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7 Wine Cellar Mistakes to Avoid in a Humid Chattanooga Summer

Most wine cellar problems are not about the wine. They are about heat and humidity. Here are seven mistakes that tend to show up in humid summers like ours.

1. Using a household air conditioner. It can dry the air too much for corks. Use a dedicated cellar unit.
2. Skipping or reversing the vapor barrier. It usually goes on the warm side of the insulation.
3. A door that does not seal. A gap under the door lets warm, humid air in all summer.
4. Single pane glass in a cold room. Expect fogging. Use insulated glass for climate controlled rooms.
5. Guessing the cooling size. Ask for a heat load calculation.
6. Nowhere for the heat to go. Through the wall units need a large enough room to exhaust into.
7. Building over a damp basement. Fix moisture first.

Already seeing condensation? See condensation and humidity repair.

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