Building the root cellar

The recycled root cellar

I know, I haven't been here in a very long time. I have been busy creating though and this time it is a root Cellar.

I got a used walk in freezer years ago and decided it was finally time to put it to good use. I dug a 9foot by 9 foot hole and created a locust frame to support the north facing bank. Spread a generous layer of dead sand and built the box into the frame.

The latches had rusted out so I braided loops on cables and cabled it together. Sealed the places where the foam had rotted with a couple cans of expandable foam and then covered it with rubberized undercoating. The blue on top is a pool cover I got from freecycle.

The pipe the pool cover was on also went to good use as I decided to build my vents with it. This is some very sturdy hardened aluminum pipe. I decided I will need 4 vents, two inlets and two exhausts. Today's project was building those. I used a drill and a jigsaw to make tight fitting holes in the roof for the exhausts. I made the inside hole slightly smaller so the vent would rest on the interior aluminum skin.

I decided that most importantly the vent needed to have a good cap. It had to be critter proof. I used old sap bucket lids and shaped them into cones. Put some architectural strapping on them so they fit tightly into the pipe. Then I used 1/4 inch hardware cloth to make a frame which holds some recycled screen from the trash bin of a local hardware store. When they change a screen for people they are happy to give you the old ones.

Onward and upward.

This is the first exhaust vent on the root cellar. I have one more for the other side. Next project is the intake pipes. I am still debating on exactly how I want to do those. I have some larger pipe that was part of the same pool cover.

Parts and Cost to date...

I pair of cheap work gloves, $1.00
Two cans of spray foam.       $9.00
Two cans of undercoating.    $6.00
Total material cost to date.   $16.00

All other materials so far have been recycled for free or items I have had on hand.

Now I need to go haul some fill and bank it in good before winter.

Oh and by the way. I am looking for crates to store my veggies in. You wouldn't happen to have a couple extra?