A wine cellar requires temperature and humidity control. Good insulation, a vapor barrier and climate control system are all important components, but a huge part of climate control comes in buying the perfect wine door. The incorrect selection can force your wine cooling system to work more and allow unwanted warm air inside your wine cellar, nullifying the rest of your careful wine room setup and design.

The right wine door maintains a seal on the entryway when the door is closed, permitting the wine cellar cooling unit to circulate temperature and humidity-controlled air through the whole wine room without fighting with air leaking into the room from outside the door. Whether you buy a pre-made standard door, or have one created to your desired specifications, all good wine doors have certain qualities that make them perfect for the climate control demands of your wine storage room.

Wine Cellar Door Construction

Custom wine cellar builders advise using exterior grade wine room doors, which are powerful enough to withstand weather changes and keep outside air from leaking in. A precise exterior grade door should be weatherproofed and acclimatized to the level of temperature and humidity in the environment where it will be used; the humidity factor should not be disregarded when choosing a door. The suggested humidity for a wine room falls generally between 50% and 80%, with 70% being the target level. If a wine room door can't survive 70% humidity without warping or other issues, it isn't worth the money you paid for it.

Wooden wine doors should have solid core construction; in no way use a hollow door as the entrance for your wine cellar. If you use a glass wine door, it ought to be double-paned to help keep hot air out. The recommended thickness for wine room doors varies according to who you ask, but the lowest thickness you should install for your wine cellar is one and three-quarter inches. If your wine cellar door is reachable by children or if you just want some extra security for your wines think about adding a lock to your door specs.

Wine Room Door Materials

Wine doors are available in a vast array of materials; wood, glass, even wrought iron. Options include standard doors, carved wood doors or carved wood and glass. You can also get beveled glass doors or wine cellar iron doors.

When purchasing a wine cellar door, the condition of your wine cellar may dictate your purchase to a certain degree. Is the wine room already built? Do you need to buy a door to fit your existing entryway? Or do you need a complete set with the door, doorjamb, weather stripping included in a package? Wine cellar doors may come in “door-only” versions or as pre-hung doors. A pre-hung wine room door comes to you installed into a frame which you set up into the entryway. Pre-hung doors speed up the installation process if you are doing the labor yourself, but you may want an extra pair of hands to help get the door in position and securely attached.

Some wine doors include optional wrought-iron attachments which are installed on top of your door after it has been installed in the opening, but these don't have anything to do with climate control issues in your cellar; the wrought iron add-ons are most likely decorative. If you add these attractive designs, it is essential to fasten them securely to the door to eliminate the potential for damage to the lacquer finish of the wood.

Wine Cellar Doors vs. Entryways

Some wine cellar door manufacturers offer custom-designed and built entryways. What's the difference between an entryway and a wine room door? With a custom entryway you will have the entire section of door, doorjamb and related construction included in the package. This can make for a more stylish look for your cellar and lend some additional custom selections for the space. If you order the door only, you can set it up in your existing entryway, which is handy for circumstances where you are already thrilled with the surrounding wine cellar build-out.

Miscellaneous Concerns

Wine cellar doors ought to come with a threshold, door sweep and perimeter seal. These seals permit the door to be weather-stripped on all three sides to keep out drafts when the door is shut. Weather stripping is a requirement for the entrance to your wine room, or else your wine cooling system works less efficiently and your climate controlled air will move into the region outside the wine cellar.

Are you buying a custom wine cellar door? You will need measurements of your door jamb or entryway and you must decide whether you need handles or locks. Some vendors might not install locks or pre-drilling. If you want to install a lock in these cases you will have to do the drill work yourself based on the design specifications of an exact lock.

Sometimes the way your doors open can be an issue. When thinking of which way your wine doors should hinge, think about the placement of your wine racking or accessories around the doors, and how wide you need to open the doors should you want to add in a crate or case of wine bottles. If you need extra clearance than the inside of your wine room can supply, make sure your doors can swing open to the outside, and don't forget a doorstop or additional add-on to prohibit the doors from hitting the wall.

Wine room doors are a key feature to your wine room. Picked wisely the doors can help your wine cellar work properly and create a great first impression to your visitors.