Keeping fresh vegetables until the new harvest is the main task of every owner of a summer cottage. Cellars for storing vegetables will help with this, which differ from ordinary cellars in that it is necessary to create an optimal microclimate in them so that the products remain fresh and do not rot. In addition, the crop must be protected from rodents and diseases that can begin to develop at elevated temperatures or humidity.
From this article you will learn how to build a cellar for storing vegetables with your own hands and how to equip a vegetable store inside. In addition, the article will give examples of arranging boxes and containers for storing vegetables, and photos and videos will help to properly equip the cellar under the house.
Cellar for storing vegetables: how to build and equip
There are several types of cellars for storing vegetables. The most popular are underground, ground and semi-buried.
If you are planning to equip a room under a residential building or garage, an underground structure will suit you. Ground and semi-buried, as a rule, are separate buildings and are erected if the groundwater on the site is located too close to the surface.
Assessment of terrain and soil composition
Before building a cellar on a site, it is necessary to objectively assess the features of the site, the composition of the soil and the level of groundwater, since not only the type of storage, but also the features of its construction will depend on this.
Groundwater level assessment is one of the most important conditions for construction. If underground flows are located near the surface, it is not recommended to deepen the cellar greatly, since in spring the room will be flooded with water. In this case, it is better to give preference to ground storage.
Note: With a close location of groundwater, it is better to build a cellar on a natural hill, or a small mound, poured by hand. This will protect vegetables and preparations from moisture.
If groundwater is low, a basement can be made under the house or garage. But in this case, it is necessary to evaluate the composition of the soil. This will determine which waterproofing materials and heaters will have to be used to create an optimal microclimate in the storage. The best is clay soil, which has a high density and does not let moisture into the storage. If your site has sandy soil, the hole dug under the basement needs to be further compacted, and best of all, concreted.
Choosing the right materials
The choice of materials for construction primarily refers to the flooring and walls of the pit. The easiest way is to concrete the basement, but there are other options that do not require the purchase of additional materials (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Overview of popular cellar building materials First of all, the cellar can be made earthen. But this design is only suitable for areas with dense soil. In this case, a hole is simply dug on the site, but the walls are made at a slight slope to prevent soil from shedding. The floor is carefully tamped, adding about 10-15 cm of broken brick or small gravel. The ceiling is reinforced with supports and covered with a clay mixture.
Note: The earthy option is best suited for storing potatoes. In such a basement, an optimal microclimate is created for the tubers, and they practically do not fade during the winter.
If you have financial resources, the interior space can be lined with stone or brick. This design is more durable than an earthen or concrete cellar, and also makes it easy to create a microclimate suitable for fresh vegetables. However, the construction of such a basement requires certain skills in laying stone or brick.
Technologies and nuances of construction
Do-it-yourself basement construction is carried out according to a certain technology. First, you need to choose the right site. Regardless of the type of cellar, a dry area on a small hill is most suitable for it. So it will be easier for you to protect the interior of the room from moisture and save on waterproofing the room (Figure 2).
If the cellar is located under the house, try to build it on a site where groundwater occurs no more than half a meter from the basement basement. If a suitable site is not found, and the vault has to be built in a low-lying place, the floor of the vault is additionally compacted with a layer of sand and gravel.
Note: The optimal shape of the basement is square and rectangular. In such a room it is most convenient to place shelves, racks and containers.
Often the cellar is a separate building, consisting of two parts: a storehouse buried in the ground and a cellar - a small house that performs a protective function. It can also be used to store tools and inventory.
Figure 2. Do-it-yourself vegetable cellar construction scheme In order for the cellar to be reliable, and the vegetables in it to be kept fresh for a long time, it is necessary to take into account the following features of the construction of the storage:
- Walls are best made of durable material: wood, brick or concrete;
- The door is made on the north side to limit the flow of fresh air in summer;
- The walls are insulated immediately after construction, and the roof is covered with a material that does not transmit heat well.
After choosing a place for construction, they begin to dig a pit. It is better to decide in advance how many products will be stored in the room, and calculate its area so that all vegetables and preparations on racks and shelves fit freely inside, and there is also free space for aisles.
The finished pit must be compacted by laying a layer of greasy clay on the floor and ramming it. Clay is laid in separate layers, and each of them is compacted. The same manipulations should be carried out with the walls of the pit. From above, the floor and walls are covered with wooden boards or a thin layer of concrete.
Above the pit, a ceiling is made of wooden boards or beams. A layer of thermal insulation (clay, expanded clay or dense soil) is laid on top, and an insulated hatch is also equipped. In addition, inside it is necessary to equip forced ventilation by making a hole in one of the walls at ground level.
Arrangement of a cellar for storing vegetables
After the pit is dug and compacted, it is necessary to proceed with the internal arrangement of the basement and the sheathing of the outer walls and roof.
The arrangement of the cellar includes the lining of the outer and inner walls for thermal insulation and protection from moisture. For external insulation, you can use ordinary foam or roofing felt, but on top of such a heater it is necessary to sheathe it with plywood or fiberboard sheets.
In addition, waterproofing and insulation must be done indoors. It is also necessary to provide racks for storing blanks, boxes, containers and compartments for fresh vegetables.
How to sheathe
Inside the cellar wall, it is imperative to insulate so that the optimum temperature is maintained inside. As mentioned above, external insulation can be made with foam plastic or mineral wool. However, it should be borne in mind that the foam is easily damaged by rodents, so the material must be treated with special impregnations and covered from the outside with plywood or fiberboard sheets (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Ways of outer and inner cladding In addition, external and internal wall insulation is carried out only on a previously prepared surface. To do this, you need to level their surface, putty and whitewash the walls with slaked lime to protect against fungus.
In some cases, wall insulation is not enough to maintain the optimum temperature. In this case, you need to additionally insulate the floor: make a concrete screed, lay a dense plastic film on top of it, install logs, and lay insulation in the space between them. From above, the floor is sewn up with boards and covered with oil impregnation and paint.
Containers and boxes for storing vegetables
You can buy ready-made boxes for storing vegetables, but if you have boards and bars, you can make them yourself (Figure 4).
Note: It is advisable to make containers and boxes from planks located at a small distance from each other. This will provide the necessary air circulation and prevent premature rotting of the products.
The placement of boxes and containers in the basement must be planned in advance so that their size and location can be accurately calculated.
If you plan to place containers on top of each other, try to keep the bottom shelf at least 10 centimeters from the floor. So you can easily clean the room without moving the drawers.
Figure 4. Types of boxes for storing vegetables Placing the boxes on top of each other, lay wooden beams between them, which will create free space for air circulation. When storing vegetables on the floor, dividers are made of boards. This condition is especially true if both fruits and vegetables are stored in the same cellar. The dividing wall will not allow the smells of different vegetables to mix, and the products will spoil more slowly.
It is desirable to equip separate cellars for vegetables and fruits, but if this is not possible, they can be placed in one storage, but at the maximum possible distance from each other.
The author of the video will tell you more useful information about the internal arrangement of the cellar for storing vegetables.
The optimal temperature in the cellar for storing vegetables
Zero degrees is considered the optimal temperature for storing vegetables, but when laying food in the basement, it must be borne in mind that each type of vegetable and fruit requires its own temperature and humidity conditions (table 1).
Note: It is traditionally believed that at zero temperature, humidity should remain at the level of 70-95%. If the temperature is lower, the vegetables may freeze slightly, and if it is higher, they will begin to rot.
Table 1. Optimum storage temperature for various vegetables in the basement If you plan to use one room to store the entire crop, be sure to equip the supply and exhaust ventilation system and insulate the walls and floor. This will help create an optimal microclimate and prevent the development of bacteria that provoke rot.
Potatoes and carrots
Before laying these vegetables for storage, you need to carefully inspect the crop and remove all damaged and rotten fruits. If this is not done, during storage, affected specimens will cause damage to the rest.
For long-term storage of potatoes, do the following:(picture 5):
- Remove the remnants of the earth and dry the tubers in a dark, cool room;
- The temperature is maintained at +2+4 degrees at a relative humidity of not more than 90%;
- All tubers are sorted into large and small and poured into separate boxes or baskets with holes located at some distance from the floor. Do not allow the boxes or the potatoes themselves to come into contact with the floor or walls. This will impair air circulation and shorten the storage time.
Figure 5. Ways to store potatoes and carrots in the cellar Carrots can be stored in several ways, but first of all, the tops are cut off, and the root crops themselves are slightly dried. In the future, carrots can be laid out in layers in boxes, sprinkling each layer with sand or coniferous sawdust. You can also store carrots in open plastic bags. But, if you have a small crop, each carrot can be dipped in a clay solution and allowed to dry.
Beets and cabbage
To keep the beets longer, you also need to cut the tops from it and hold it in the open air for several hours so that the roots dry out (Figure 6).
Note: The main condition for the successful storage of beets is coolness, so it is imperative to equip the basement with ventilation and regularly monitor the level of humidity.
Beets are best stored in wooden crates with gaps between the slats. But they should not be installed on the floor, but on a small wooden elevation at a distance of 15-20 cm from the floor and walls.
Figure 6. Options for storing cabbage and beets in the basement Keeping cabbage in a conventional cellar is quite difficult, since this vegetable requires a relatively high humidity - 90-98%. It is best to hang the heads of cabbage by the root in a draft immediately after harvesting so that they dry out. When frosts come, cabbage can be transferred to the basement, but it is better to store it in the same suspended state.
Onions and garlic are stored in a dried state. They can be woven into braids and hung on the walls. But you can do it differently: cut off the tops, place the heads in an old stocking and hang them on the wall (Figure 7).
Figure 7. Ways to store onions and garlic It is impossible to lower onions and garlic into an underground storage, as the elevated temperature of the room will cause the vegetables to rot quickly.
Features of storing various vegetables in the basement are shown in the video.
Cellar disinfection for storing vegetables
Before storing vegetables for storage, the basement must be inspected in order to take timely measures to eliminate fungi, mold or signs of bacterial damage (Figure 8).
Note: If disinfection is ignored, fungi will begin to actively develop in the storage, which will lead to rapid damage to the crop in conditions of high humidity.
The first stage of disinfection is the treatment of walls with copper sulphate. Next, you need to remove all the remnants of mold with a spatula or scraper, re-putty the walls and paint them.
It is also necessary to inspect the basement for rodent damage. The cracks in the walls and floor must be sealed with glass wool and concrete, and poison for mice and rats should be spread over the entire storage area or special traps should be installed.
How to process a cellar for storing vegetables
Underground storage for vegetables must be treated annually against bacteria and fungi. If these activities are not carried out, the walls will become covered with mold, and the crop will rot.
There are several ways to process a cellar designed to store vegetables. To do this, you can use both special chemicals and folk remedies available at hand.
Special funds
There are special chemicals that will help to quickly eliminate the fungus and prevent the spread of rodents. For example, in order to prevent damage to vegetables by rodents, the premises are fumigated with sulfur bombs.
Note: To process an average cellar, two sulfur checkers are enough, which are installed on a metal surface, set on fire and left indoors for a day. After that, the room must be thoroughly ventilated to eliminate the unpleasant odor.
Disinfection concerns not only the walls and floor of the room, but also racks and drawers. If they are made of wood, they must be taken out in the sun, dried and treated with special antiseptics.
Figure 8. Cellar disinfection methods: slaked lime, blue vitriol and sulfur checkers The walls of the vault are washed with a 10% solution of copper sulphate. It allows you to get rid of all signs of fungus and mold. But after such treatment, all surfaces must be whitewashed with slaked lime.
Folk remedies
The easiest way to disinfect cellar walls is to whitewash them with a solution of slaked lime. Previously, all surfaces are cleaned of dust and debris, and then covered with a thick layer of lime. As an additional disinfectant component, you can add a little copper sulfate or potassium permanganate to a bucket of lime. You can also treat areas severely damaged by fungus with a solution of soda and vinegar.
The construction of a vegetable store in a summer cottage can be very difficult if there is a high level of groundwater in the area. In this case, a reasonable solution would be to make a cellar without deepening it into the ground. Ground vegetable storage can be built on any soil and in any area, regardless of the region. In such a cellar, vegetables can be stored for as long as in traditional underground storage facilities, but this is only possible if the construction technology and process sequence are observed.
Sand cushion and foundation
An underground cellar can only be made on dry or relatively dry soil, in an area where the groundwater level is located 200–250 cm from the surface of the earth. Under any other conditions, it is recommended to build ground structures, in which it is also possible to achieve the optimum temperature for storing vegetables at 2–4 degrees Celsius.
The basis of any such structure is a quality foundation. But before you build it, you need to prepare a simple drainage bed. Construction is done by hand in the following order:
- The first thing to do on the site is marking. After it has been determined where the vegetable store will be located, a hole is dug under its base, for example, with the following dimensions: 2.5x1.8x0.4 m. Such storage sizes are quite enough to store a large number of vegetables.
- Then the bottom and walls of the pit must be insulated with heat-insulating materials. It is best to use expanded polystyrene in the form of plates that are easy to lay. At this stage, packaging foam can also be used as a heater, but to ensure effective thermal insulation, it will need to be wrapped with rolled roofing material.
- Further, the pit is covered with a layer of sand 15–20 cm thick.
- The next step is the laying of the waterproofing layer. To do this, it is necessary to put a couple of layers of roofing material or polyethylene film on a sand pillow. After that, everything is again covered with sand.
- In conclusion, you need to make the foundation itself, on which the construction of the vegetable store will rely. Since the structure is relatively small and light (we will build it from wood), a variety of materials can be used here. You can make a formwork and pour the tape, or use concrete blocks or pillars. In the latter cases, the total number of supports must be determined depending on the type of beams used for the lower framing of the structure. And between the supports it is necessary to observe a distance of 60-70 cm and no more. Between the supports, it is recommended to fill all the free space with heat-insulating material (styrofoam is perfect). Of course, it is worth saying that the most reliable foundation will be a monolithic reinforced slab, however, this option will also be the most costly.
The construction of a vegetable store that is not buried in the ground allows the use of many building materials in the work, the use of which is prohibited when constructing an underground cellar. The main requirement for materials is their strength characteristics.
Wooden frame
Ground vegetable storage must have a high-quality frame made of durable and proven materials. At this stage, you can use wooden squirrels with a section of 10x5.5 cm.
One of the options for the construction of an above-ground storage for vegetables and preparations.
The design of the storage we are considering provides for the presence of one vertical wall located at the end, as well as three inclined ones. The walls should be double, to ensure good insulation of the room. It is recommended to leave a small gap of 5-6 cm between the inner and outer parts of the walls and fill in the insulation, or lay a layer of thermal insulation at the construction stage.
- The first stage in the construction of the frame is the external and internal strapping.
- Further, vertical racks, a vestibule ceiling for the front wall, auxiliary racks are mounted, which are necessary to support the floor beam. The floor beam and inclined braces of the inner and outer walls are being installed.
- Sheathing of the structure should begin with the inner walls. Here, old boards in good condition can be used, which, in most cases, are suitable for operation in conditions of temperatures close to zero and relatively high humidity. The main thing is that there is no mold on them.
- This sheathing from the outside should be protected with a rolled waterproofing barrier. The rolls are fastened with an overlap, overlapping each other by about 10-15 cm. The lower part of the material should be placed on the foam and secured with wooden slats.
- Then the outer wall is finished with boards, along the lower segment of the wall an inclined gutter is fixed, which is necessary to drain water.
- In the space between the outer and inner parts of the walls, it is necessary to fill in the heat-insulating material, which is required to be well compacted during laying. On the ceiling, the heat-insulating layer is recommended to be made thicker.
The ground vegetable storage should have a roof, which in its shape will be similar to a truncated pyramid. From above it is required to put waterproofing in several layers. Fastening is made on mastic. Roll stacking is again overlapped. The joints of the rolls must be additionally smeared with mastic.
Ventilation system
Ventilation issues in any cellar are among the most important. Ground vegetable storage also needs high-quality ventilation.
- First you need to mount a pipe for ventilation under the door.
- The hood is made of two pipes, one of them will be installed on the back wall, passing through the roof and ceiling, and the second must be mounted on the roof. Hoods can be made of any material - asbestos cement or plastic. In severe frosts in winter, it is best to cover the hoods with straw so that the heat does not leave the cellar. Also, ventilation in the cellar can be forced. With some experience with your own hands, it is quite simple to make it.
The door to the vegetable store should be insulated, like the rest of the room. To do this, you can use foam boards or felt; it is recommended to lay a layer of plywood on the insulation for protection. The door can be made by hand or purchased at the store.
Inside, the cellar can be equipped as the owner wishes: racks, boxes, boxes, etc. The interior of the room does not need additional insulation. However, if severe frosts are observed in your area in winter, then you can play it safe and insulate the room from the inside with your own hands using an additional layer of foam or mineral wool. It is also not worth overdoing it with thermal insulation material - these are extra costs that will not lead to something better.
A roofing material laid on the walls with your own hands will perfectly protect the room from moisture penetration. In addition, due to the elevated location of the vegetable store, it will not be at all afraid of floods, groundwater, and perched water. Along with this, it is recommended to make the simplest drainage system with your own hands, which will remove moisture away from the base and walls of the cellar.
Operation features
Ground vegetable storage is quite easy to operate, does not need complicated maintenance, it perfectly stores large stocks of vegetables.
Before laying the products, it is recommended to ventilate the room well and dry it after the summer. In addition, if possible, ventilation in winter should be carried out as often as possible. During storage, vegetables will release a lot of moisture, which natural ventilation may not be able to cope with.
Systematically, all wooden elements of the cellar should be treated with antiseptic and moisture-proof compounds with your own hands. Otherwise, in a few years they will become completely unusable and rot. In addition, it is required to provide protection against rodents and insects.
From above it can be covered with soil or turf, which will provide not only additional protection against the penetration of precipitation water and the optimal temperature inside the room, but also give the structure a natural aesthetic appearance.
An above-ground vegetable store can be completely built with your own hands - it does not require the help of professionals at any of the stages. In addition, you can independently choose the most suitable materials for construction, based on your wishes and capabilities. The main thing is not to forget about the high-quality heat and waterproofing of the room - this is what you can spend most of the available funds on.
In the warm season, many owners of private plots make titanic zeal to grow a good crop that provides the family with food in the winter. Therefore, it is so important to preserve fruits, berries, vegetables throughout the year. This is the function of the vegetable store. To serve 1-2 small areas, it is quite possible to do it yourself.
A vegetable store is a small tank in which certain conditions must be maintained for the safety of products. Each culture has its own limits for the parameters of the environment in the cellar, but on average, the climate in the vegetable store should correspond to the indicators described below.
- Humidity can range from 75 to 95%. Apples and pears require the highest humidity; for garlic, this figure should not exceed 80%.
- The temperature should not fall below -1, but also not rise above +5, optimally - from 1 to 3 degrees Celsius.
Humidity and temperature conditions can be adjusted, including good ventilation. Therefore, special attention is paid to the arrangement of the vegetable store with ventilation.
Vegetable storage options
According to the method of arrangement, all vegetable stores can be divided into 2 types.
- Buried vegetable stores are more popular among owners of private houses, since such premises have natural thermal insulation and no serious efforts are required to maintain optimal conditions in them. But in conditions of close occurrence of groundwater, it is impossible to equip such a cellar.
- To make a ground vegetable storage faster, but at the same time, its construction requires the work of professionals and significant material costs. After all, it is much more difficult to create conditions for maintaining the climate in it.
Let us dwell on the instructions for the simplest room for storing crops - a buried cellar.
The most common are cellars arranged to save space and ease of use under a house or garage. In this case, the arrangement of the vegetable store must be taken care of even at the stage of building construction.
In any case, for the cellar, you must first choose the right place on the site. It is better to equip a vegetable store on an elevated and dry site.
The best soil is sand. If there is only clay soil on the site, then drainage is arranged around the cellar to protect the vegetable store and the products in it from atmospheric moisture. An important condition for the construction of a storage tank is the level of groundwater, which must be at least 50 cm below the bottom of the vegetable store.
It is also important that there are no trees and shrubs nearby. Firstly, during the preparation of the pit, the root system can be damaged. Secondly, the roots themselves can eventually destroy the walls of the cellar.
In addition, you need to decide on the type of entrance to the cellar. If we are talking about storage under the house or with a cellar, then a simple hatch is often provided in the ceiling. At a separate cellar, as well as at a vegetable store under the garage, they usually make a smooth descent with steps and a door.
Note! The door to the cellar is installed on the north side, and the roof of such a cellar, if any, should have one or two slopes.
Having chosen a place, they begin the process of building a vegetable store.
Step 1. At the first stage, they begin to dig a pit. The digging process can be left to special equipment, which will save a lot of time. But if you dig a pit by hand, then the risk of shedding walls is much less. To prevent the destruction of the walls of the pit, in some cases it is made in the form of an inverted truncated pyramid.
The pit should be such that in the end it would be possible to build a vegetable store in its place with a depth of no more than two meters, a width of up to 2.5 m, and a length of about 4 m. There should be about half a meter between the walls of the future cellar and the pit
Note! The best time for arranging the cellar is the middle of summer, because at this time the groundwater level is at its lowest.
If it is planned to make a descent with steps, then a slope is made in the wall of the pit for the stairs in front of the future entrance.
Step 2. The bottom and walls of the pit are leveled and compacted. To do this, at the bottom of the pit, they make a backfill of crushed stone with a thickness of about 30 mm and ram it. A concrete screed with a thickness of 60-100 mm is poured from above. After drying, a waterproofing layer is laid on the screed in the form of a two-layer roofing material, and more concrete is poured onto it.
Such a concrete floor can only be made in warm regions, otherwise it will get wet, increasing the humidity of the room. Another option is a wooden floor. For its arrangement, the bottom is leveled and waterproofing is laid on it, logs are placed on the waterproofing, and floor boards are laid on the bars. All elements are treated with an antiseptic.
Note! Waterproofing should extend beyond future walls.
Step 3. Lay out the walls of the future cellar with burnt bricks or other stone. It is not recommended to take a cinder block. When preparing the walls, every 2-3 rows check the evenness of the masonry using the mounting level. Do not rush and cover the walls quickly. So that the cement dries out and the masonry does not lead under its own weight, no more than 7 rows of bricks should be laid per day.
In height, the walls should reach the upper level of the pit, it all depends on the thickness of the selected floor. The finished walls outside are also covered with a layer of waterproofing in the form of roofing material planted on bituminous mastic. All joints are carefully processed. Thus, the bottom and side insulation form a single moisture-proof box. From the inside, the seams of the walls are overwritten. Finally, the walls inside the cellar can be plastered.
Step 4. They make a cellar ceiling, which should protect the storage from moisture and cold. But it is better that there is a room above the cellar, in the simplest version - a cellar. The floor can be wood or concrete.
The first option is easier to implement. Beams are first laid on the prepared walls, and beams or logs are placed on them. From above, the layer is covered with waterproofing, for example, roofing material or clay mixed with straw.
Note! All wooden elements must be treated with an antiseptic.
But even special impregnation does not save the wooden floor from decay, therefore, more often they resort to making the floor from reinforced concrete. To do this, beams are first installed on the walls, on which a reinforcement network is laid on the outside, and on the inside they are covered with plywood sheets treated with antiseptics, supported from the inside with bars.
Note! Beams should rest not only on brick walls, but also on the ground, for which recesses are made in it.
Step 5. Prepare the entrance. The easiest option to perform is a hatch in the ceiling with a simple staircase. But if space and funds allow, then it is better to make concrete steps that are poured using wooden formwork. The next day, the boards are removed, and all the cracks and recesses in the surface of the stairs are overwritten. To protect the steps and the entrance, it is better to make a canopy over the latter.
Step 6. The gap between the storage walls and the pit is backfilled with clay. Do this in batches so that each layer is carefully compacted. Backfilling is done up to the highest level of the pit.
Step 7 Equip the roof of the cellar if it is not under the room. To do this, laying of 2-3 layers of bricks is made along the edges of the ceiling in such a way that each upper brick protrudes 1-2 cm above the lower one.
The floor surface is covered with roofing material and covered with insulation, for example, expanded clay. This layer should be made in such a way that a ten centimeter slope is formed from the central part to the edges. The insulation is poured with a screed, on which the roofing material is again covered with bituminous grease. The protrusions around the perimeter are covered with clay.
Inside the cellar, shelves are made on one side, and bins for storing vegetables in bulk on the other. Also, during the construction of a vegetable store, it is necessary to take care of installing ventilation.
For small cellars, the simplest ventilation is used, based on the process of circulating air flows during their heating. The system includes 2 pipes, you can take ordinary pipes for a plastic riser. The lower end of one pipe should be no more than half a meter above the floor. This is an intake duct. It receives cool air from outside.
The edge of the second pipe should not reach the ceiling by only 150 mm. The upper sections of the pipes are led out above the roof of the cellar by 0.3 m, rain protection is installed on them. In addition, nets are put on the ends of the pipes to prevent insects from entering the cellar.
Maintenance and operation of the vegetable store
In order for the cellar to serve you long enough, keeping food fresh, several conditions for its operation must be observed.
- At the end of each winter, it is necessary to remove all the remnants of last year's crop from the cellar and sweep the floors.
- Before the start of the storage period, the cellar must be ventilated and checked for the presence of fungi.
- If in warm weather the humidity in the cellar grows, then the exhaust pipe is lengthened, increasing ventilation.
- During the period of frost, the supply and exhaust pipes are closed with dampers. With the advent of heat, the dampers are removed.
Video - Cellar ventilation
Every year in the fall, people begin to think about where they will put vegetables, fruits and root crops collected from their plot. The best solution for this issue for homeowners is the construction of vegetable stores in which crops can be stored throughout the year.
It is often very difficult to store vegetables and fruits in the basement of a house, especially if the room does not have a proper ventilation system. In addition, the basement or cellar is a single room without additional sections, and many vegetables need separate storage.
In a properly made vegetable store, you can store not only vegetables and fruits, but also pickled foods, pickles, and canned food. You should not strive to make the vegetable storehouse as large as possible, since if you are not engaged in harvesting vegetables on an industrial scale, a room of 6.5-7 sq.m. will be enough for you.
To solve the problem of joint storage of various fruits, we will consider a vegetable store with several sections.
Future storage layout
The construction of vegetable stores is the right solution for those homeowners who collect a good harvest from their site. A large number of products will not fit in the cellar, and you will have to store all the vegetables in it together.
Scheme of the device of a vegetable store. Letters indicate sections for storing products of different types.
Our storage plan has eight different compartments. There are three bins in the vault, which are great for storing potatoes and other root crops. In addition, jars of pickles can be placed in the same bins. In total, the bins will occupy about 3.5 square meters. m area.
There are five special sections in the walls of the vault, which will be slightly smaller than the bins. The first section can be used for winter storage of seeds. The other two sections are suitable for seedlings and flower bulbs. And in the remaining two sections you can store perishable products.
Building features
Before you build a vegetable store, you need to think carefully about the work plan. It should include earthworks, hydro- and thermal insulation, interior arrangements, etc. Underground storage must fully comply with building codes that apply to any cellars and basements.
All the work on the construction of this storage can be done by hand, so there is no urgent need to seek help from professionals. You can use any technologies and materials, however, adhering to the principles of construction specified below.
For a small storage area, the pit can be dug by hand.
Underground storage should be located in a pit, so earthworks cannot be dispensed with. As a rule, the technology used for construction involves the use of specific waterproofing and heat-insulating materials. You can change the number of compartments in the vegetable store, depending on your own wishes and needs.
Construction stages
You can build a vegetable store with your own hands at any time of the year. However, it is best to engage in such work in the summer months, when the air is dry and groundwater drops to a minimum.
The work plan is as follows:
- First of all, you need to dig a pit with your own hands (the shape can be any, but it is best to make it rectangular). The dimensions of the pit should be 320x240 cm. The depth must be made small - one meter is enough. After that, in the center of the pit, it is necessary to make a so-called pit measuring 320x140 cm, deepening the bottom by another meter. This pit will serve as the basis for the bins.
- The floor of the pit must be carefully tamped, and then poured with concrete mortar (the thickness of the concrete layer can vary from 5 to 15 cm, depending on the construction conditions). In general, you can build a vegetable store using any other floor material.
- Wall construction technology involves the use of traditional red brick, although in some cases experts advise installing formwork and making the walls concrete, like the floor.
- An underground vegetable store must be well protected from moisture and temperature changes, so the use of insulating materials should be considered in advance.
- The depth of the sections along the perimeter of the storage will be 50 cm, and the height - 80 cm. The ceiling can be made of reinforced concrete slabs. If it is not possible to use such slabs, you can perform the overlap on wooden logs.
- The ceiling must have five openings for ventilation (one opening for each section). In addition, it is necessary to make a sixth hole for the exhaust shaft and provide an opening for arranging an exit to the surface.
- A vestibule or a cellar made of bricks or boards is built above the ceiling. As a rule, a size of 80x80 cm and a height of 90 cm are enough for a vestibule. It should be closed as tightly as possible with a lid or hatch (the lid can be made of wood and edged boards).
- Each section must be equipped with a ventilation pipe that will provide fresh air. Pipe diameter can be any. The upper part of the supply pipes should rise 20-30 cm above the ground. The pipes can be installed with your own hands, secured with the help of improvised devices.
- Inside the sections, you can arrange shelves.
- The space between the outer part of the walls of the storage and the walls of the pit should be filled with ordinary sand. Overlapping is recommended to fall asleep with sawdust.
In each section, you can create individual conditions by adjusting the ventilation intensity. This approach will help preserve plant tubers, seedlings and other products.
Ventilation system
You can build a vegetable store with your own hands quite quickly, but many have difficulties at the stage of installing a ventilation system. As mentioned above, each section of the vegetable store should have a separate supply pipe, which will be responsible for the supply of fresh air.
The simplest version of the damper on the ventilation pipe.
In addition, an exhaust shaft is mandatory (this is a universal solution for cellars, cellars and vegetable stores). As such a shaft, as a rule, there is a box measuring 15x15 cm, which should be located in the annex at a height of about 200 cm.
The air in the vegetable store will circulate constantly due to the height difference between the exhaust shaft and the ventilation supply pipes. Practice clearly demonstrates to us that the difference in height should be at least 150 cm, so the installation of an additional vestibule above the vegetable store is the right decision.
An underground vegetable store will necessarily be exposed to moisture and dampness, therefore it is necessary to regulate the air flow with your own hands using special dampers on each ventilation pipe.
Waterproofing and thermal insulation layer
In the vegetable store, as well as in the basement or cellar, it is necessary to make high-quality insulation. If the vegetable store is located under the floor of the house, under the garage or agricultural building, the work in this case is somewhat simplified, because there is no urgent need to additionally isolate the ceiling.
Experts recommend using expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foam as a heat-insulating material. These are modern heat insulators, which are distinguished by excellent performance characteristics, as well as enviable durability. If it is not possible to hire workers to install such thermal insulation, you can do everything yourself using traditional foam or mineral wool.
It is necessary to isolate the vegetable store from water not only from the inside, but also from the outside. It is good if the work on the external waterproofing of the room was carried out in advance. For this, various roll-type waterproofing materials can be used. For the inner layer of waterproofing, in turn, it is recommended to use bituminous mastic or its analogues. The composition will penetrate into the microcracks of the wall material, filling them, preventing further water from seeping through the capillaries into the room.
Improvement of an existing cellar or storage from scratch?
Building a vegetable store near your private house is recommended if you are harvesting a rich crop that does not fit in an existing cellar, or cannot be stored there for a long time in its proper form.
If you have a small area, then there is no urgent need for a large vegetable store. In your cellar, if possible, separate sections for storing fruits and vegetables should be allocated so that they do not deteriorate when interacting with each other.
It is better to build a vegetable store from scratch on a site near the house. In this case, you will be able to perform high-quality thermal insulation and waterproofing of the room, as well as provide for all the nuances of placing racks, shelves and the location of the entrance to the room. The construction of a vegetable store should include an above-ground vestibule or a cellar.
During the entire warm period, the owners of suburban areas and cottages work in the garden, in the gardens tirelessly. This allows for a bountiful harvest. In order for the family to eat various vegetables, fruits and berries in winter, it is necessary to create a special room for their storage. This process is quite possible to perform on your own.
Construction of a vegetable store is a responsible activity. In this case, it is necessary to take into account all existing rules and regulations. Only in this case it will be possible to create a room suitable for long-term storage of products. The advice of experienced builders will help in solving this issue.
Structural features
Construction of a vegetable store (photo presented below) requires compliance with certain rules. The room in which food will be stored must be characterized by certain parameters. Moreover, it is necessary to take into account which vegetables and fruits will be in the room for a long time.
The cellar should be cool, but not too cold. The ideal temperature should be between +1 and +3ºС. It is permissible if the temperature drops to -1ºС and rises to +5ºС. Otherwise, stocks will deteriorate.
You should also pay attention to the required level of humidity in the room. And for different products, this indicator can be different. For example, apples, pears are stored longer with a moisture index of 90-95%. Garlic, on the contrary, in such conditions will gradually begin to rot. It requires a humidity level of 75 to 80%. This indicator allows you to maintain the correct ventilation system at a given level.
Varieties
There are two main options for the execution of a vegetable store. The storage room may be above ground level or buried. Each case has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Do-it-yourself construction of a ground-based vegetable store (photo below) is much faster. This option is chosen by those owners of private houses who have groundwater close to the surface on the site. However, this type of construction requires more special materials. In some cases, the help of a specialist is indispensable.
Underground vegetable stores are chosen by the owners of private houses more often. The cost of creating such an object will be less. Inside, it is easier to maintain an optimal level of humidity and temperature. Such a room has natural thermal insulation. However, with a close occurrence of groundwater, it is not possible to create such a vegetable store. Also, periodically, its walls must be treated with a special antiseptic.
When and where is the best time to start building?
Building a vegetable store with your own hands (photo below) is most often produced underground. Before starting work, you should consider the recommendations of experienced professionals. They argue that it is necessary to start construction at a certain time of the year. You will also need to choose the right site on which the cellar will be located.
Construction work can only be carried out during the summer. At this time, groundwater is as far from the surface as possible. It is also allowed to complete construction work in the first weeks of autumn, when the weather is still quite warm and dry.
It is important to choose the right place for construction. It must be elevated territory. Ideally, if the soil here is sandy. Dense clay soil is not suitable for creating an in-depth vegetable store. If groundwater comes close to the surface, the products inside the building will deteriorate, and the cellar itself will quickly become unusable. Tall trees with an extensive root system should not grow nearby.
Preparatory process
Having chosen a suitable place to create a cellar, it is necessary to develop vegetable storage project. To do this, make an accurate drawing, which indicates the dimensions of the future premises.
In accordance with the plan, the territory must be marked. After checking all the dimensions, you can begin to create a pit. When choosing the dimensions of the room, it is necessary to take into account the volume of products that will be stored here. If the pit must be large, it is recommended to hire special equipment (if site conditions allow). So the work will be done faster, with minimal effort and time.
You can dig a small cellar yourself with a shovel. The walls of the pit should be even. The base must be carefully compacted. Special equipment makes the soil looser, so the pit will need to be further strengthened. With the help of a shovel, you can create a neat, durable pit. The depth must be at least 1 m.
Base
Vegetable storage construction technology involves the construction of a solid foundation. If the cottage is located in a warm region, the floor can be monolithic. To create it, cement is mixed with sand. The optimal proportion is 1:3. You also need to lay a layer of waterproofing.
A certain distance recedes from the edges of the pit. It corresponds to the thickness of future walls. A layer of sand 5-15 cm thick must be leveled over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe future cellar. A layer of roofing material is lined on its surface. Further, formwork is made at the bottom of the pit.
After the preparatory work, you need to mix the cement-sand screed. It is poured to the bottom of the formwork. The layer thickness must be at least 10 cm. The screed must dry. This will require you to wait a few days. Only then can further work be continued. You can make the floor out of wood. But cement screed is considered a more durable material.
Ventilation
Building a vegetable store with your own hands requires a proper ventilation system. If the cellar is small, you can use plastic pipes. These are ordinary sewer communications with a diameter of 110 mm. You will need 2 such pipes. In the spring, such ventilation ducts will need to be cleaned of various contaminants.
The first pipe should be at the bottom of the pit. It should be above ground level at a height of 40 cm. Air will come out of it into the room. On the opposite wall at a distance of 10 cm from the ceiling, a second pipe is installed. From it, moist air will come out of the cellar.
The ends of the ventilation ducts must be brought out. They put on special nets. This will prevent the entry of insects, rodents into the vegetable store, clogging of channels. Fungi are also put on the pipes to prevent precipitation from getting inside.
Walls, ceiling
Fulfilling building a vegetable store with your own hands, the construction of internal walls and ceiling decoration must be given special attention. For this, reinforced concrete should not be used. Such material contributes to the formation of high humidity indoors. Fungus and pathogenic bacteria will quickly destroy the crop.
Brick is best suited for building a cellar. This is a durable material that meets all sanitary and hygienic standards. Laying is done slowly. No more than 7 rows should be mounted per day. The evenness of the masonry is checked using a level. The walls are laid out with a height comparable to the level of the pit.
Outside walls must be treated with waterproofing material. Joints are also treated with bitumen. There should be no cracks or open seams. To make a concrete ceiling, lay out the beams. They put a net on them. A sheet of plywood, insulation material is mounted on top. Everything is filled with cement mortar.
Roof
Construction of a vegetable store requires the construction of a roof. This is an important step in the work. The roof can be in the form of a house or just sloping slopes. There should be no gaps in the structure. Otherwise, it will not be possible to maintain the set temperature and humidity levels. In such a room it will be too cold in winter. Rainwater, snow will get inside the cellar.
Above the vegetable store, you need to lay out 3 layers of bricks. A layer of roofing material and a pre-assembled roof frame are mounted on them. Boards are used for this. Skates can be made from thick sheets of chipboard. They are also covered with a layer of waterproofing and insulation. Slots are smeared with clay or other special solution. Insulation can be covered with a special material for the roof. This design will be optimal for a vegetable store.
ground building
If it is not possible to build a buried cellar on the site, you can build do-it-yourself ground vegetable store. Construction also carried out according to the established scheme. It is best if the room is small. This design will be more reliable, stable. She is not afraid of the close proximity of groundwater.
First, a project is also created, a drawing of a future building. Further, the site is marked in accordance with the plan. A recess is made to create a foundation. You will need to dig a shallow pit. The height of the foundation is about 40 cm. After the soil is dug out, the foundation must be well tamped.
Next up is drainage. To do this, a layer of sand or gravel (about 10 cm) must be poured onto the bottom of the base. Then the compacted pillow is poured with a 15 cm layer of clay. A brick is laid out over the entire surface. Next, along the perimeter, you need to lay out brick walls about 30 cm high.
Construction erection
Getting popular today construction of a vegetable storehouse from sandwich panels. This material allows you to get the job done quickly. Special panels with a layer of insulation between two sheets of fiberboard are installed on the prepared frame. This is a durable building that does not let cold and moisture inside.
Ordinary boards can also be used for the construction of walls and ceilings. To do this, make a frame. Walls and ceiling should be double. A layer of insulation is laid between them. It is better if it is expanded clay, moss, sawdust.
Outside, the walls must be covered with a layer of roofing material. Doors should also be double with a layer of insulation between the two boards. Ventilation must be done inside the building. To do this, a pipe is installed near the door. Its diameter should be 120 mm. The roof is mounted from boards. A layer of roofing material, insulation and slate is covered on the frame.
Finishing
Construction of a vegetable store finished with interior decoration. Walls can be whitewashed. Inside it is necessary to arrange shelves for storing vegetables, fruits, conservation. This will allow rational use of space. You will also need to allocate an aviary for storing bulk vegetables. The cellar should also provide for the presence of stairs.
Attention should be paid to the arrangement of lighting. To do this, you need to bring the wires inside the room. This will allow you to connect light bulbs inside and outside the building.
The building must be properly maintained. In the spring, the ventilation system is cleaned, walls and floors are treated with an antiseptic. The old crop must be completely removed from the cellar.
Having considered the features construction of a vegetable store, everyone will be able to create such a structure on their own site.
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