Passive Cellar OK?

[Triple H]

I live in Seattle and it's time I set aside some space as my collection grows. I have a daylight basement that is 3/4 finished, and there is a corner of the unfinished part in the back that has concrete foundation about 8 feet high as well as a concrete floor. I've not tracked the temp or humidity from Winter to Summer, but Seattle is about as temperate as it gets, and I'd like to just buy/construct some racks and stick them in that corner. Do you think that's safe?<P>[This message has been edited by Triple H (edited 09-16-2005).]<p>[This message has been edited by Triple H (edited 09-16-2005).]

[Innkeeper]

What is the highest prevailing temperature?

[Bucko]

In a word, no. I live near Olympia and have a passive basement cellar. It is a real room, R-19 walls, R-30 ceiling. It stays around 60-62 year around. It would not do so without the insulation.

[Triple H]

I guess maybe I should get a thermometer and track the temp? Since fall is approaching, heat is definately not an issue for the next 9 months really. So I guess if swings are too much the most I'd have to do is wall off the area and insulate it?

[Triple H]

My guesses were way off. I installed a thermometer last fall, and the coldest it got this past winter was 39 degrees, which I think is fine, but this spring we've had some warm weather (low 80's) and I've peeked at 67 degrees (way warmer than I tought it would get) near the wine rack at about 6 feet off the floor. That's nearly a 30 degree swing, with daily swings around 12 or 13 degrees.<P>I think I'll do like Bucko and wall it off and insulate it.

[Kcwhippet]

Good move. That's way too wide a temp swing. We have a passive cellar also that's uninsulated, but it's situated in such a way that it gets down to 56 in the winter and 62 in the summer.

[tw]

Is a passive cellar the best way to go? I live in Wisconsin so it would definitely have to be insulated. If a room were made in the basement would that work ok, any wisconsinites?

[Innkeeper]

Should work.