Expert: James Yee - 8/14/2007

Question
I have a room that is 12x13 with a 17' ceiling that is maintained at a constant temperature of approximately 68 degrees year roud. I am going to make it into a walk-in humidor for my cigar shop. Because of landlord issues I need to invest as little money as possible in doing it. I have several specific questions maybe you can help me with. I know it would probably be more efficient to lower the ceilings, however the humidification system I am purcasing is equipped to handle 4000 cubic feet which falls in the size I am trying to humidfy even with the ceiling height. Should I bite the bullet and lower the ceilings or wait and see how the humidifying unit handle it? The exterior of the bldg. is brick with painted sheetrock walls inside. I am wondering about the humidity effect on the walls. Also an economical way of displaying the boxes. I am thinking about lining the wall with shelves. All cigars will be displayed in boxes, other than aesthic reasons do I need spanish cedar? I have read some of your other posts on thei subject but I wanted to ask these specific questions. You do a great job.

Answer
Hi Charles,

Lowering the ceiling would definitely be more energy-efficient in terms of humidifying and temperature controlling the walk-in humidor but if your humidification unit is more than capable of humidifying a room that size, it’s best to leave the ceiling as is for now.  This will allow you to save some money on room construction plus it will leave more storage space for cigars (or cigar storage lockers for your customers if you decide to add those). ;)  

Exterior brick and sheetrock shouldn’t cause any problems but you should install a vapor-barrier between the sheetrock and the cedar paneling.  This will prevent any moisture damage to the sheetrock.

For displaying the cigars, the best method is to angle the shelves slightly (about 30-35 degrees) so that the boxes will be displayed at an angle.  This will allow you to see the all the cigars clearly without straining your neck.  For basic storage shelves/compartments, you can just let the boxes sit flat.

Spanish cedar is actually very important for your walk-in humidor or any humidor.  Spanish cedar is used in humidors because the wood is able to effectively absorb and regulate humidity plus cedar wood will not rot or decay.  The natural oils in cedar wood is also an excellent deterrent against bugs such as termites and tobacco beetles.  Scent-wise, Spanish cedar is not very pungent when compared to other cedars so it’s natural scent will compliment your cigars perfectly instead of overpowering them.  Using other types of cedar wood in your humidor may actually ruin your cigars and cause them to all smell like cedar.

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

Regards,
James