Build a root cellar?

[Lycanthrope]

Might not be. It depends on the soil characteristics and every location is different. My neighbor has a BEAUTIFUL root cellar (10X12) that comes out from his foundation that has 8ft concrete walls, concrete ceiling, a dirt floor, and only a foot or two of dirt on top and his doesn't freeze. I'm a bit "green" every time I see it. Seeing him grab FRESH carrots out of the sand beds in his root cellar in February makes me want to cry sometimes.

This is definitely something worth considering... Im thinking if the top isnt below grade, but is insulated with a few feet of soil, that might be enough to keep it from freezing. Maybe a domed top roof, with treated plywood sheathing and covered with a heavy plastic/rubber, like that used for manmade ponds, like koi ponds, would work well... Im thinking maybe gravel floor, cinderblock walls and a wooden roof like that I mentioned above. I could do most of the labor myself, and a neighbor has a big backhoe, hed probably dig a hole fairly cheap...

 

[KDM]

The ceiling of my neighbors cellar does freeze as it's covered with frost most winters. However, the air inside the cellar stays around 35 to 40 degrees which is perfect for storing veggies. Even on the floor, the veggies stay good as the floor has never frozen. His biggest problem seems to be rainwater seepage. It kind of rains in his cellar throughout the summer with the rains, but as his floor is dirt, it just keeps going down. He doesn't store any of his veggies in closed containers. He puts his veggies in sand beds or mesh bags on the floors and has had minimal spoilage. The lucky bastage. (grin)

 

[huntinforfish]

One of the "cooler" topics of late. My parents neighbor unearthed one by accident on their property when clearing some trees. No idea it was there and they have lived there over 50 years. They figure either the roof caved at one point or it became unnecessary or unneeded by previous owners and was buried. Very neat field stone/concrete walls. They are in the process of incorporating it into some new landscaping and will leave it all open air. If anyone builds one, please post updates.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Possible that some of the bigger ones were ice houses. They were filled with ice and sawdust to keep ice on hand through the summer months and I suppose some sold ice too. Keep in mind that by 1940 only 25% of rural North Dakota had electricity. They used hand pumps and windmill on the water wells if they were lucky enough to have one , Gasoline engines on the Maytag washing machine if they were lucky enough to have one, An ice box in the house instead of a refrigerator. Old timers made their winter money by hunting/trapping and cutting ice to load in rail cars packed with sawdust for insulation. My uncle had an icehouse built into the side of a hill , I remember peeking in the door once when I was a kid but I was scared to go in there because it was darker than the inside of a cow in there.



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A few of them had wind powered DC generators that were 25 volt, They used a thick glass tank that looked like an aquarium for the battery some of you old timers might be able to chime in and fill us in on what they powered , Lights maybe ? There used to be a lot of these in abandon farm yards not so many years ago , Kind of wish I had taken the time to hunt one down.

 

[fireone]

We had a 32 volt wind charger on the farm when I was small. Batteries in the basement for lights, don't remember any appliances except a propane kitchen stove and fridge. The rock basement acted as a root cellar. Root crops where in large crocks of sand. That old house was cold!

 

[NDwalleyes]

Why not just use a precast box culvert?

 

[riverview]

my moms potatoe bin was a 4 by 4 room in the corner of the basment allways cold in there and potatoes and carrots kept all winter.

 

[BDub]

my moms potatoe bin was a 4 by 4 room in the corner of the basment allways cold in there and potatoes and carrots kept all winter.

A friend of mine did the same thing. Without heat this type of setup can work well.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Why not just use a precast box culvert?

that's an idea, can they b sourced locally ? bet shipping is a b on decent sized ones...

 

[NDwalleyes]

[MENTION=562]Lycanthrope[/MENTION] I think Cretex here in Bismarck has them. I would think they keep some on hand for the DOT and county road guys

 

[LBrandt]

my moms potatoe bin was a 4 by 4 room in the corner of the basment allways cold in there and potatoes and carrots kept all winter.[/QUOTE Did this in outside corner of unfinished furnace room. Build't with 8 in cinder blocks, filled centers with sand as I went. Think solid mass for cold retention. Have two rows of block showing on outside of house so only went up that high. Covered top with two layers of blue foam 2" thick, same with outside of block walls. Left opening for steel ins. door. Buildt stud wall around outside of block and ins with 6" fiberglass left up a foot off floor because of dampness in basement. Covered with cement board like for showers. I have a remote temp gauge up stairs in kitchen and put the sending unit in room to keep track of temp. Works like a charm. I regulate temp by leaving door open a little if outside temp gets to cold. Mine is 8' X 8'. No light on inside because if you forget and leave it on it will heat up room. Plenty of light comes through doorway when open. And that's my input for the morning. LB P.S. I did not mortar the block just stacked them.