Wine Cellar Basement Conversion in Kent

Discover the construction process we went through to build an astonishing wine cellar conversion with brick vaulted ceilings located under a Grand Manor House located in the Kent countryside.

Wine Cellar Conversion

The wine cellar basement conversion was to go under the entrance hall of a Grand Manor House in Kent. This high-end cellar conversion consisted of a beautiful brick vaulted ceiling. Designed lighting created a stunning environment.  

This now is a beautiful space for the clients. They can now display and enjoy their extensive wine collection in the basement build. The basement construction finishes have temperature-controlled storage/display cabinets. The displays fill the walls and have extra storage behind them. The central glazed tasting room provides a warm inviting space to taste the wines.

underpinning shafts wine cellar sheet piles temporary works Kent

Underpinning a House for a Basement Conversion 

Underpinning a house for this home wine cellar consisted of digging shafts. These needed to be in a specific sequence under the original foundations. They were then filled with concrete. This formed the walls of the cellar conversion. After this, we excavated the room down to the wine cellar floor. Thus creating a new space under the house. The underpinning method for this project was thick solid mass concrete pins. MJ Rooney chose this method to accommodate the large footings of the house. We use thinner reinforced pins if space is an issue.

By using 3D modeling we designed every aspect of the build. It allowed us to see the awkward parts of the construction before it caused a problem. It also helped with structural steel designs, groundworks procedures, and health and safety requirements. Because we were digging under the building, we also monitored any structural movement to within a 100th of a millimeter! In the end, we had less than 0.5mm movement.

Underpinning houses takes years of experience and knowledge. The most robust basement companies should be the only ones to do undertake it correctly. Using our years of experience in basement underpinning we safely gave the clients a new room on time and perfect for the wine cellar.

Brick Vault in a Wine Cellar 

Brick vault ceilings look incredible in modern basement builds. They created the historic feel that this manor house needed. The cellar conversion had to allow the basement construction to sit within its historic surroundings. We achieved this by using the same bricks as the house and getting the lime mortar pointing correct. We used formwork to lay the arches out between the structural steels. This was not a small wine cellar and therefore had scope to make the space indulgent from the brick vault ceiling to the wine cellar floor

brick vaulted ceiling basement wine room cellar gravesend kent

Delta Membranes Waterproofing Cellar Conversion

Delta Membranes provided the materials to waterproof the basement construction. 

Basement underpinning doesn’t always allow for external waterproofing. We used delta membranes waterproof drainage membrane to all walls and floor. Any moisture that might come through the underpinning will travel behind the Delta Membranes and be directed to the pumps. Much like the hull of a ship, this means water can come in but will never be able to touch the internal finishes. This means an Underground wine cellar can be completely dry and perfect for wine storage.

Why Build an Underground Wine Cellar? 

Why build an Underground wine cellar? Well, the most important thing for a Wine cellar is the temperature. Underground wine cellars have been used throughout time as the environment is naturally cooler. Although we can now mechanically cool the air, we should still be aware that the heat will go anywhere! This isn’t good for the environment or your pocket! The main reason you would build an underground cellar is to display and enjoy your passion for wines. Nothing is ever going to compete with a dedicated space for your collection. Environmentally controlled to be perfect for your wine storage. Custom built for your needs and that’s fundamentally an incredible experience to walk down into! 

basement underpinning wine cellar saving money

Buying a Wine Cellar with your Wine!

Wine investment historically has seen growth even through economic uncertainty. Fine wine has provided a 120% return over the last decade! What does that mean? Well, it means your wine collection could potentially pay for your wine cellar! Obviously, this is an extreme statement but the fact is that a well-designed space for your collection will provide you with a chance to grow your portfolio and enjoy the wine at the same time.  

A standard basement wine cellar can hold up to 100 bottles per meter of wall space. This means an average size wine cellar can hold up to 3000 bottles. At £20 profit on a good bottle of wine, a basement wine cellar could potentially bank £60,000 every decade!! 

To get other ideas, check the swimming pool that we constructed in a basement below an existing house located in the Kent countrysides.

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