Root Cellar

[Prof.Kent]

Here's my brother's root cellar (next door) that I helped him build.

This root cellar was cut into a hill with a tractor w/front-end-loader. It is 8'Wide x 16'Long. Concrete block walls with gravel floor and concrete roof. Roof insulated with rigid foam and then buried with sand.

 

[Smokegobbler]

Very nice. What temperature range do you expect?

 

[Wild Thing]

How did you build the roof to hold all the weight of the concrete PK?

 

[Northbound]

I'm a tad skeptical of the roof as well. Can't say I'd go in it as a bomb shelter without spancrete overhead but I sure could use one of those!

 

[Prof.Kent]

How did you build the roof to hold all the weight of the concrete PK?

It varies quite a bit year-to-year, but it stays cooler than daytime temperatures.
A few years ago we had several nights in a row down to -15F and the canned fruit (in jars) never froze.
Frost forms on the inside of the metal insulated doors and handle on really cold night. We should put in a second insulated door.

 

[Prof.Kent]

How did you build the roof to hold all the weight of the concrete PK?

We placed temporary supports inside the cellar to hold up the roof while the concrete was curing and removed the supports a week later.
The roof is rebarred and 5"-6" thick concrete overlaid with 2" rigid foam insulation and then buried in sand 2 foot.

 

[Prof.Kent]

I'm a tad skeptical of the roof as well. Can't say I'd go in it as a bomb shelter without spancrete overhead but I sure could use one of those!

Roof is made of concrete, 6x6 wire/fence, and rebar. It isn't going anywhere.

 

[andrew bullard]

Very cool! Root cellars are very popular around my property in western NC, can't wait to build one myself.

 

[WTNUT]

I have one too it is called a “Walk In Cooler” :). A friend of mine has a commercial refrigeration business. Every time a business wants a new cooler or someone coverts a space from a restaurant to a another business out comes the cooler. Mine isn’t super large on 6’ x 10’, but is is amazing how often I use it. I think every one of my buddies friends has one ha. The only advantage to the root cellar is I am thinking it might use a little less electricity than mine :). Good job that is a really nice cellar, and if that rebar goes wall to wall I would walk under the roof as well.


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[Tree Spud]

We placed temporary supports inside the cellar to hold up the roof while the concrete was curing and removed the supports a week later.
The roof is rebarred and 5"-6" thick concrete overlaid with 2" rigid foam insulation and then buried in sand 2 foot.

Any pics of construction in progress?

 

[Prof.Kent]

Any pics of construction in progress?

See top of thread. I posted a video.

 

[Tree Spud]

See top of thread. I posted a video.

Thanks, just watched again. For some reason when I first watched the video it started after it was built.