Building a Walk-In Humidor

Practical Advice Before You Start

Designing and building a walk-in humidor is an exciting project, but there are several key steps you should consider before construction begins. The advice below is based on real-world experience building walk-ins and supplying humidification systems for many years. This guide focuses on what actually matters—not myths, trends, or outdated recommendations.

1. Start With the Right Layout

Once you have your layout planned, we recommend keeping the ceiling no higher than 10 feet. You won’t store cigars up that high anyway, and conditioning unnecessary space increases your humidity and cooling load without adding any benefit.

2. Frame First, Then Choose Humidifier Placement

The best time to decide where your humidifiers will go is after the framing is completed. Once the studs are in place, you’ll be able to identify the best locations for:

Humidifiers (Wall Mount, SH1, SH3 depending on room size)
Humidity controllers
Circulation fans
Future signage or specialty cabinet lighting

Trying to choose humidifier locations before framing is done often leads to awkward placement or airflow problems later.

3. Plan Electrical Before Closing the Walls

Electrical planning should be done early in the build. Before any sheetrock goes up, make sure you have:

Dedicated outlets for the humidifier and controller
Extra outlets for circulation fans
Optional outlets for signage or specialty cabinet lighting
Outlets placed at convenient heights—not low on the floor

Getting the electrical right the first time will save you from running surface-mounted conduit later.

4. Air Conditioning and Circulation

Airflow is critical in a humidor. The most effective option is a dedicated mini split system. A mini split:

Provides steady, even cooling
Moves air continuously
Removes excess humidity
Can serve small rooms up to large commercial spaces

Humidity control works best when the A/C removes moisture and the humidifier replaces it. This balance prevents stagnant pockets, mold, and mildew.

5. Use a Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System

A Reverse Osmosis (RO) water filter system is essential for two major reasons:

RO removes minerals. Without it, ultrasonic humidifiers produce white dust that settles on cigars, shelves, and boxes.
RO provides a consistent, clean water supply. No more manually refilling tanks—the RO can feed your humidifier directly.

Run the water lines from the RO system to your humidor during the framing stage. This keeps the final room clean and eliminates the need to reopen walls.

6. Walling In the Space

Once electrical, A/C, and water lines are installed, you can begin closing in the walls.

Use Moisture-Resistant Sheetrock

Moisture-resistant sheetrock costs about 35% more, but on a 10 × 10 × 10 humidor this is only around $50 extra. It is absolutely worth the cost if moisture ever becomes an issue.

Paint the Walls with High-Quality Latex

A recommendation based on experience: instead of covering all the walls in Spanish cedar, use high-quality latex paint.

Why this works:

You get enough cedar aroma from cigar boxes themselves.
Most walls will be visually covered by boxes anyway.
Paint is easier to clean, maintain, and repair.
It’s significantly less expensive.

If you want the visual aesthetic of cedar, consider using cedar on the ceiling only.

7. Shelving: A Practical, Cost-Effective Approach

For shelving, a beautiful and practical approach is to use high-quality pine. You can stain it and seal it to match your preferred look.

Important: All staining and sealing should be done outside the humidor, and the wood should be allowed to fully dry and off-gas before installation.

This approach looks professional and elegant while saving thousands in material costs compared to cedar shelving.

8. Your Humidor Should Not Be Airtight

This is one of the biggest misconceptions in humidor construction. A walk-in humidor should not be airtight.

You want the air conditioner to remove some humidity and the humidifier to replace it. This natural exchange:

Promotes healthy airflow
Prevents mold and mildew
Creates even humidity throughout the room

A perfectly sealed room often causes more problems than it solves.

9. Keep Construction Costs in Perspective

A useful rule of thumb: every dollar you spend building your humidor requires about $2.50 in cigar sales to break even. Materials and design choices should be intentional and cost-effective.

If you focus on:

Proper airflow
A dedicated A/C unit
RO water supply
Correct humidifier placement
Clean, simple shelving

You can build a high-end humidor without overspending.

10. Need Help Planning Your Build?

If you want guidance while planning your walk-in humidor, we’re here to help. We can review your layout, answer questions about airflow, electrical placement, RO water routing, shelving, and help you determine the best humidifier setup for your space.

To get expert advice, simply contact us with your room dimensions, a sketch, or photos of the space. We’ll take a look and give you straightforward recommendations based on years of real-world experience.

A well-planned walk-in humidor doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. With the right layout, airflow, A/C, water supply, and humidifier system, you can create a space that performs beautifully for years and showcases your cigars the way they were meant to be enjoyed.