Under ground shelter/root cellar

[Akingu]

With it so close to the surface, I'm curious as to how cold it will get inside as well.

 

[jontte]

strange,we had a smal discussion about heating to day while working, as most of my colleagues live in town they were somewhat interested in the possibility to get some heat from that flowerpot + candles system and even more curious where the heck did I learn that

 

[Brent S]

With it so close to the surface, I'm curious as to how cold it will get inside as well.

I'm eager to get it finished and put a thermometer in it. I don't expect it to keep things refrigerated by any stretch, but will be happy if it keeps a constant temp. The front wall will be exposed and is the part I'm concerned with the most. I'll have 12 in. of dirt over the roof so it should do ok. I will have my water tank in front of it and will have shade protecting the front, so we will see. I'll let you know when I do!

 

[Brent S]

I laid the last blocks today, yeah!!! Really unrewarding work. I'll start forming for the roof and header pour soon. Here's the finished block anyways.

 

[Akingu]

I don't think you've got it deep enough to maintain that even earth temperature. Which direction is the front wall? Best bet would have been north.

 

[jimLE]

thats a thought..is the front facing away from the summer sun??

i've noticed here..(where i live) that the winter sun is in front of my home,and that be north..and the summer sun is behind my home,which is south..

 

[Brent S]

I don't think you've got it deep enough to maintain that even earth temperature. Which direction is the front wall? Best bet would have been north.

I agree with the north facing wall being best, but the hill I had was on the northern edge of the property. I had to work with what I had. I realize I'm not going to get as cool as possible, but I'm hoping to maintain 67 or so over the summer. The front wall will be completely shaded, and I may put some foam sheating up on the inside of it if needed. I think the door will be the weakest part as far as heat buildup. Even sealed with weatherstripping, it won't be as thick as everything else. I think even 70 deg. will be ok for canned goods storage. I'm hoping to get at least that,but we will see. I'm just glad that the block laying part is done for now!

 

[Akingu]

White paint on the outside would reflect a lot of heat as well. Those space blankets are cheap enough these days too so taping one of those to the inside of the door would help keep the cool inside.

 

[jontte]

and make the door thick enough

 

[Brent S]

White paint on the outside would reflect a lot of heat as well. Those space blankets are cheap enough these days too so taping one of those to the inside of the door would help keep the cool inside.

I probably will insulate inside the front wall, even though it will be completely shaded from the sun. Part of my plan is to camouflage the shelter, as it's a pantry/storage as well. The rainwater collection roof over the area will hide it from above, and give shade. The front will be covered with the 1050gal tank, and I will probably put up a wood fence around it to hide the fact there's even anything behind it. This is a work in progress, and is kind of on the fly as well. I'm flexible with the design of the way to 'hide' it, and will work with whatever materials I have or can get a deal on. The point is though, when done, I not only want it to not be noticeable, but to be protected from the heat of the sun too.

 

[Brent S]

I spent the last two days working on the forming and rebar on the shelter. I'm beat, but it feels good to be able to work on it again. Between a shoulder injury and a bike mishap (couple broke ribs) I didn't have the drive to do anything on it for six weeks or so. Anyways, I'm back at it! I got it ready to pour, and have a truck coming on Friday just before lunch. Here's a couple Picts.

 

[jontte]

wow,when it's done...you can be proud of your self

 

[Brent S]

wow,when it's done...you can be proud of your self

The storm shelter is just a perk, I mostly want a cool dark place that uses no electricity to store my canned goods and wines.

 

[Brent S]

I got a couple more Picts of the framing inside. I'm going to add two more beams in it today, just to be safe as the wet concrete will be a couple tons. It's a shame to have to take all this out after the pour. I thought about leaving it but it cuts down on the headroom. It would be a great place to insulate, but ten inches of dirt should be pretty good insulation.

 

[Gazrok]

Can't wait to see it all done!

One helpful hint is don't put full size rebar all the way up the walls. I went half way up, and when the blocks got high enough, I tied together the rest of the rebar to reach the roof. Sliding heavy block all the way down 8 ft of rebar would be tough

Oh, that's damn clever. I was wondering about this when I was brainstorming building one. Alas, it's far down on my list though. Still, my mind is always cranking on these things.

 

[Brent S]

Can't wait to see it all done!



Oh, that's damn clever. I was wondering about this when I was brainstorming building one. Alas, it's far down on my list though. Still, my mind is always cranking on these things.

I'm always trying to figure an easier way to 'skin a cat'! I just saw on the news it's going to be 39 deg when I pour the concrete tomorrow, yuk! Wish I had a plan to make that better.

 

[Brent S]

Yeah! I got the roof and walls poured today. It took less than an hour, partly thanks to a good concrete truck operator. He kept the chute moving really well and I hardly had to rake at all. The biggest fear was the form collapsing, but I honestly had it double what it needed to be. With the cold it will be a week before I start removing the supports under the roof, but at least this phase is done. The inside will never see the light of day again! My daughter in law helped me tremendously with the framing and pour. Due to the cold I have covered the door opening and put a space heater inside. I'm also going to lay some insulation over the top and cover it once the water dries off the surface. I miss Fla. as we didn't have to deal with the cold!

 

[jimLE]

it's looking great

 

[Gazrok]

Awesome. That thing (with the right door) would double as a radiation bunker, should the need arise (though doubt you'd want to be in there for two weeks, and not sure if you put any ventilation in there.)

 

[Brent S]

Awesome. That thing (with the right door) would double as a radiation bunker, should the need arise (though doubt you'd want to be in there for two weeks, and not sure if you put any ventilation in there.)

Pretty observant! I agonized over an escape hatch and even ventilation. In the end I decided not to do either. This space is really small, and once all the walls are lined with shelving it would be pretty claustrophobic. So basically I really don't want to hunker down in it for any length of time. I think #1 use is a root cellar, and secondary is a storm shelter. The problem with any opening is potential leakage, so I opted out at the last minute for any holes in he main body of it. I will have some tools in it so if something blocks the door I can make my way out pretty effectively. I decided for ventilation it will be in the door, and openable from the inside if needed.