Expert: James Yee - 12/17/2007

Question
Hi James,
I have a liquor store and my cigar sales have increased gradually.I'm now ready to venture into building a cigar room, but I'm not sure how to go about it. should i build a room and order Spanish cedar panels or should i hire a contractor? what do you suggest? thanks

Answer
Hi Jimmy,

You can contact a contractor but if you’re interested in building the cigar room/walk-in humidor yourself, here are some important tips to remember:

Walls: The walls should be covered with 100% natural, genuine cedar panels.  Be sure to lay a vapor barrier over the wall before you install the cedar panels.  Only use Spanish cedar and not any other type of cedar as the other types of cedar may be too aromatic and can ruin your cigars.  If covering all the walls with Spanish cedar is too expensive, you can forego that and just install 100% Spanish cedar shelving instead.  (Some successful cigar shops with walk-in humidors don’t have all the walls covered with cedar.)

Flooring: Use non-slip ceramic floor tiles.  Do not use vinyl tiling as the humidity can cause them to lift.

Shelving:  Shelves to display cigars should be at a 40 degree angle and should be made from 100% Spanish cedar.  Be sure that the shelves have slats can that air and humidity can pass through each level.  Extra cigar boxes (stock) can be stored flat so build storage cabinets that you can lock (to prevent theft).

Placement of door(s) and window(s):  The door(s) and window(s) should have large windows so that customers can easily see inside the walk-in humidor (it’s also good for store security).  Because the walk-in humidor will have see-through doors and windows, build the room so that it’s away from the store’s outdoor windows and away from direct sunlight.  Direct sunlight can ruin your cigars.

Lighting: Use recessed “can” (or troffer) lighting and only use LED or Compact Fluorescent lightbulbs.  Lights should also point away from the cigars.  Aim the lights at the walls or ceiling.  Do not use incandescent lightbulbs as they can heat up your cigar room even more.

Temperature & Humidification:  You’ll need to invest in a commercial-grade, humidifier capable of humidifier your entire cigar room.  The humidifier should be automated and allow you to set the desired level.  The ideal humidity level is 70%.  The ideal temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lockers: If you have a lot of cigar customers, you may want to build some humidor lockers for them.  This way your regular customers can simply leave their cigars in your humidor room.  Be sure that the lockers are made entirely out of Spanish cedar and that they have enough slats for air and humidity flow.  If you prefer not to have customers constantly inside your walk-in humidor, you can then build the lockers so that they connect the walk-in humidor to the rest of your store.  The locker interiors can be connected to the walk-in humidor but the locker doors are accessed from outside the walk-in humidor.

Metal fixtures:  Any metal fixtures inside the walk-in humidor (ie: door hinges, locker hinges, doorknobs, etc.) should be made from brass so that they do not rust or tarnish from the humidity.

Again, contacting a contractor is a safer choice but regardless of what you do, be sure to follow the tips that I have just provided.

Hope this answers your question.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to just ask and I’ll be happy to help.

Regards,
James