said I can build a walk-in humi in the house we are going to be building (thanks to your "wine" idea) next summer. Let's see some action-shot photos :r:r

Re: Walk in Humi
 

From a couple posts up -

:)

Re: Walk in Humi
 

i cant wait to see the end result! Its coming along well:D

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Looks friggin awesome so far. Can't wait to see it loaded up.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

So my name is Andrew and I'm pleased to make your aquatance. I'm sure we will soon become the best of freinds.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Now that I look at it... it could have been a little bigger:D

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Thanks for all the encouraging words.

Currently looking for a cooling unit for the room. Tried running the house AC into the room but it did not handle the load. The room stays cool during most of the year but in the summer the cement porch above heats up in the sun and radiates heat into the room. The insulation helped some but the room stayed around 70 degrees. Ok for cigars, not ok for wine.

From the research I've completed it looks like a split A/C unit is the way to go. This has the cooling unit in the room and the heat exchanger outside. A portable unit looked promising but after reading a few manuals I discovered the exhaust had to be 6 feet or less. That will not work with the room outside being finished.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Not a suggestion, but a question. Don't most AC units tend to dehumidify also?

Re: Walk in Humi
 

What kind of temperature swings did you get from the heating of the cement above? If the temp moved more than a few degrees during the day you probably need to readdress the insulation before you worry about a chiller. I recommend a minimum of R-33 in the ceiling and R-20 in the walls. And don't forget the floor. A cement floor will need at least R-20 to prevent heat seepage. Keeping a room cool is not the big issue for wine - it's the temperature stability. Every time your room moves a degree or two in temperature the expansion and contraction of the contents of the bottle will force oxygen through the corks hastening the decline of your wine.

I'll also reiterate, if you are going to chill the room to store wine, you are definitely going to want a vapor barrier on both sides of the insulation. That's because condensation will form anywhere there is a significant temperature gradient and you don't want that occurring inside your wall.

The units from Koolspace and Breezeaire are fine units and if you have insulated correctly you won't need a split system to cool your small room. Mount a unit next to the door exhausting into the hallway and you'll be fine. It will make a little noise; the fans are audible, but it will sound like a large refrigerator not a Cessna.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Nice.... anything to sell your cause right?

I love watching this thread. Can't wait to see the finished product. :tu

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Thanks for the information.

I am going to maintain the temperature at 65 degrees. For about 8-9 months of the year the room self regulates to 65. During the summer months the room is heated to 70 from the ceiling. The room temperature is constant. It builds to 70 and pretty much stays there until the summer passes and it returns to 65 which it is now. This is a cement room. There were no stud walls at the start.

I do not have an area to exhaust a portable unit to or I would get one. The exhaust pipe would have to be around 20 feet. The manuals state you can not go more then about 6 feet. The extended length causes more back pressue and will lead to reduced cooling and equipment failure.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Yes it does, but it does not remove more then what a humidifier puts in. The A/C will not have to run much so the humidifier will not have a problem keeping up.

A side note, I actually have a dehumidifier in the basement during the summer to keep the humidity down.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Finally finished with back shift! Spent the last couple of days getting back to normal hours.

The second coat of mud is applied. Looking pretty good for an amateur project. Here are some pics:

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030173.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030175.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030177.jpg

Hopefully I will apply the finish coat this weekend and then the fun begins! Have plenty of paint left over from construction of the house, so I will use one of those colors for the room.

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Looking good... I can't wait to see it all full of smokes! :D

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Very cool I hope I can do that some day!

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Green with envy!!

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Very cool!!

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Absolutely awesome!

Re: Walk in Humi
 

I am getting real close to converting my small closet now. I have decided also not to line with spanish cedar to keep the cost down and not limit the resale value of the house. Have you decided on any special type of paint that will handle the humidity (although not much compared to some parts of the country) and one that wont give off fumes to long. Also have you decided on a rack system. I was thinking of using plastic coated metal wire rack set at a slight angle for astetics. I will be putting down a stone floor and sealing, I know of some placed that use un-sealed brick and it is supposed to help maintain even humidity. Do not know if it is factual but makes sense, since it will absorb the moisture

Re: Walk in Humi
 

I love seeing things like this!! Completely awesome. I can't wait to see it finished and stocked!

Re: Walk in Humi
 

Well things are going a little slower then expected, but the mudding is finally complete!

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030225.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030226.jpg

There are a few rough spots that need to be smoothed out. The last time I did this I made a sander that works great.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030218.jpg

The grid pattern takes off a lot of material quickly and does not make as much dust as sandpaper.

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3...5/P1030222.jpg

After the mud drys I will smooth everything out and then on to painting!