How to Make a Basement Root Cellar

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Root cellars have been around for centuries. Dark and cool root cellars were essential food storage places for dozens of generations before refrigerators. The root cellar is making a comeback among health conscious consumers concerned about growing food safety issues.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Plywood
3-inch diameter PVC Pipe
Blast valves
Large sheet of composite flooring material
Gypsum board
2-by-4's of rot resistant lumber
Insulation material

Step1

Determine dampest section of your basement. Crops need high humidity. The area where the sump pump is located is often the dampest. If possible, select a corner area for your basement root cellar as this offers the maximum coolness while requiring the minimum construction.

Step2

Create a ventilation system that allows cold outside air to enter. Select a section of the basement that includes a window. The window is essential to the cooling process as cold fresh air preserves the freshness of stored items. Remove the glass from the window.

Step3

Cut a piece of plywood to fit the window and cut two 3-inch diameter holes in the plywood. Cut the two pieces of pipe to fit through the holes while leaving plenty of room for adjusting the piping. Install a blast valve in each pipe, or another device for sealing off the pipes to prevent temperatures falling below freezing. Place the exhaust and intake pipes as far apart as possible.

Step4

Mark off the area for your root cellar using a large felt tip marker. Build the walls from a rot resistant material, such as 2-by-4's of cedar. Frame in the root cellar.

Step5

Use a plastic composite material for the floor since basement floors are damp. Add gypsum board to the interior and exterior. Use fiberglass insulation and foam to insulate the walls and make them as air tight as possible.

Step6

Add shelving to the root cellar for storage. The shelves should be spaced to allow air to flow between them. Lower shelves will be the coolest and upper shelves will be the warmest. Wire baskets are a good way to organize items stored in the cellar.

Step7

Hang a door. A root cellar does not need a fancy door. A piece of plywood can be used for the door and can be hung directly from the wall studs. The door could be built in two-sections to allow for quick removal of small items without letting cool air escape.