The last episode (BWC-104) completed the building and installation of the wine racks, and in this final episode Mosby's new wine cellar is finished.

The wine cellar is ready for the final two elements: 1) the cooling unit and 2) the door.

After figuring out how many wine bottles would be lost by installing the cooling unit, Mosby and Glass came up with 20 -- far less than originally guessed. The final tally on storage space will be 658 bottles of wine.

1. Cut the racks that must go in order to install the cooling unit. Mosby cut the rails and posts, then nails up additional spacer bars (figure B) across the face of the rack above and below the cooling unit. The spacer bars ensure proper spacing for bottling and help support the remaining racking.
2. Hoist the cooling unit (figure C -- a WhisperKool -- for more information on cooling units, see Episode BWC-101) into place, slide it in. This particular unit is 17" deep, and most of it sits inside the cellar. It can cool up to 650 cubic feet. An airtight seal is extremely important, and Mosby used a foam tape (figure D) around the edges of the unit. The foam will compress and block any air gaps between the unit and the wall.
3. Make sure the cooling unit is perfectly level so it won't collect water, then continue to secure the unit into the wall.
4. For this type of self-contained refrigeration system to work properly, it must be vented into a space that is at least twice the size of the area to be cooled, and Mosby's basement meets this requirement.
5. Each unit comes with a digitally controlled thermostat and a probe attachment (figure E) that work to keep a constant temperature and humidity in the cellar. How the thermostat works is to fill a wine bottle with water, place the probe inside and place the bottle at the highest point in the cellar (heat rises). The unit attaches to the cooling unit, and since it's digital, all you have to do is set the temperature at 55 degrees (figure F) and turn the power on.

Note: There can be one huge drawback to a self-contained cooling unit -- noise!

6. With the cooling unit installed and working, Mosby nailed up the final crown molding above the unit.
7. The last major step is to put up the cellar door:
   • Exterior grade door -- critical for a wine cellar. The door must be insulated and sealed in order for low temperatures and high humidity to remain constant. Glass doors must be double paned. It's also important to install insulation and weather stripping around the door. Mosby chose to go with a 2" thick redwood door (figure G) with a full-length double paned insulated window.
8. The 34" wide door came pre-hung for easy installation. First, Mosby and Glass fir out the doorjamb to ensure a snug fit, then a 1/4" bead of caulk was applied to the seal to prevent any air from escaping the wine cellar. (The caulk seals the threshold to the door.)
9. Once the caulk is set, the door can be put into place. If needed, add some shims to tighten the door, and make sure to check that the door is flush to the wall (figure H).
10. Once the door is installed, add insulation between the jamb and the wall. This will keep the cool air in and the warm air out.
11. The next step is to cut the casing for the door. First, be sure to make an accurate measuring, then nail the trim/casing into place -- inside and out (figure I).
12. Add the door handle and strike plate and the door is ready for testing. If it doesn't shut smoothly, you can sandpaper the edges and try again.
13. Clean the glass and the door installation is complete.
14. There are only a few finishing touches to the exterior walls of the cellar before the project is done. The switch plates and outlet covers are attached and the final baseboard molding is nailed into place.
15. Stock your new wine cellar and enjoy your beautiful new room.