As you plan to build your cellar, choosing the best wood for wine cellar racks is one of the most important. You’ll want to decide which type of wood to work with before your project begins to avoid delays or wasting materials.
Going the custom route is a great way to get the exact style and design to fit your needs and tastes, but it comes with many choices.
Thankfully, we’re here to help you identify the best wood for your wine cellar. Learn more about the most common woods used and their pros and cons to determine the best option for your space.
People tend to use three main types of wood in their wine cellars.
Several reasons exist why each type works well for this particular project. Once you choose one of these types, you can choose a specific species.
Some things you’ll want to keep in mind when deciding between these options are their durability, aesthetics, and cost. We’ll walk you through what to expect from each type of wood and why they’re good choices for custom wine cellar racks.
Pine wood is one of the most popular options for wine cellar racks because it’s affordable and strong. If you’re working on a tight budget, pine wood is a solid option to create a durable and functional wine rack. It’s also easy to stain, giving you much creative freedom!
However, pine doesn’t hold up quite as well as some other woods on this list. It’s more prone to showing normal wear and tear marks, which can lead to further costs if you want to re-stain the wood.
Some people consider redwood the absolute best wood for wine cellar racks because of its strength and versatility. Redwood is considered the strongest and most dense softwood found in nature. This makes it unique because it’s lighter and easier to work with than most hardwoods while still highly durable and resistant to the shrinkage you’d find with other types of wood.
It’s also incredibly weather-resistant, which means moisture won’t cause damage or mold as easily as other wood species. This greatly benefits those looking to build wine cellar racks since homeowners usually place them in basements where moisture can be a major issue.
However, whether you’re building a wine cellar rack in your closet or another area of your home, redwood is an excellent, long-lasting option.
Of course, there are some drawbacks to using redwood. It isn’t the most affordable choice, and it’s an endangered species. Redwood is included in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List as a threatened species, which can affect the availability of the wood.
If you choose to use redwood, you’ll need to choose between two different species: “All Heart Redwood” and “Premium Redwood.” All Heart Redwood tends to be more expensive and has a darker, more consistent tone. Premium Redwood has more variations of color and is less expensive.
Mahogany is a popular choice for wine cellars for several reasons. It’s a hardwood, which makes it more durable and long-lasting than pine or redwood. But it’s also one of the lighter hardwood options, so it’s still easy to work with.
It’s also resistant to warping, swelling, and moisture decay, which makes it a great option for those living in humid climates where moisture and temperature changes are a concern. It’s also a timeless, gorgeous option that naturally comes in many color variants.
One of the biggest disadvantages of using mahogany is its limited availability. Since it’s such a beautiful and popular choice, it’s high in demand, and finding high-quality wood can be challenging.
Additionally, it absorbs sunlight easily, which can alter its color. This shouldn’t be a concern for most wine cellar racks, though.
Of the three types of wood we suggested, pine is the best option for those looking to build on a budget. Redwood and mahogany are more expensive but offer significantly more durability and versatility.
In terms of aesthetics, all three are good options.
Mahogany comes in many natural tones, giving you sufficient variety to choose from without considering different types of stains. You can stain pine to look like nearly any type of wood, but you have to consider its natural grain type to ensure the stain looks good and lasts.
Redwood is naturally beautiful and easy to stain.
You’ll also want to consider their availability. Are you willing to wait for a supplier to deliver high-quality redwood or mahogany? If you’re working on a tight timetable, then you’ll want to go with something more readily available, like pine.
All of these considerations are important to consider, but other factors will depend on your tastes and needs. How much are you planning on storing on your rack? Will it be placed in a high-traffic area or somewhere prone to moisture and temperature changes? How long do you need it to last?
Answering these questions will help you narrow down your options and determine the best type of wood to suit your needs.
Our designers know all about the best wood for wine cellar racks, and they can help you determine the ideal type for your wants and needs.
