How to Build a Root Cellar in Basement

root cellar in basement

Root cellars in basements can be an ideal way for homeowners to store fruits and vegetables all year long. Not only are they cheaper than refrigerators, but you have more control over temperature and humidity with them as well. But building one requires professional excavation work; professional hardscapers are available to design cost-effective yet safe cellars for you.

Root cellars require a place that is both well-drained and approximately 20 yards away from the home, ideally on a slope that will drain water out of the pit to reduce fill requirements. If possible, build it into the bank of soil so as to take advantage of natural thermal mass and create cold air pockets underground – sandy or light soil is usually ideal.

If you cannot build your cellar into an earth bank, dig a pit that is 12″ to 18″ below grade for more storage space and less need for fill. Line the bottom of this hole with heavy-duty plastic sheeting or use trench or gravel bed as protective layers instead.

As soon as you begin digging, leave an area 4ft by 8ft for a door and vents – these will eventually be covered with concrete slabs once your cellar is completed – to serve both cold outside air in autumn, winter, and spring as well as to vent ethylene gas given off from ripening fruits that can cause sprouting, yellowing, softness and rot.

Root cellar walls should be built using highly conductive materials such as brick or poured concrete to transfer the temperature-regulating effects of the ground into its air environment. Insulation must also be added on both interior walls and ceiling to help retain cool temperatures while keeping warm air at bay; rigid foam or fiberglass insulation works effectively for this task.

Given the unpredictable state of a root cellar, it is wise to monitor both temperature and humidity regularly. Opening should only occur as necessary and be well protected so as not to allow hot or dry air into the cellar. Temperature and humidity gauges mounted outside a root cellar provide the most reliable way of monitoring its conditions, since opening it unexpectedly can result in drastic fluctuations in both temperatures and humidity levels that shorten produce’s shelf life. As well, it is wise to store vegetables and fruit that emit ethylene gas separately from those that don’t, in order to prevent early ripening of some varieties. Furthermore, ventilation systems should be designed so they easily vent and expel ethylene gas; one method would be installing a large four inch vent pipe near the cellar door as well as smaller vents inside walls for this purpose.


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