Mini Root Cellar Project

 

Today I tackled a long needed item on the homestead and that is a mini root cellar (in the ground) to place our cooler in and vegetables or anything we want to keep cold. 

The following pictures and videos walk you through it....

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First, pick a location that faces north (out of most of the sun all year) and in my case, I placed it under a porch roof area so it is out of the rain and weather too. 


Lets get started.....


I have rocky ground so a pick and a shovel is needed......





Once you have it to the size you want you can clean up your dirt mess before you move on to construction. In my case, I wanted it big enough for our cooler, a bucket of veggies and some cold drinks. like 4' x 24"



 I lined mine with some black tar paper



I added red cedar at the bottom for strength and it will not rot for a long time. 




Then I added trim and galvanized metal as it gets cold and stays cool. 



I then added some rock to edge it. Remember you want to bottom to be dirt as the cool air comes out of it. 

I made a door and added weather stripping for a good seal. 




I added foam inside and out for insulation. It was packing foam I saved from when I bought our generators so like all the rest of this project; it was free and things I had on hand. Note: I also added foam around the outside of the metal box area then back filled with dirt but I did not show that.  


Last, I added metal on the door for good weight, critter protection and it looks old, we like that!




And just like that, it is done with cooler and bucket of veggies in place. All totaled I would say it was like a 7 hour project and half of it was digging the rock filled hole. 

This will serve a year round use as in hotter months it is for food and such then in winter when we move food inside to a cold box in the tiny house, this will be a place to store paint and spray cans over winter so they do not freeze. This will last my life time and so it is not bad for a days work and no cost really. 

Up next; I will be digging a full blown walk in root cellar storm shelter and I better get my self ready for MUCH MORE digging!!!

Hope you enjoyed this and stay tuned for more off grid homestead tips.....

See many homestead tips here:

http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/p/preparing-vs-prepping.html

God be praised

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Here is the biblical gospel: