Versatile Unique Concrete Wine Cellar Construction

Only a few people are lucky enough to have a property with its own wine cellar, so you may have given up on the idea of being able to have a room dedicated to your favorite tipple.

However, creating a specially-made versatile concrete wine cellar is now possible with pre-cast concrete designs that can go on to be installed either underground, overground, below existing domestic foundations or for the ultimate in eco-retreats, embedded into the side of a hill.

Each cellar is a modular unit, typically in a square or rectangular shape for readymade designs. These provide every home-owner with the opportunity to have their very own wine cellar, or other secure room where the ambient temperature can be guaranteed.

Here’s a closer look at how wine cellars are constructed for maximum strength and durability.

Wine cellar shapes and strength

Square and rectangular units are the primary shapes that are available in pre-cast options and these are manufactured offsite, in a specialized factory setting. Being modular in shape ensures maximizing space.

The conditions in which concrete is constructed are absolutely vital to the ultimate strength of the material. If the environment is less than ideal, the concrete may take longer to set, or may not end up curing to the expected strength. Micro cracks could also appear although they are repairable , compromises the overall joy of having a sealed wine cellar.

The variable shapes and layout within the wine cellar means that the unit is entirely versatile and can be used for any purposed required. Being made from concrete, it’s extremely durable and won’t shift, crack or start to degrade like lighter or cheaper materials.

Wine cellar manufacturing process

In the factory where the wine cellars are manufactured, the concrete is poured to create a complete sealed unit with no vulnerable cold joins or weak spots.

Despite the size of the overall wine cellar, both the base and the walls are poured together, which means no joins are required. As well as creating a weaker crease in the design, a join can also result in rising damp, mould and leakage.

Wine cellar distribution and installation options

These complete wine cellar units then can be transported all over the country and delivered to any location within Australia without losing any of their strength or getting damaged.

Here at Versatile Tanks, we work in tandem with crane operators and builders to ensure that your completed wine cellar enjoys a smooth transition from our factory all the way through to the delivery truck and ultimately the installation site.

Wine cellars could be manufactured on location but the unpredictability of the environmental conditions means there’s a very good chance the results would not be as good.

Wine cellar construction sizing options

For one of the precast concrete wine cellars, there are two sizes you can choose from, both of which have the facility for a variety of different layouts.

The medium wine cellar is 2400mm tall, 2400mm wide and 2400mm long and weighs 7.1 tonnes.

The large wine cellar is 2600mm tall, 2400mm wide and 4400mm long and weighs 11.5 tonnes.

If you opt for the large wine cellar, different floor layouts can yield very different results. In each case, the staircase really needs to be located at the end of the wine cellar , but the placement of the bottle racks varies.

It’s also important to remember to invest in high quality wine racking. Many home owners who have bought a wine cellar in the past have learned to their cost that low quality wine racking just won’t do the desired job. The old adage of “buy cheap buy twice” applies, because ineffective wine racking will have to be replaced.

Alternative possible uses for your wine cellar

If you have a large and valuable wine collection a cellar or controlled environment of some kind is essential to ensure the bottles are protected and the alcohol kept in prime condition.

These wine cellars can either be installed underground, and indeed are manufactured with this location in mind, or can be used as an over-ground room. When used as an underground cellar, a spiral staircase is typically created for access up and down.

Therefore, while the cellar offers the perfect conditions for storing wine, they’re also ideal for anything else that requires a constant temperature and stable surroundings. This could mean storing delicate paperwork or valuable items such as stamps, to equipment that needs to be protected from the damp and extremes of cold. Of course, our wine cellars also provide an excellent secure storage facility for the items that you just don’t have room for but still want to keep!

This extreme toughness provides you with the flexibility required to use the wine cellar for the purpose you need, without any worries over security or strength.