Just wait until I start posting the summer re-runs! :-)
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Another milestone! Drywall hanging is finally complete.

Here is the last piece prior to installing:

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The ceiling just before completion:

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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!


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The finished product:

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


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Go back on night shift today, but will start working on the mud my next night off.
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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.
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Actually this will be a wine cellar/humidor. The wine part got the wife on board! :-)
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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.
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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!
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Great! Thanks for the reply.
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Got started on the mudding, first coat is complete.

Here are the tools of the trade:

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Some pics of the progress:

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First coat went on fairly well. No disasters in fit so it should come out looking pretty good.
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Are you going to put cedar on the walls? (I apologize if you already gave this info)

Pip
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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 :-):-)
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From a couple posts up -

:-)
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i cant wait to see the end result! Its coming along well:-)
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Looks friggin awesome so far. Can't wait to see it loaded up.
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So my name is Andrew and I'm pleased to make your aquatance. I'm sure we will soon become the best of freinds.
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Now that I look at it... it could have been a little bigger:-)
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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.
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Not a suggestion, but a question. Don't most AC units tend to dehumidify also?
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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.
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Nice.... anything to sell your cause right?

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