Support for Freezer/Fridge Cellar

The kitchen we have is moderate to small in size, and there is no real pantry. As a result, we have decided to use items in the kitchen (which is connected as one large room to the dining room that also has a fireplace) for a pantry that are not actual pantry shelves/cabinets. One of these is a very large, solid maple entertainment center. It's large enough to fit a 42-52inch TV, so pretty wide. I built shelves for it, and drilled peg holes. I did not take a chance with these being strong enough. I went ahead and put in a center support. It works like a charm. (I am using HDF for the shelves, not grates, so this is a tad different.)

If I was in your situation, I would probably do the same thing I already have with my pantry, only I would use treated wood, or naturally mold resistant wood.

If you want to get super fancy, you could use non wood items for the support.

 

Yes- I did for my keezer out of necessity. Use mold-resistant materials only, as there will be condensation and there will be mold. I recommend cedar (like what they use for wine racks), or use synthetic materials. I have not had good luck painting/coating common wood as mold will find a small place to start.

 

Treated lumber has the preservative chemicals (Micronized Copper Azole) and will still mildew where the MCA is not, while cedar is naturally mildew/rot resistant. Cedar is more expensive, however it is lighter and smells great- I’m not sure about WI, but here cedar is plentiful and widely used as a construction material, so the price difference was negligible to me in my decision process. Treated lumber will work for what you want, but in the past for me where it comes to contact with the plastic surfaces of the fridge I’ve had mold/mildew issues.