Every detail about the essential components in wine cellar construction must be given keen attention and carefully considered to achieve the ideal storage conditions needed by wine for aging. Just like the wine racks, wine cooling system, and door, your wine cellar flooring is also a vital aspect of wine cellar design that helps maintain the ideal wine storage temperature and humidity level. If you’re one of those wine collectors who are not only passionate about wine but also about saving our planet, an area in your home can be converted into a wine cellar infused with “green” features such as cork and wine barrel flooring.
Eco-Friendly Wine Cellar Flooring Options in Texas
Wine Cellar Specialists, a team of professional wine cellar designers and installers, loves to build eco-friendly custom wine cellars. They offer these flooring options to create a functional and state-of-the-art wine storage area for your prized collection.
Let’s learn more about these custom accents for wine cellars which are becoming more popular in Texas.
Cork Wine Cellar Flooring
Cork is known to be highly resistant to rot. Its suberin (a natural wax and hydrophobic substance) content makes it anti-allergenic and insect-repellent. Because of these characteristics, it can perform its role in keeping wine fresh even when exposed to extreme temperature changes.
In addition to its role as a bottle closure, cork can also be used as a material for flooring, which is not a new concept. It has been used in the wine cellar building industry for many years to create wine storage that is environment-friendly and impressive.
Cork flooring is easy to clean, easy to install, able to absorb noise and shock, and gentle to the feet. Wine cellars built with cork flooring look stylish.
Matching the existing décor of your home will not be difficult with cork because it is usually available in different patterns and colors. Its beauty and elegance will create an unforgettable drinking experience with friends and family during wine-tasting parties or a casual dinner.
Cork flooring is not only a good choice for home wine cellars, but for commercial wine stores, bars, restaurants, and hotels as well. Even if it is a lightweight material, cork is durable enough to hold the weight of your wine racks and bottles.
When the cork is harvested (every 9-12 years and without the use of machinery), cutting down the tree is not necessary, and no tree is harmed. Instead, the bark is the only part extracted from the tree. After a certain period of time, the cork re-grows. Because of the regeneration process that the cork tree undergoes, it is considered a renewable source of flooring.
Wine Barrel Flooring for Texas Wine Cellars
After fulfilling their role as a container for wine storage (after about 10 years), it is wise not to let the wine barrels rot in a landfill. Using them, instead, as a flooring material is recommended.
In Texas, re-purposing reclaimed oak wine barrels into something useful is a trend. Beautiful wine racks and tabletops constructed from old wine barrels create a visually stunning wine storage display.
Another amazing way to make use of wine barrels is to use them for your wine cellar flooring. This is a favorite choice of environmentally-conscious wine cellar owners in Texas who give importance to both function and form. Wine barrel flooring has been used by Wine Cellar Specialists in their wine cellar projects, resulting in highly satisfied customers.
The best thing about wine barrel flooring is the unique touch that it creates in your wine cellar. No two planks are the same. Using the outside portion of the wine barrelhead (cooperage) will display the brand markings and stamps used to indicate the wine stored in the barrel.
Flooring made from the planks from the inside portion of the barrel (infusion) displays the natural stain of the wine store in it, resulting in flooring with reddish tones. Since wines vary in color and shade, this will create uniqueness that most wine collectors desire in their custom wine room.
If you want distinct markings from the metal hoops around the barrel to be displayed on your flooring, stave wine barrel flooring can help you achieve this. Your wine room will have a weathered look and historical touch, which can impress anyone who sees it. Choosing this option will also make you feel like you are in a vineyard because the material you are stepping on was once part of wine storage.
In addition to beauty, wood from wine barrels holds up well in wine cellar conditions. This is because the barrel has previously held wine, causing it to expand and contract. It’s a wonderful feeling to do something good for our mother Earth while enjoying the aesthetic and functional benefits of sustainable wine flooring.
What to Consider Before Choosing Your Wine Cellar Flooring
The conditions in a wine cellar can be stabilized by installing a reliable wine cooling unit. If you’re planning to refrigerate your wine cellar, a proper seal and vapor barrier installation is required. Together with the walls and ceilings, your flooring must also be insulated to keep your favorite vintages safe, and your refrigeration unit from working harder than it needs to.
You wine cellar flooring must also be able to retain the weight of your wine bottles, wine racking or wine cabinet, and other furniture in the room such as tables and chairs. Additionally, the flooring material must be able to cope with environments with high humidity. It is also wise to choose a material that complements the overall existing décor of your home.
Start Your Own Custom Wine Cellar Project
In addition to cork and wine barrel flooring, they have also installed wine racks with table tops made from oak. Whether you need a traditional or contemporary wine cellar, with or without eco-friendly features, you can count on Wine Cellar Specialists.
They also offer efficient wine cellar refrigeration systems that will create and maintain the ideal wine storage conditions for proper wine preservation and custom wine cellar doors that can add beauty and value to your home. Visit their wine cellar gallery by clicking here. Start your wine cellar project by filling out a no-obligation wine cellar design request form.