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2.3.2. Insulation of walls and ceiling
Choice of the insulation panels.
The producers offer insulation panels of several kinds :
= insulation only
- "complex" insulations : The insulation is coated (plaster, mineral...),
- sandwich panels: the insulant is covered on both sides with a layer of wood
or plaster.
The facing of the panels is important: it protects the insulant against shocks and
ensures its durability.
Do not use insulations made of mineral fibres (glass wool, rock wool, etc...), be-
cause they can absorb humidity and lose their insulating capacity.
Protection against rodents
Certain insulants can be attacked by rodents (mice, rats...). It must therefore be
guaranteed that the cellar walls provide no openings through which the rodents
can reach the insulation.
These insulations are covered with a protective layer on the inside of the cellar.
Polyurethane is an insulant, which due to its chemical compostion, is not at-
tacked by rodents.
2.3.3. Insulation of the floor
The cellar floor must be strong enough to carry the shelves and the stored wine.
For this part an insulation must be chosen, which provides sufficient resistance to
pressure.
The producers indicate in their documentations if the insulating materials are
appropriate or specially designed for floors.
Resistance to perforation (in particular by the feet of shelves) is obtained :
- by using "complex" insulation panels, which are covered on the upper side with
a sufficiently resistant plate.
- by facing the insulant with chipboard (thickness ca. 15 mm) or with another
adequate cover (floor boards or tiles for example).
2.3.4. Insulation of other elements
Do not put wine cupboards or freezers in the cellar, because they pro-
duce heat.
All sources of heat in the cellar, such as central heating pipes, must be
insulated.
