This project took a few months of evenings after work over the summer. I felt that digging the entire stairwell to the floor level would have just created a large inaccessible space. To save labor and materials, I built the stairway with half of it on a foundation at the floor level, and the other half of the foundation just below the frost line. One of the two 4 inch vents can be seen in the corner. Currently we are storing apples, carrots and potatoes, and we are pleased with the results. Step 7: Finishing The InsideĪdd stairs and doors at top and bottom, and you have a fine root cellar, ready for lots of fruits and vegetables. See light reflecting off ceiling in picture below. The arched ceiling is as glossy as a counter top, thanks to the plastic sheet I laid over the plywood. The radius of the top arch is about 6 inches larger than below. It was not difficult creating the arch in the top using standard concrete. The seams are nearly invisible from below, and are waterproof. I poured the roof in 3 sections, for that is the most concrete I can handle working alone. They will be part of the reinforcement for the entrance-way. The wood at the rear is covering the ends of the rebar to prevent injury. Removing the form from inside was not difficult, for it was designed for easy disassembly and re-use.Ī view of the top before the entrance was completed and the cellar covered with 2 feet of earth. Not taking any chances, I did not enter the cellar until I was confident the concrete was fully cured. I expected at least a little deformation of my form, for all that weight was being borne by my 5 arches, but there was none! Impressive. Strong enough! Next, add a perimeter to the form and pour concrete. Step 6: Rebar and pouring the roofġ8 half inch rebars on 8 inch centers. Not sure what the load rating is now, but it is certainly more than adequate. Also the rebar extends into the walls a foot, and are cemented in place. But it is arched, and up to 5 inches thick. Rebar is cheap, so why not? If this were a flat 4 inch slab, the calculated load rating is around 250 pounds/square foot. They are used as extra reinforcing ribs by wedging them between the plywood sheets and the top of the 2×4’s.) Next, the plywood, a sheet of plastic and lots of 1/2 rebar. These were installed after the plywood sheets were added. (Not shown in the picture are 8 pieces of 1/2″ plywood approximately 6″ x 23″. A nice snug fit, supported by 3 vertical 2×4’s on each side. Satisfied with the form I reassembled it on the root cellar walls. This created an extremely strong structure. The arches are 1/2 inch plywood pressed into dadoed grooves in the 2×4’s. I built the form in the shop, then dismantled it. The arch would also create a stronger roof. So, I created a plywood from with an arched top.

A simple flat slab wouldn’t do, for you want condensation to run off to the sides. Now, for the fun part, pouring a concrete roof. About 320 went into this 8 x 8 foot cellar. He can carve a hole with straight sides almost within an inch of what you ask for. We are fortunate to have a local gravedigger who is a real artist with a backhoe. Step 1: The Holeĭig a hole in the ground. For those unfamiliar with the term, a root cellar is an underground room that acts like a natural refrigerator, maintaining temperatures in the mid 30’s F in the winter and mid 50’s in the summer. We decided that our little farm needed a root cellar to store our produce in.

How to make a footnote by yourself