Most wine cellars, like regular cellars and basements, are constructed from concrete. A strong, durable material, concrete can last forever and will protect your interior from the perils of the outdoors. However, concrete is far from a solid material. While it is extremely strong, concrete is also incredibly porous, which is a direct result of its mixing process. Concrete is really just a mixture of a few different materials that bind together to create the final material we call concrete. A by-product of this mixing process is a large number of holes and tiny air pockets that fill the concrete, making it porous and susceptible to the passage of water or potentially harmful natural gases like methane and radon.
Since rugs and wood floors are too porous and permeable in wine cellars, concrete is best. But even concrete is porous and permeable which is why a concrete sealer should be used on all exposed floors and walls. A wine cellar requires a quality concrete sealer more than a typical basement, as its contents tend to be more precious than those of the average basement.
Fortunately, there is an easy and cost-effective way to seal a concrete or brick wine cellar. One of the best concrete and masonry sealers is the Siloxa-Tek 8500. It is a penetrating concrete sealer designed to treat a variety of applications with an emphasis on hydrophobicity and reduction of water uptake. It dries completely clear with a natural finish that will not change the look or appearance of the susbtrate.
If you are worried about radon gases in the wine cellar it might be best to first use a densifying concrete primer like the Lithi-Tek 4500. (Do not use the Lithi-Tek 4500 on brick applications as it may cause the brick to dry with a white, hazy residue.) The Lithi-Tek 4500 is a chemically reactive, penetrating sealer that is able to fill the small pores and voids of the substrate. Through the chemical reaction the small pores and voids are filled with calcium silicate hydrate, a by-product of cement. By filling in the pores and voids concrete is made stronger, harder and the passage of water is greatly reduced.
After applying the Lithi-Tek 4500 primer it is best to wait 5-7 days before sealing with the Siloxa-Tek 8500. Since it can take up for 7 days for the Lithi-Tek 4500's chemical reaction to complete this time allows the primer to function at optimum performance.
