Buying a resale that has a 1000 bottle wine cellar. They converted a pantry. 800-900 bottles racked plus room for cases. We’ve made an offer on the house and I’ve asked some basic questions on the wine cellar construction. Answers so far are in regards to the door and extra insulation, but it sounds like they did not install a vapor barrier. How big of an issue is this, or how big of an issue can this become? Minimal? Moderate? Major?
Part of that will depend upon your climate. Additionally, the location of the room and adjacency to unconditioned space may also factor. If you can inspect the underside for signs of moisture, that will be a tell in how big of an issue you have brewing.
fred
Also, find out what type of insulation was used. If it is closed cell foam then you’re good without additional vapor barrier.
Assuming it’s active? I’d ask how long it’s been operational and look hard in corners etc. for any signs of mold or water accumulation etc.
Buy the house and use a humidity and temperature monitor to check the conditions. If it needs to be corrected later you can do it then.
I would just say that you do not want the wine cellar, and then discount your bid accordingly.
Indeed, if built incorrectly, that cellar may become a pain, not a bonus.
As others have said have an inspector look for signs of condensation/mold. In dry climates I think it may be OK without, In humid environment I’ve seen cellars w.o. a vapor barrier that end up having rot and mold issues over time. There are lots of imperfect cellars out there.
You don’t mention if it is actively cooled but am assuming so. If not, no issues with vapor barrier of course.
Ask a general house inspector and also a wine cellar contractor to inspect the area. The latter will have a commercial incentive to find genuine but sometimes-unnoticed problems, which would help you.
Also, if this was previously a pantry presumably it’s surrounded by conditioned space (except for a possible outside wall). If that’s so, and you plan to keep your house conditioned (whether heat or cool) you’re not going to have huge temperature differentials, and also likely not significant humidity differentials. Depending on climate, in the winter when you heat you’re likely to have relatively dry air - i.e., with a dew point below 55 degrees (presumed cellar temperature) in the surrounding area. In the summer it could be a bit trickier, because the AC will remove some humidity but the interior dew point may remain on the high side - for example, 75 degrees, and 50 RH has dewpoint of 55 degrees - Dew Point Calculator
That’s getting close to condensation, though there will be a temperature gradient to the outside of the wall.
Thanks all-a little more info. Dry climate. Single story. Pantry is surrounded by interior walls on all sides except one which is the interior of the garage. It is cooled with a wine room cooling unit. It was professionally installed. I’ve never installed one, but I hear the term “vapor barrier” quite a bit so it made sense to ask. The home owner has all the materials, and paperwork-so we will investigate once we get to the inspection point.
Who are you to comment on home purchases ? I’m shocked you didn’t comment on any mortgage , too.
You feeling ok?
What is a mortgage?
It would be shocking if a professional installer didn’t put in a vapor barrier. Fingers crossed!
Why, if the installer expects the homeowner not to notice?
Vapor barriers are second nature to contractors, and they’re not hard to install.
True, but some contractors also like to cut corners, especially if a customer doesn’t know the right questions to ask or doesn’t know what they are looking at
Sure it’s possible. My point was that thinking about vapor barriers is kind of second nature to contractors (based on my work with two contractors on some significant renovations), so you’d have to be pretty incompetent to leave one out by accident. And, if you were inclined to do it deliberately, there are probably bigger corners to cut first. Since, OP said the work was done professionally, I figured the odds are pretty good that the barrier is in there. Of course, nothing in life is certain.
Well there goes $500.
Are you the flipper, or is the person selling it to you the flipper?
That’s true - my uncle used to do it all the time. But there are corners and there are corners. If the contractor has any idea as to why there would be a vapor barrier, he’d cut corners somewhere else. The installation isn’t hard, the discovery of a problem would be fairly quick, and the resulting correction or possible litigation wouldn’t be worth it. Using cheap fixtures, vinyl floor, half-ass taping, cheap windows, etc. are all more likely. Anything involving moisture is not where you’d want to cut corners.
But one never knows.
Converted pantry with a back wall to the garage and another wall probably to the kitchen and one possibly to the exterior - that would require some decent insulation and HVAC knowledge. Sounds like a nice place.
If any of it was done by a flipper, all bets are off. I can’t understand why anyone would ever buy a flipper house.