Root Cellar Construction and Design

Root cellars use nature’s resources to keep food fresh for extended periods, providing an eco-friendly alternative to refrigerator storage that requires costly cooling units and uses an enormous amount of electricity. They’re an excellent way to preserve whole foods like root vegetables and hardy fruits that can handle cold temperatures such as persimmons.

Ideal conditions for food storage in a root cellar include low humidity, temperature and ventilation. Ventilation allows fresh air in while expelling any stale air out – helping prevent spoilage risks. An effective ventilation system includes low intake vents on one side and high exhaust vents on the other, ensuring proper conditional changes can adjust with external weather changes.

An effective cellar should also be insulated to reduce heat gain while keeping soil temperatures constant. Hay bales or foam board insulation materials are among those available for this purpose, which also help ensure groundwater does not seep into it and ruin produce; to do this effectively ensure you build it at least four feet underground with good drainage systems in place.

Hire a professional for the excavation, construction and pouring of an underground root cellar to ensure it will meet building codes and ensure its safe design. However, renting heavy equipment and performing the excavation yourself may save money.

Root cellar costs depend on its design and construction complexity. A simple cellar could cost less than $200 depending on materials used and the extent to which you do the project yourself; more complex designs must account for excavation, concrete placement and labor expenses as well as labor expenses for installation.

An in-ground root cellar requires an excavator, which may cost between $5 and $200 per day to rent, as well as a contractor to pour the concrete, which should cost $100 per cubic yard. If you plan on storing large quantities of fruit, it would also be wise to install a septic system as part of this project.

Building a root cellar requires access to it from both inside and out. A basement provides an ideal place for this, though you will require access via adding a door for access. Alternately, an outdoor porch could easily be converted into one by installing 4ft footings with concrete slab and making an insulated entrance from inside the house, vents and concrete floors; simply consult with a builder in your area on what legal requirements to adhere to when creating such structures; ensure the concrete company you hire has experience building underground structures as this will guarantee sturdy walls and roof structures capable of supporting loads from produce stored within.


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