Repair Design Furniture

Do-it-yourself wooden ground cellar. Cellar under the house with your own hands. Construction and waterproofing of walls

The cellar is one of the most essential rooms in the household. If you build it correctly, then in the cellar it will be possible to store not only preservation and fresh vegetables, but even meat, dairy products and eggs.

Following the tips from the article, you can build a cellar with your own hands from scratch. We will tell you how to properly dig a pit, make walls, a floor and a roof in it, and also consider the main types of basements that can be used in the household.

Do-it-yourself cellar construction

Kinds

Construction stages

Additional work

What should be taken into account?

ground

earthy

Semi-buried

wall

At the initial stage, a dry place with a low level of groundwater is selected. After that, they begin to dig a pit, erect walls and fill the floor. At the final stage, the ceiling is mounted and ventilation is installed.

Inside, it is necessary to equip waterproofing and supply and exhaust ventilation. This is a necessary condition for maintaining the microclimate in the room.

During construction, the density of the soil and the level of groundwater occurrence are taken into account.


How to build a cellar with your own hands

The cellar under the house has certain advantages in comparison with free-standing buildings. Firstly, it can be done at the stage of building a house. Secondly, it is very convenient to use: you do not need to go outside to store vegetables for storage or take them out for consumption.

However, the construction of the repository has some difficulties, which will be discussed below.

What is needed to build

Before you make a basement under the house with your own hands, you need to consider several features (Figure 1):

  • The pit must be deepened by at least one and a half meters. This will create an optimal temperature regime. If the room is less deepened, the temperature in it will rise above +8 degrees, which negatively affects the storage of fresh vegetables.
  • Be sure to determine the level of groundwater. As a rule, it is carried out at the stage of building the foundation of a house, but if you decide to build a storage facility in an existing building, you can determine the water level yourself. To do this, you need to dig a hole 2.5 meters deep and observe within a week how intensively it is filled with water. It is better to do this in spring or after heavy rains in autumn, when the groundwater level is at its maximum.

Figure 1. Drawings and diagrams for building a basement with your own hands

If the water lies at a level of less than a meter, a basement cannot be built under the house. With an indicator of up to one and a half meters, it is possible to equip the storage, but for this it is necessary to drain the soil and the premises itself.

Note: It is best to deepen the room by two meters or more. This will create a consistently low temperature suitable for storing vegetables and other foods.

A necessary step is also the selection of building materials. The floor can be made of earthen, plank or concrete, and the walls are best built from ceramic bricks, concrete blocks or stone. The use of silicate bricks and cinder blocks is not recommended.

How to choose a place for a cellar

When building ground or semi-buried structures, you can choose almost any place on the site. The main thing is that there is no stagnation of water on it. If the basement is located under the house, the choice of location will be very limited.

When choosing a place for underground storage, take into account:

  • Density and composition of the soil- it should be loose enough so that you can dig a pit yourself. If the house stands on rock, construction will have to be abandoned, since it will require the involvement of heavy equipment that cannot physically be driven inside the building.
  • Ground water height is a key indicator. It is best that the storage floor is at least half a meter from the level of underground flows. If this condition is not observed, the basement will begin to heat up even if high-quality waterproofing is provided.
  • Vault entry should be in a place convenient for you (Figure 2). For example, in the garage, hallway or next to the kitchen. From above, it is better to cover the entrance with a hatch, and make a ladder for the entrance. How exactly you will go down inside must be determined at the stage of designing and digging a pit.

Figure 2. Arrangement of a manhole for entering the cellar under the house

After procuring materials and determining the site, you can proceed directly to construction work.

How to make a cellar with your own hands

The construction of the basement is carried out in several stages, which should be carried out in a clear sequence. First of all, you need to determine the size of the storage. As a rule, a room of 5-8 square meters will be enough for home use.

However, it should be borne in mind that the pit should be larger by about 60 cm on all sides. This space will be needed for the construction of walls and laying a layer of waterproofing.

You can see the main stages of construction in the video.

foundation pit

The first stage is digging a pit. To do this, you will need standard tools: a shovel, a pick and a container for removing soil (Figure 3).

Note: To dig a pit, you must completely remove the floor in the room under which it will be located.

Figure 3. Digging a pit for underground storage

Traditionally, a foundation pit is dug to a depth of 2.5 meters under the house. In the future, taking into account the floor and ceiling, the height of the room will decrease slightly, but it will still be enough even for a tall person.

If groundwater is close to the surface, it is advisable to additionally dig a drainage well in which condensate and excess water will accumulate.

Wall construction

Walls in underground storages are usually made of brick or foam concrete blocks. However, reinforced concrete walls are more popular. They are made like this (Figure 4):

  • A reinforcing mesh of rods with a cross section of 10-15 mm is installed along the perimeter. It is advisable to fasten them together not by welding, but by special hooks or pieces of wire.
  • Formwork can be made from any materials at hand, even from scraps of wood.
  • High-strength concrete is used to fill the walls, adding a small amount of crushed stone to it. Filling is carried out in stages, 10-20 cm each, carefully compacting each layer.

Figure 4. Wall construction

The top of the fill should be at the level of the slab. It will take several weeks for the solution to completely dry and harden. Only then can the formwork be removed.

Floor

In storage, concrete floors are most often made, as they resist groundwater better than earthen. In addition, rodents and other pests will not be able to penetrate through such a floor into the room.

The construction of the concrete floor is carried out in several stages(picture 5):

  1. At the bottom we make a sand cushion. The sand is moistened with water and compacted so that its layer is at least 20 cm. It must be absolutely even so that the concrete floor does not begin to warp in the future.
  2. After the sand, a layer of gravel is laid and it is also leveled and compacted.
  3. The next layer is laid waterproofing material. You can use special polyethylene or ordinary roofing material. This will help strengthen the concrete floor and protect the room as much as possible from water penetration.
  4. A reinforcing mesh of rods of at least 5 mm is laid on the waterproofing and the structure is poured with a concrete layer of 10-15 cm.

Figure 5. How to make a floor in the cellar with your own hands

As with walls, concrete needs some time to dry and harden. Therefore, the first few weeks you can not walk on it.

Roof

It is difficult to make a roof (or ceiling) for a cellar under an already finished slab house, therefore, wooden beams are often used for these purposes, between which a layer of insulation is laid. This design allows you to protect the underground storage from the penetration of heat from the house.

The floor beams are hemmed from below with a solid shield covered with a heat-insulating film. A heater (glass wool, polystyrene or mineral wool) is laid between the beams. It is not worth saving on thermal insulation: the thicker and more reliable the layer is, the more stable the temperature in the storage will be. From above, the insulation is re-coated with a film and the structure is sewn up with boards, plywood or OSB.

The manhole cover is made according to the same principle, but it is better to make it two-layer, laying heat-insulating materials in the center.

Types of cellars

There are several types of cellars, each of which has certain advantages and disadvantages. For example, underground provides a stable storage temperature, but its construction requires certain skills. Ground-based construction is much easier, and the building itself is suitable even for regions with a close occurrence of groundwater. However, in such structures it is more difficult to provide the necessary thermal insulation.

The main types of cellars

Types of basements differ in the degree of penetration of the structure into the soil. For example, the ground one is a full-fledged building with a foundation slightly deepened into the soil.

There are also underground cellars (underground), which are most often equipped under a residential building or garage. Semi-burrowed and earthen are similar in design. The difference is only in the degree of penetration of the structure into the soil. For small areas, wall buildings that are simply attached to the main building will be optimal.

ground

A ground cellar means a small room or even a box with a layer of insulation.

It is not difficult to build it with your own hands, because they are small and require minimal materials and time. In addition, they are excellent for areas with high underground flows (Figure 6).

Note: It is best to build a ground structure in July, when the groundwater level is the lowest.

Construction is carried out in the following sequence:

  1. Select a dry site on a small hill. The top layer of vegetation is removed and a small depression is made in the soil (about 40-70 cm deep).
  2. pit bottom rammed and covered with a layer of drainage (coarse-grained sand, expanded clay or broken brick). The layer of such material should be approximately 10 cm.
  3. Above 15-20 cm of greasy clay are laid, in which bricks must be placed at a minimum distance from each other. In the same way, the side walls of the pit are strengthened.
  4. Height of brick walls above the ground surface should reach 35 cm. This elevation acts as a foundation.
  5. for walls first, a frame is mounted, which is sheathed with thick boards on both sides. Any available heat-insulating material (sawdust, crushed stone or mineral wool) is laid or covered in the center.

Figure 6. Drawing and photo of the ground cellar

The outer part of the walls is sheathed with dense material to prevent drafts inside the room. At the entrance, a vestibule is equipped with an external and internal door. This will provide additional thermal insulation. For ventilation, a pipe is made, which is covered from the outside with a mosquito net. To prevent flooding around the perimeter, a blind area and several drainage ditches are made, and the roof is equipped with a gable roof, and covered with any available roofing material.

earthy

The construction of an earthen basement is very simple, and it can be built from almost any available materials. As a rule, a dry site on a hill is chosen for construction, preferably with dense soil.

Note: Earthen cellars are great for storing potatoes, as the tubers hardly sprout, dry out, or wrinkle.

The construction of an earthen storage facility is carried out according to the following technology(picture 7):

  • They dig a pit with walls at a slight slope to prevent shedding of the soil. If the site has sandy soil, the walls are reinforced with boards or other supports. In addition, this will extend the life of the premises and create a favorable microclimate inside the storage.
  • The floors are made of adobe, adding crushed brick. Floor thickness should be 15 cm.
  • The ceiling is made of poles, covered with clay mixture and earth from the outside. The thickness of the earth layer should be about 45 cm in order to protect vegetables not only from the summer heat, but also from the winter cold.
  • The gable roof is covered with light natural material (for example, branches or straw). It is better to lower the roof slopes to the very ground. In severe frosts, it can be additionally insulated.

Figure 7. Drawing of an earthen cellar

Shelves inside the earthen cellar are best placed on both sides of the aisle for ease of operation of the premises.

Semi-buried

This type of storage is perfect for areas with high groundwater levels, since its floor is no deeper than one and a half meters from the ground (Figure 8).

To build a semi-buried basement with their own hands, they dig a shallow pit, then they make a low foundation, and the walls are built of concrete, brick or stone.


Figure 8. Drawings for the construction of a semi-buried cellar

The ceiling is made from slab mixed with clay. This will protect the interior from moisture penetration and temperature fluctuations. Additionally, the roof can be covered with roofing material, and heat-insulating material can be applied to the walls.

wall

The main advantage of the wall cellar is that it allows you to save space on the site. In addition, it does not need to specifically choose a dry place for it, since the building is being built close to the house (Figure 9).


Figure 9. Drawing of a wall cellar

How to build a surface cellar next to a house or other building? Any materials can be used, but they must be treated with hot bitumen for waterproofing. A blind area is made along the perimeter and downpipes are installed to remove moisture, and the roof is covered with rolled material.

This is the simplest cellar design, which can be easily done with your own hands from improvised materials. However, if you plan to use such storage for a long time, it is better to use high-quality bricks, concrete and high-quality thermal insulation.

You will learn more useful information about the construction of dry cellars from the video.

How to build a cellar with your own hands: step by step instructions, video review. The cellar is an important element of any suburban area, it is indispensable for storing vegetables, fruits and conservation. The article contains information on how to build a cellar in the country with your own hands: a step-by-step description will help you take into account a lot of nuances, from choosing the right place to installing waterproofing and electrical wiring. The exterior arrangement of the building is also of great importance, and the construction of shelving and drawers will help to use the space efficiently.

The process of erecting the walls of the cellar of red brick

Varieties and features of cellars

Do not confuse the cellar and basement. Do-it-yourself construction of a cellar in the country can come down to simply digging a hole and its minimal arrangement. The choice of the type of construction depends on many parameters, for example, on its intended purpose, on the climatic conditions of the region, financial possibilities, etc. Also, when choosing the type and materials for building a cellar in a country house with your own hands, you need to take into account its location.

It is easier to build a separate building than, for example, to build a cellar under the house, but this option will require more materials, and hence finances. It is cheaper to make storage under a residential building or outbuilding, but this option is limited in space.


The arrangement of the cellar will allow for a long time to preserve preservation and other products

One of the most popular options is the glacier cellar. It perfectly copes with the function of long-term storage of products even in the hot season and is especially in demand in the southern regions. Building this type of cellar in a private house with your own hands is quite difficult and expensive, but the result is high performance, durability and reliability.

Another good option for this building is a storage of two sections. As a rule, this type is used when it is necessary to avoid mixing the smells of various vegetables and fruits that are simultaneously stored in the cellar. To build such a storage, fewer materials are needed than for a glacier.

A separate type of cellar is a wine cellar. It is used to store wine products, has its own design features and nuances that must be taken into account in order to carry out the correct construction of the cellar. As a rule, not only wine, but also various preservation can be stored in such a storage.


The wine cellar has design features that must be taken into account at the planning stage of the building

The nuances of arranging a cellar with your own hands at a high level of groundwater

When choosing a location for storage, it is very important to take into account such factors as the general soil moisture and the level of groundwater. The lower it is, the easier it will be to build the structure, and the less often repairs will be needed. If we are talking about a stand-alone structure, then you should choose the highest place on your site. It is best to determine the level of groundwater when it is maximum, that is, in spring or autumn. If there is a well or a well on the site, then you can determine the maximum mark from them, otherwise you will have to drill a well separately.

It will be somewhat more difficult to build a cellar if groundwater is close. How to do it in the most efficient way? First of all, it is necessary to pay great attention to the waterproofing of the structure. Also, with increased soil moisture, for better waterproofing of the cellar from groundwater, it is worth using building materials that are characterized by increased resistance to water. In this case, you should not use wood or plywood, but it is better to give preference to concrete and brick.


Scheme of the arrangement of a separately located cellar: 1 - foundation; 2 - steps; 3 - protective fence; 4 - walls; 5 - ceiling vault; 6 - ventilation; 7 - waterproofing; 8 - bulk soil

Useful advice! You can also check the level of groundwater according to folk signs. To do this, leave a piece of wool and a chicken egg at the construction site, and cover them with a clay pot on top. If in the morning there is dew on both the wool and the egg, then groundwater is close, and if only on the wool, it is far away.

Recommendations for building a cellar with your own hands: how to do it as efficiently as possible

Regardless of what type of construction you have chosen or what materials you are going to use, there are a number of general recommendations that you should follow when building your own cellar step by step:

  • if you are going to use wooden elements, then they must be pre-treated with a special impregnation to protect them from the harmful effects of moisture;
  • the construction of the cellar is best started in the summer, then the groundwater level is at the bottom. In this case, the soil will be the driest, and the risk of flooding the structure will be minimal;
  • to ensure efficient storage of products, it is very important to think over the ventilation system;
  • if you want the structure to maintain the desired temperature, then it is recommended to make two doors separated by a vestibule when building a cellar with your own hands;


To build a really good cellar, you need to carefully study the features of materials and types of structures.

  • special attention should also be paid to thermal insulation, then the optimum temperature in the cellar will be ensured at any time of the year;
  • the choice of tools and materials for construction is very important, so it is worth familiarizing yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of various types in advance. The construction itself must be carried out in a clearly recommended order.

Features of the use of various materials

Most often, materials such as brick or concrete blocks are used in the construction. They best tolerate high humidity and low temperatures, and are also characterized by durability, reliability and relatively low cost. When building a brick cellar with your own hands, it is worth considering the features of the operational characteristics of each of the varieties of this material:

  • cinder block or foamed brick is characterized by increased fragility, so these varieties are not recommended for use in the construction of an underground storage facility;
  • silicate brick is more durable, but reacts very poorly to high humidity. This means that the construction of it will not be able to boast a long service life;


The ideal material for building cellar walls is red brick.

  • red brick is ideal for a cellar in a private house. How to make the construction of this material as efficient as possible, you can learn from the numerous step-by-step instructions from experts.

If you decide to use concrete blocks for construction, then you will definitely need specialized construction equipment, as they are characterized by a lot of weight. The cellar of them will last a long time and keep the temperature well.

Also, when building a cellar in a house with your own hands, you can use a brick that has already been in use, if its condition allows. And in the event that you are going to simply sheathe an earthen pit with wooden boards, they must be carefully treated with antiseptics to prevent rotting.

Note! The use of concrete slabs reinforced with metal is also possible. But in this case, it will be quite difficult to maintain the desired temperature, so this material should not be used for the building in which you are going to store food.


Diagram of a semi-buried brick cellar

Do-it-yourself cellar in the country: a step-by-step guide for construction

Strict adherence to the sequence of actions is the key to a proper cellar. How to make the building as efficient as possible, spending a minimum of time and effort on it? To do this, installation work must be performed in a certain order.

Pit arrangement

Sod is removed from the selected area, after which the earth is leveled and marking is performed. Many do-it-yourself photos of the cellar show that specialized construction equipment is often used to equip the pit, but if this is not possible, then shovels and spades can be used. The advantage of working with a hand tool is that it allows you to preserve the structure of the soil. If the ground in the selected area is loose, then the walls of the pit should slope to avoid shedding.


Building a cellar with your own hands. Step 1: Digging a hole

The dimensions of the cellar depend solely on your needs, but remember that the size of the pit should be 0.5 m larger than the size of the structure itself. In the process of building a cellar with your own hands, the excavated fertile land can be distributed over the summer cottage. The evenness of the bottom after completion of work must be measured with a level and corrected, if necessary.

Foundation construction

Although you can do without this stage (simply by filling the bottom of the pit with rubble or bitumen), the arrangement of the foundation will increase the level of waterproofing of the cellar from groundwater. How to make the foundation as effective as possible, but not very expensive? To do this, you can use a reinforcing frame, on top of which the concrete mixture is poured. The recommended height of the foundation is about 40 cm. Installation of the foundation is a prerequisite for building a cellar in the country with your own hands, if groundwater is close. How to make the foundation correctly - thematic videos on the Internet will tell you.


Building a cellar with your own hands. Step 2: arranging the foundation

Walling

If you use brick to build a cellar under the house with your own hands, then you will need a number of specialized tools. These include a trowel, construction cord, mason's hammer, building level and mortar bucket. For greater efficiency, you should use the help of another person.

As a mortar connecting the bricks, a mixture of clay and sand or cement can be used. When building an underground or ground cellar with your own hands, laying should start from the corners, and the first row is laid without using mortar in order to more accurately plan the position of the wall. Bricks of the following rows must be sunk into the mortar until the joint thickness is approximately 12 mm.


Building a cellar with your own hands. Step 3: building walls

Useful advice! Be sure to use a building level and a plumb line when laying walls. With the help of the first, it is checked how evenly the brick is laid, and with the help of the second - the correctness of the angles.

Do-it-yourself cellar ceiling installation

When building a ceiling, it is best to use wooden boards. If the structure is being built under the house, then beams can be used as a ceiling, and the ceiling of the ground cellar in the country house is made step by step from PKZH slabs or slate with your own hands. In this case, the surface can be flat or gable.

The thermal insulation of the ceiling is done according to the same principle as the thermal insulation of a conventional roof - the gap between the wooden beams and the roofing material is filled with a layer of thermal insulation.


Building a cellar with your own hands. Step 4: installation of the ceiling

Types and features of floor installation in the cellar

There are many different options for arranging the floor in the cellar, which one is better depends on your preferences, the purpose of the building, the characteristics of the soil and other factors. You should also familiarize yourself with the specifics of each method in advance, this will help you quickly and efficiently build a cellar with your own hands. Both video and photo instructions can greatly facilitate the installation process.

earthen floor- the easiest and cheapest option. There is a misconception that the correct floor in the cellar should only be earthen, but this is not so. Even well-compacted soil will not protect the room from dampness and mold.

If you nevertheless decide to make a dirt floor in the cellar, then the base must be carefully leveled and tamped, after which a layer of gravel about 10 cm thick is poured in. The advantage of this option is zero installation cost, but there are much more disadvantages. These include a high risk of flooding the premises and a high probability that metal elements will rust and wooden elements will rot.


Cellar with sandy floor

Concrete floor- a good option to protect the room from high-lying groundwater. A concrete screed can act not only as a floor covering, but also as a base for the installation of other materials.

For the construction of a concrete floor, it is very important to level the surface, after which a pillow of crushed stone and sand 15-20 cm thick is mounted. The sand must be thoroughly moistened and compacted, and poured with bitumen on top. In order for the concrete base to be as strong as possible, a metal grate can be installed on top of the bitumen layer. After that, you can start pouring concrete.

You can mount the waterproofing layer both on a sand cushion and on top of concrete. In the second case, another concrete layer must be poured from above.

Clay floor- a reliable, but very time-consuming option in terms of installation. It requires a large amount of high-quality material, so it is rarely used. Clay is considered one of the most environmentally friendly materials. It is laid on a base of crushed stone 10-15 cm thick, which can be impregnated with bitumen. Under the clay, it is worth mounting a waterproofing layer of roofing material or other material, and the cracks that may form after drying are sealed with a clay-lime mixture.


The floor in the cellar, built with his own hands, is equipped with concrete

brick pavement- strong, durable and attractive in appearance. In addition, the material is quite cheap and easy to install. The brick floor is laid on a pillow of fine gravel or gravel, a clay solution is poured on top. Bricks are slightly recessed into the solution close to each other. Also, cement mortar can be hammered into the seams between the bricks with a stiff brush.

Wooden floor- used in ground-based cellar options or where groundwater is very deep. Before installation, the tree must be treated with special impregnations to extend its service life. Wooden boards are mounted on top of logs made of timber, which, in turn, are laid on a base of crushed stone and clay. It is best to fasten the boards with self-tapping screws, but you can also simply nail them.

Note! For each of the materials you will need a separate set of tools, the acquisition of which is better to attend to in advance.


An example of a ventilation device: 1 - for a cellar under the house; 2 - for a separate cellar

Design and installation of the cellar ventilation system

If you are building a structure above ground, then air can flow into the cellar naturally through small openings. For an underground structure, ventilation must be supply and exhaust. The outlet of the exhaust pipe should be located near the ceiling, and the suction pipe should be located near the floor. In many photos of the cellar in the country house with your own hands, you can see that the ventilation outlets are equipped with special curtains, this allows you to more accurately control the temperature in the room.

Installation of stairs and doors

If the cellar is being built under the house or, if necessary, to save space, it is worth making an almost vertical staircase to the cellar with your own hands. How to make it as safe as possible for descent? The use of handrails is recommended. Do-it-yourself photos of the stairs to the cellar show that it can be built from wooden boards fixed directly in the ground, as well as from brick or other materials.

Doors are mounted in ground versions of the design, in other cases a hatch is used. Making a hatch in the cellar with your own hands is quite simple.


The cellar has a metal staircase.

Manufacture of the hatch

If the cellar is located under the house or outbuilding, then a hatch is used as an entrance partition. You can buy a hatch for the cellar, or you can make it yourself. The second option will allow you to get a design that exactly meets your needs. Self-installation of the hatch includes the following steps:

  • a place for the future entrance is chosen. It is very important that access to it be as simple as possible and not be cluttered with shelves, drawers and other items;
  • hatch dimensions are determined. It all depends on your needs, but its parameters should not be less than 75x75 cm. In order for the room to be airtight, the side faces of the hatch must be sheathed with a sealant;
  • a manhole cover is made in the cellar. How to make it light and strong? For this, it is best to use wooden boards impregnated with drying oil. They are interconnected by rails, and a sheet of plywood is nailed to one side of the cover. If we are talking about a cellar in a residential building, then the hatch cover can be sheathed on top with the same floor covering as the floor around it. It should be borne in mind that if it is planned to equip a cellar hatch for tiles, its design must be made of sufficiently strong materials that can withstand all ceramics. If you prefer to use steel, then for the cover you will need a sheet with a thickness of at least 3 mm, which is welded onto a metal frame;


The scheme of the hatch device for the cellar

  • handle is attached. The best option would be a special hidden or folding design. If the cellar is located in a non-residential area or there is a need to save money, then you can use a regular door handle;
  • loops are screwed on. These can be ordinary door hinges or car hinges with springs. The latter option will make it easier to open the lid and fix it in any position.

There are many answers to the question of how to make a hatch in the cellar with your own hands, so you should choose the option that is most suitable for your particular case.

Wiring and lighting

Due to the fact that the design of the cellar provides for high humidity, the wiring in it must be reliably insulated. The best option for wiring are copper wires with a double layer of insulation. Light bulbs should be placed in the driest places and additionally equipped with protective caps. It is strictly forbidden to make sockets when building a cellar. How to make the wiring as safe as possible can be viewed on training videos from experts.


Light bulbs in the cellar must be placed in dry places and must be equipped with caps

Installation of waterproofing in the cellar

As already mentioned, moisture isolation is a very important point when building a cellar in a country house with your own hands. How to make waterproofing the most effective - there are many options, and the choice of the optimal one depends on the level of soil moisture and the design features of the building.

Waterproofing can be external or internal. The external one is done at the construction stage, while the walls are sheathed with insulating materials from the outside, and drains, drainage wells and other structures are also mounted. Internal insulation is done after the cellar is built. In this case, before using insulating materials, groundwater must be drained, otherwise the work will be ineffective.

Types of materials used for internal waterproofing

If you made a cellar in the country with your own hands from waterproof concrete, then you are unlikely to need additional lining with insulating material. But for a brick structure, you can use the following waterproofing options:

  • mastic or bitumen - are used in cases where the groundwater level is below the floor level. The solution is heated and a thin layer is applied to the walls, resulting in a reliable waterproof film;


Membrane type waterproofing material

  • penetrating waterproofing is the most expensive, but also the most effective option. It is good in that it increases not only the level of resistance of walls to moisture, but also their frost resistance. Also, penetrating waterproofing reliably seals all cracks and micropores, is characterized by a long service life and is quickly mounted;
  • cement-based polymer mortar is one of the most reliable and easy-to-apply waterproofing materials. It fits snugly to the walls and reliably protects them from mechanical damage;
  • membrane-type moisture insulation - consists of various polymers, among which bitumen-based liquid rubber is very popular.

Note! It is very important to have effective ventilation for reliable waterproofing of the cellar in the country with your own hands. How to build a ventilation system so that excess moisture does not condense in the storage? For this, the installation of a supply and exhaust system is best suited.


Scheme of the device for thermal and waterproofing of the cellar

The procedure for installing waterproofing

Numerous photos of the cellar in a private house show that the waterproofing can be hidden under decorative wall panels. This is not a prerequisite, but only affects the appearance of the walls. The nuances of installing a waterproofing layer depend on the type of material chosen.

Do-it-yourself waterproofing using bitumen or mastic for the walls of the cellar under the house, as a rule, will not be difficult. To do this, the walls must first be plastered, and the waterproofing itself is best applied in two layers. Before the final drying of the coating, it is recommended to sprinkle it with fine dry sand.

Before installing the penetrating moisture insulation, the surface of the walls must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt and dust, and then moistened with water. After applying a layer of insulation for several days, it also needs to be constantly moistened. Concrete walls before the installation of penetrating waterproofing are processed with a metal brush.


One of the most effective moisture protection options is penetrating waterproofing.

To apply liquid rubber, the walls must be leveled and cleaned. After that, the surface is primed and a waterproofing material is applied to it with a brush, spatula or roller. Finishing materials can be mounted directly on the layer of liquid rubber after it has dried. In the photo of wine cellars, for example, you can see that the walls are sheathed with wooden panels.

The cement-polymer mixture is applied to well-moistened walls with a notched trowel or brush. It is best to do this in several layers.

Do-it-yourself installation of shelves in the cellar: photo and instructions

Shelves and racks are integral elements of any cellar and basement. There are several types of cellar racks that you can buy in specialized stores, but it is much easier and more economical to make them yourself. The most popular options are the following:

  • wood shelving is one of the most common answers to the question of what to make a shelf in the cellar from. The material is environmentally friendly and easy to use, and for shelving it is best to use a bar with a section of 100x100 mm and boards 3-4 cm thick. In order for wooden shelves to last longer, they are impregnated with special compounds;


Mounting dimensions of a wooden shelving unit for a cellar

  • concrete shelving is a good option if you want to know how to make your cellar shelves as durable and moisture resistant as possible. To create concrete shelves, you can use reinforced concrete slabs or niches in the walls, which are filled with concrete screed;
  • shelves from a steel corner - used in rooms with a low level of humidity, otherwise the structures can begin to rust very quickly. In order to make a shelf in the cellar for cans, as a rule, a welding machine is used, but you can get by with simple self-tapping screws. First, frames are made of metal slats, then shelves are attached to them;
  • plastic shelving is one of the most economical and simple options, which is attractive in appearance and resistant to moisture. However, plastic does not tolerate low temperatures quite well, so it cannot boast of durability.

Useful advice! When wondering how to make a shelf in the cellar with your own hands, and what material to choose for this, consider the level of humidity in the room, as well as the average weight of the cans and boxes that will be stored on the shelves. Concrete perfectly withstands even a very large load, but plastic cannot boast of this.


Along the walls of the cellar there are shelves made of wood.

Potato boxes can be made from the same materials in the cellar. As a rule, they are equipped with removable covers, which are installed if necessary. No matter what material you choose, in the warm season, shelves and drawers are recommended to be taken outside to dry. This will prevent the occurrence of mold and the reproduction of pathogens.

When the construction and interior arrangement of the cellar is completed, you can think about the exterior decoration of the ground structure. Its option depends solely on your preferences - you can simply pour an earthen hill, or you can decorate it with turf or ornamental grass, turning it into an element of landscape design. Use video and photo instructions in the process of building a cellar with your own hands, which will help you take into account all the nuances and equip a practical and functional room.

Do-it-yourself cellar in the country is a good opportunity to ensure long-term and high-quality storage of products. And since, if the cellar is built correctly, the same temperature is consistently maintained in it all year round, it is simply indispensable for storing not only preservation and pickles, but also vegetables and fruits. A cellar in the country is an absolutely necessary thing for those who have a garden or orchard in their country house.

Cellar in the country: the main types

Despite the structural features of the construction, the cellars can be divided into three types (schemes for the construction of cellars, depending on the type, are shown in Fig. 1):

  • ground - suit in the case of a very high (0.5 m) groundwater level. It can be just an insulated box made of wood, a wall cellar (adjacent to the main wall, in fact - another room, only with earth embankment, the diagram is shown in Fig. 2) or a brick storage with embankment (Fig. 3)
  • semi-buried cellar- arrange in places where the groundwater level is located within 1.5-2 m from the surface of the earth. A diagram of a semi-buried cellar is shown in fig. 4.
  • For its construction, it will be necessary to dig a pit with a depth of 0.8-1m. The base is built of brick or concrete, raising the walls to a height of 2-2.2 m. The ceiling is made of wood, concrete or slate. From above, the entire structure is sprinkled with soil. The entrance to such a cellar is arranged at ground level, with a vestibule, stairs and a second, necessarily insulated, door. In principle, all construction operations, including waterproofing, ventilation and insulation, are similar to those carried out during the construction of a buried basement.
  • buried cellar- the most common type, it can be either separate (having its own cellar, Fig. 5), or located under the house, summer kitchen or a garage. Therefore, how to build a cellar with your own hands in the country, we will consider in detail below.

For the construction of a semi-buried, and especially a buried cellar, it is very important to accurately determine the place of construction, or more precisely, to determine the level of groundwater. To do this, you can use the help of professionals (expensive, but reliable), or you can try the folk method, which gives a fairly accurate result. This will require a glass jar, a piece of wool and a fresh egg. In the place where you planned the construction of the cellar, put a piece of wool on the ground, on top of it - an egg and cover them with a glass cap on top. Leave this "design" for the night, and in the morning evaluate the results:

  • wool and egg in dew- the level of occurrence of groundwater is insignificant, here you will have to limit yourself to a ground cellar
  • there is dew on the wool, and the egg is dry- groundwater is deep enough for the construction of a semi-buried cellar
  • dry egg and wool- a great place to build a buried cellar.

Advice! The construction of the cellar is best done in the summer, when the groundwater level is at its lowest.

If the construction of the cellar is planned in the house (more precisely, under the house), then it is better to place it under non-residential (unheated) premises, ideally - under the veranda (the temperature in it is lower than in the rest of the house, it is easier to arrange ventilation, and in winter the veranda will protect from frost). If the layout of the house allows you to equip the cellar only in the heated part of the building, additional thermal insulation of the floor will be required (for example, lay foam plastic 5 cm thick on the floor) and good ventilation, otherwise it is impossible to ensure optimal food storage.

After that, you can proceed to the practical part of the construction.

Digging a pit

The construction of a cellar in a country house with their own hands begins with marking the pit, while adding from 0.5 to 1 m to the planned dimensions - this will make it easier to waterproof the cellar. First, the top fertile layer of soil is removed - it can later be used to create flower beds, terraces, alpine slides etc. After that, they dig the pit directly (Fig. 6).

Advice! So that the earth does not crumble down and the soil holds on stronger, the walls of the pit are made not vertical, but slightly sloped, while the steepness of the slope is selected depending on the type of soil (the harder it is, the smaller the slope).

To make sure that water does not seep through the walls somewhere, the pit is allowed to stand for a while. The places where water appeared are closed up with the so-called "clay swabs" - they dig a ditch (up to 50 cm deep) and trample it with crumpled greasy clay, while tamping it heavily.

cellar base

To obtain a base, the bottom of the pit is leveled and rammed, after that a sand and gravel cushion is made and the first layer of concrete 5-10 cm thick is poured. Roofing material is laid in 2-3 layers on top of the first layer or melted bitumen is poured (waterproofing layer, Fig. 7) , after which they are concreted again, pouring a layer 10-15 cm thick. If brick walls are erected (half-brick-brick thickness), then this base will be enough as a foundation. If the walls are laid out of concrete blocks or some walls of the cellar are continued as load-bearing walls of the house, then a separate foundation will be required.

Walling

For the construction of the walls of the cellar, you can use different materials. Most often, bricks, concrete blocks are used for this (Fig. 8, most often they are used to build load-bearing walls of the house on them), rubble, cinder block (Fig. 9). Another option is to pour monolithic concrete walls, in which case the walls can be integral with the base, for which purpose wall reinforcement is initially fixed in it (Fig. 10), then the formwork is installed and the solution is poured (Fig. 11).

Floor installation

The choice of material for overlapping is largely determined by what loads it will have to withstand during further operation. It can be made:

  • wood - beams or logs, on which boards or beams are laid on top. Since there is always high humidity in the cellar, all wooden elements must be treated with an antiseptic.
  • metal beams on which concrete slabs can be laid. In this case, it is especially necessary to carefully process and seal the seams (joints of plates)
  • monolithic concrete floor - poured in the same way as monolithic walls

Stairs

The simplest, but very inconvenient option is a ladder, welded from pipes or knocked down from wood. It is advisable to provide in the project a stationary staircase made of iron, concrete or metal, it is both more convenient and safer to use it:

  • the minimum width is 30-40 cm, but better is about 50-60 cm, it will be convenient to climb along it
  • if it is planned to lower heavy, bulky goods that need to be carried together in the cellar, then the width of the stairs should be at least 80 cm
  • the maximum allowable slope is 75 degrees, but such a staircase will be within the power of young and energetic. To make the stairs comfortable, but at the same time not take up much space, a slope of 45 degrees would be optimal - it is quite easy to climb it (the span is not very long) even with a load in hand
  • step height - 15 - 20 cm, width - 25-30 cm

Basement wall waterproofing

To ensure water resistance, concrete and brick walls are additionally plastered with cement mortar. After final drying of the layer plasters on the outside of the wall, bituminous mastic is applied, on which roofing material is glued (Fig. 11), after which the soil is backfilled.

Advice! To improve waterproofing, instead of backfilling with soil, you can make a clay castle. To do this, clay is mixed with water and coarse sand until a plastic mass is formed, resembling plasticine. The resulting mass is placed in a pit between the walls and the ground, tamping very tightly.

Ventilation device

Properly organized natural ventilation will avoid excessive humidity and dampness, maintaining the optimal temperature and humidity conditions in the cellar. To do this, two pipes are installed in the cellar (metal, ceramic, asbestos-cement, plank, etc.):

  • exhaust - installed at the top, almost under the ceiling, while it must be insulated
  • supply - located at a height of 50-60 cm from the floor

To ensure maximum air exchange, pipes should be located as far apart as possible. The cross section of the pipe is selected in accordance with the dimensions of the cellar, for example, for normal ventilation of a cellar with an area of ​​8 m2 and a height of 2 m, a pipe with a cross section of 12X12 cm is required. The main signs of impaired ventilation are: condensation on the ceiling, dampness, signs of mold, musty, unpleasant air . Figure 12 shows a diagram of the organization of ventilation for a separate cellar

Figure 13 shows a diagram of the organization of ventilation for the cellar in the basement of the house.

It is worth paying attention that it is necessary to install a grate on the supply pipe, which will prevent rodents from entering the cellar.

Advice! If natural ventilation is not enough, to combat excessive moisture, you can install boxes with substances that actively absorb moisture (quicklime, salt).

For many years, millions of our compatriots have been using cellars. This is just an ideal place in which the harvest harvested in the fall and canned food is stored almost in its original form. The average temperature in the cellars, as a rule, varies from +2 to +4 degrees, which has a positive effect on food supplies. A cellar on the street is simply necessary for all those who have a private suburban household and collect a rich harvest from their garden. You can make an all-season storage for fruits and vegetables on your own and without the involvement of specialists. Moreover, the cellar can be located both under the house and as a separate building on the street.

The cellar, located under the house, occupies the basement of the building and can be accessed directly from the building. Storehouses built on the street have their own entrance. By and large, the cellar options are very similar in technology, regardless of its location, and the differences are only in the construction of the entrance.

Where does the cellar begin?

The first step is to correctly determine the depth of groundwater, because how to make a cellar correctly can only be done by knowing this indicator. It will help to understand how deep the structure is into the ground. Find the lowest place on your site and make a 200–250 cm deep hole there. In fact, it will be a well. A pipe is placed in it. Through this pipe, you can track the presence of water. If after some time water appeared in the pipe, then this indicates that the groundwater is located above the indicator recommended for underground construction. It should be borne in mind that when it is hot outside, the groundwater level is at a minimum.

Before proceeding with the construction of the cellar, it is necessary to clarify at what level the groundwater occurs.

Before building a cellar, it is impossible not to pay attention to such a phenomenon as heaving of the soil. It can occur when the soil saturated with moisture freezes. The ice begins to melt closer to spring, as a result of which the density of the soil is destroyed and it becomes porous. When heaving the soil, all work should be carried out with extreme caution.

If the groundwater level is above 2.5 m, then the problem can be solved by installing a drainage system. Drainage means a pipe that is laid in a trench underground and is designed to divert all moisture from the cellar into a special container or a reservoir located nearby. It is also important to provide for a drainage slope, which should be 5-10 cm for every 10 meters. In addition, the device of the drainage system will be required for perch water on your site.

What can be distinguished from the basic rules for the construction of a detached cellar?

  • It is worth starting to make a cellar only in the warm season. It is advisable to plan construction for July, August.
  • The best place to build a cellar on the street is a small hill on the site, if there is one, of course.
  • Each storage room (if there is more than one) must have effective ventilation.
  • Each wooden part that will be used in the construction of the cellar must be impregnated with a special antiseptic composition.
  • The front door, if possible, is best located on the north side.

Digging a pit

The standard dimensions of the cellar on the street are 2.5x2.5x2.3 m. For the storage device, it is necessary to choose the highest place on the site, which will reduce the likelihood of flooding. You can dig a pit for the cellar with your own hands, but if possible, you can use the services of excavator equipment. In length and width, the dimensions of the pit should be larger than the cellar being created, because then it will be necessary to waterproof the walls.

The dimensions of the pit must be larger than the planned dimensions of the storage.

When the pit is dug, the soil at the bottom should be tamped, and then gravel should be poured. The size of the gravel layer is 30 cm, of which 20 cm is sand. The gravel is well compacted into the bottom of the pit. Then reinforcement with a rod diameter of 8 mm is laid. Then concrete is poured, which is prepared in the traditional way: sand and cement are taken in a ratio of 3: 1. After pouring concrete, you need to wait until the cement is completely dry, and only then lay the waterproofing material.

Floor waterproofing

To build a cellar correctly, we must not forget about the waterproofing of the floor and walls with special materials. For the cellar floor, inexpensive roll materials that have the proper level of water resistance are just perfect. For example, a traditional roofing material.

Roofing material is laid on hardened concrete, after which it is smeared with tar. If the transverse size of the cellar exceeds the width of the roll, the latter can be overlapped, and the upper edges raised along the walls and glued securely. At this stage of the work, the walls of the cellar have not yet been erected, therefore, the roofing material should be glued only to concrete, after which the next stage should begin.

Walling

For walls, you can choose brick or ordinary concrete. The erection of the wall necessarily begins with the laying of a reinforcing frame, the width of which should not be less than 10 cm. When the work is done manually, the concrete should not be completely poured immediately. It is best to mix in several portions, given that it will last for 1-2 hours of construction work.

Reinforcing cage for concrete walls.

The reinforcing frame is made of rods with a diameter of 10 mm. They are laid vertically, after which they are tied with wire. The formwork is mounted along the walls of the pit on both sides of the frame, after which the concrete is poured. To eliminate the formation of voids, it is recommended to compact it with a concrete vibrator. The mixture will dry completely only after 8-10 days, so it is best not to remove the formwork for 2-3 weeks.

In the event that the walls are made of brick, it is necessary to use cement grade M200 for mortar. For the cellar, the best option is to use two layers of solid red brick. If the groundwater level is low, one layer will suffice. External insulation of the walls is carried out by coating with mastic, and it is necessary to make 2-3 layers and no less. A waterproofing material must then be glued onto the mastic.

The outer side of the walls must be overlaid with soft clay. This approach will allow you to build a cellar with the highest quality protection against water and condensation. The clay layer should be about 10 cm, but only if the groundwater level exceeds the bottom of the cellar. In addition, it will be right to backfill the soil, thoroughly compacting it. The inside of the walls should ideally be plastered and whitewashed. It is an affordable and natural remedy for mold and germs.

Entrance to the cellar

Entrance from the street should be convenient and safe. That is why it is recommended to make a monolithic and preferably a wide staircase, so that it is convenient to load products into the cellar.

Option to decorate the entrance to the vault.

In addition, it is very important to make high-quality ventilation of the cellar. For this, a wide pipe is suitable, part of which will be placed in the cellar, and part will be located on the street.

The door can be made of wood, but using some kind of waterproofing material.

In some cases, a hatch acts as a kind of door. In this embodiment, the ladder can be attached: it is welded to the hatch frame. This is not only inconvenient, but also extremely dangerous (for example, to move with products). Cellars with hatches were made in the days of the USSR, when the necessary materials were not freely available to create a normal entrance. Today, such a problem does not exist, so you should not save on your convenience and safety.

Roof device

A detached cellar must necessarily have a roof (it does not matter if it is shed or gable). From above, such a roof can be insulated with turf. In addition, the use of synthetic insulation is allowed, however, the use of natural materials guarantees a good microclimate.

Gable roof vault.

For air circulation, you need to install an exhaust pipe, which should go outside and not reach the cellar floor about 30 cm. Ideally, you need to make two pipes, the second in this case will be a supply pipe.

Inside, it is laid out with boards flush with the ground. Used, in most cases, croaker. Such boards have a smooth edge on one side, but a rounded one on the other. From the inside, the slab must be plastered with clay and whitened with lime. From above it can be covered with roofing material, coated with a mixture of clay and straw. After that, the coating should be covered with moist soil with moss or grass. This version of the roof device is especially convenient and effective if the rear upper part of the cellar is located slightly above the ground.

For detached cellars, it is best to use a roof with two slopes, which will be correctly built from a board that overlaps the pit by 50 cm. This is necessary so that rain and snow do not get inside. The roof ridge is made of a 50 mm beam, roll insulation is laid on the slopes, and straw is on top. If possible, you can lay slate or soft tiles.

Design verification

At the final stage, it is necessary to carefully check each design of the built cellar and, if necessary, make adjustments in time. In the event that the presence of any defects is found after several years of operation of the cellar, then it will be much more difficult to eliminate them.

You can also improve the roof of the cellar, finishing it with beautiful turf, plants, artificial stone, etc.

All photos from the article

Country farming requires premises for storing prepared foods, vegetables, fruits and pickles. The ideal place for such purposes would be an earthen cellar, as it maintains the optimum temperature and keeps food fresh.

We want to tell you how to build a wooden cellar with your own hands.

wooden cellar

Peculiarities

The tradition of building underground storage facilities has been known for a long time, since before there were no refrigerators at our disposal, and there was a need to keep food supplies fresh. Here one interesting feature of our soil came to the rescue.

The fact is that the top layer of soil freezes in winter or warms up in summer to a depth of no more than 1 - 1.5 meters for central Russia. In the northern regions, this value increases for winter, in the southern - for summer. Below this depth, an approximately constant temperature of 5–9 ˚С is maintained throughout the year, which is comparable to the temperature in a modern refrigerator.

Important!
You can check the temperature regime of underground layers by measuring the temperature of spring water in winter and summer.
As a rule, it remains around the +8 ˚С mark.

There are three main types of cellars according to the degree of depth of immersion in the ground:

  1. Ground. The design of this type provides for a minimum depth of up to 25 - 30 cm, since such structures are placed in places with a very high level of groundwater. In fact, this is an ordinary barn or storage shed for storing vegetables;
  2. Semi-buried. It provides for deepening to a level of up to 60 cm, in which case the groundwater should be no higher than 1.5 - 2 meters from the soil level. Often the towering upper part of the structure is sprinkled with a thick layer of earth and turf for better thermal insulation;
  3. Recessed. Structures whose depth exceeds 1.5 meters are considered to be completely buried. As a rule, such cellars are completely buried underground to a depth of 2 - 3 meters.

Important!
The most effective will be a fully buried option.
It is guaranteed to protect your stocks from freezing in winter and overheating in summer.

Building materials can also be different.

Most often used are:

  • Butovy stone. Allows you to build strong and durable structures, but the work will be laborious, and the price of the material and its delivery will be significantly high;
  • Brick. It is better to use ceramic bricks, as its moisture resistance is higher. Good material for the basement, but quite expensive and laborious to work with;
  • Concrete plates. It is possible to fold the room from reinforced concrete blocks and slabs, but this will require the operation of a crane. The design will turn out to be very strong and durable;
  • Monolithic concrete. Formwork can be installed in the pit and the walls can be poured with concrete. If it is possible to order ready-mixed concrete, then this option deserves attention;
  • Wood. A traditional option that has been tested for centuries, which is distinguished by an excellent microclimate, complete environmental safety and the availability of materials.

When choosing a tree as a building material for a cellar, one should remember its features, such as the fear of moisture, rotting and mold.

Important!
Wood is the best option in terms of the microclimate and environmental safety inside the cellar, provided that all requirements for protecting the structure from moisture and mold are correctly met.

Location selection


After you decide on the type of structure, its depth and the materials from which it will be built, you need to find a suitable place for the basement. There are two main options:

cellar location Features and Benefits
under the house Often cellars are located under a residential building. This is beneficial from several positions at once: the house protects the basement from surface moisture and frost, it is convenient to go down into it without going outside, it is easier to bring communications. However, if the cellar was not taken into account and dug out during the construction of the house, it will subsequently be very difficult and inconvenient to work.
On a plot separate from the house Such an arrangement will require more serious protection from sediment moisture and frost. At the same time, you are not limited in choosing the size of the room, and the work will not be constrained by the walls of the foundation. Again, basement odors will not enter the house.

Usually, during the construction of a house, the presence of a basement is provided for by the project, and it is dug out and strengthened even at the stage of laying the foundation. Working in a built house will be much more difficult and costly.

Important!
If you want to have a basement inside the house, consider this wish when designing.
Digging and equipping a basement inside a finished building is extremely inconvenient and difficult.

If you decide to locate the cellar on a site separate from the house, then here you should carefully study the landscape. The best option is a flat open place, located on a small hill.

It is important to take into account the general ensemble of buildings on the site. Cellars are not placed near compost pits, toilets, septic tanks, collectors, enclosures with cattle. But near the summer kitchen, house, utility shed, it will be quite appropriate.

It is advisable to provide a convenient and short path from your kitchen to the cellar, as you will have to walk along it quite often. It is better to turn on the light double: from the house and directly in the cellar.

Important!
Trees and plants with a powerful and developed root system should not be planted near the cellar, as it can destroy the waterproofing of walls and ceilings.

Construction of a wooden cellar

Construction begins with earthworks. If the groundwater level allows, then they dig a pit 2.5 - 3 meters deep so that the room is completely underground and has a normal ceiling height for a person.

You can clarify the level of groundwater in a garden partnership, with neighbors, in the district geodetic service. You can also measure the depth of the water mirror in the nearest well.

For example, we have compiled instructions for the construction of a recessed wooden cellar:

  1. We dig a pit 3 meters deep. Dimensions should be 50 - 60 cm larger than the room in each direction for the convenience of processing walls;
  2. The soil should be compacted at the bottom, and four holes should be dug in the corners 70 cm deep at a distance of at least 50 cm from any of the walls;
  3. The bottom of the pits is covered with a layer of sand and gravel 15 cm thick, and then covered with polyethylene with a full twist on the walls. 2.5-meter pieces of pine timber 100x100 mm are installed in the pits and concreted. The concreted part of the beam must be covered with bitumen;
  4. The floor is covered with a layer of rubble, which is spilled with melted bitumen or resin. You can leave the earthen floor if the soil inside is dry;
  5. When the pillars gain strength, they are tied. To do this, a beam of 100x100 mm is laid on the upper ends, connecting it into half a tree and nailing it to the ends of the pillars with two nails;
  6. The walls from the outside are sewn up with a strong board 40–50 mm thick or with a slab. For fastening, it is better to use galvanized nails or self-tapping screws with an anti-corrosion coating. On one side, it is necessary to make a doorway and dig a descent for the stairs opposite it;
  7. Overlapping can be made of logs or timber. A solid board 150x50 mm or a glued wooden board is also suitable. Expanded polystyrene should be laid on top of the ceiling with a layer of 100 mm or backfilled with expanded clay, straw or sawdust;
  8. Do not forget to bring out the ventilation pipes, one for the hood, one for the air;
  9. Walls outside should be coated, then cover the entire structure with a waterproofing membrane, polyethylene or roofing material. It is desirable that the insulating carpet has a minimum of seams;
  10. A staircase should be built opposite the doorway. It can be assembled from boards or made from concrete, brick or stone;
  11. The pit should be covered with clay. It will create an additional barrier to moisture;
  12. Above the entrance you need to build a canopy. Usually they make a classic basement entrance with a sloping roof or a gable canopy. Subsequently, a barn or a summer kitchen can be placed above the cellar.

Important!
Absolutely all wooden parts must be deeply impregnated with a complex antiseptic with antifungal action before work.

Conclusion

A wooden cellar is a good place to store any food, vegetables or preserves. It can be done independently, subject to all the rules for preparing the material and waterproofing the structures. The video in this article will make our instructions clearer.