Help Needed on Building a Walk-in Humidor

[gumby]

In choosing our new home in Houston, one thing on my 'required' list will be some space for a walk in humi. Nothing large, probably just large enough to walk into and turn around. If room permits I may do a wine cellar next to it. Suggestions on where to get equipment at the best price, construction hints such as do I need greenboard behind the cedar etc. are appreciated.

[gumby]

come on, all these hits and no suggestions?

[red]

Hey gumby, I would suggest the greenboard, as the humidity could ruin outer walls after a while since the house humidity will probably be lower usually. Probably not, but it couldn't hurt. Other than that, I wish I had a walk in, but it would never remotely be close to full, so... Good luck. Sounds really cool!!!

[fatshotbud]

As that is so far away in my hopes to ever have one, I never thought about it much.
Ditto on the barrier sheeting.
Might consider the lighting to be on a switch to stay on only when the door is open.
Probably fluorescent lights?
Weather sealing completely around the door (including bottom).
Is there going to be an A/C duct into the room (use a diffuser).
Remote electronic hygrometer/temp on outside wall.
Slotted and adjustable shelves.

BUD

[detsmoker]

Gumby I did quite a lot of reaserch on the subject, and even layed out the basement in the house for where the Walk in would be...Then the wife saw the drawings and put a kabosh on it.

The Wine cellar part is a good idea it will help sell the idea to the missus.

As for the room. Being in Houston the basement Idea is pretty much out of the question.

The best bet is to find or plan for an interior room ( like a closet) on the first floor. It sounds like you are looking at exisiting homes, if so then this closet will probably already be sheet rocked. You would be best served to remove the rock, Insulate the interior studs, put up vapor barrier then install the proper cedar. This will hold your humidity properly,( yes you may need to seal the door with some sort of gasket) now you will need a system to deliver and monitor it.

If you will be doing wines as well, Then I suggest one of the wine magazine catalogs Lie IWE for their Cooling systems.

They often include a humidification controls.

Well that pretty much caps up the research on the subject that I did. Now lets hope your wife is more responsive than mine was.

BTW I get to Houston every Jan,sooo.. If you build it I will come.

[gumby]

det you're more than welcome to the gumbydor once I get a house. thanks for the info.
Anyone know some cheap sources for humidifiers and stuff?

[qban4me]

Been thinking about this myself. I'm totally inept, so I'd need to hire someone to build a walk-in for me.

Gumby - check out JC Pendergast, Inc. for information and supplies http://www.jcpendergast.com/

[gumby]

cool link, thx.

[westsideelectric]

Gumby, if your new place is a 2 story, under the stairs can be a nice place to find some extra space. If not, a closet in a spare room is a nice alternative. The closer you get to the middle of the house, the less you'll have to worry about climatic changes. Taking up the carpet in the space, if there is any carpet, is also a good idea if you don't have vents from your central HVAC system or some type of venting in there to help w/ excess moisture. Combining w/ a wine cellar is a great idea. I think you'll still have to separate the cigars somewhat, because if memory serves me right, you'll want a higher RH and temp for your smokes than your wine. There are plenty of companies selling nice racking systems that you will find simple to install. Also, you may consider having a door & window specialist take care of the entry to your walk-in. If you don't mind spending a little extra $$$, I think you'll have much better results if the door is properly fit and has a good seal. You may also want to consider a nice low voltage lighting option for show and stronger overhead lighting on a separate switch for when you are doing maintenance or are looking for something. Also, you might consider putting in an exhaust fan of some sort on a timer or hooked up to a humidistat in order to move the air occasionally if you'll be gone for any length of time. That sort of equipment is available from greenhouse suppliers and/or indoor gardening shops. Green Air Products in Oregon makes some interesting gear for atmospheric controll. I could go on and on, but feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Good luck!

[gumby]

westside, great info, thx