Fire Safety Encyclopedia

A modern cellar with your own hands. We make a cellar in the country with our own hands step by step: the optimal sequence of work. Waterproofing - close attention

The owners of summer cottages and country houses are showing an increasing interest in the construction of cellars, in particular ground-based ones. A city dweller under the word "cellar" certainly represents a deep hole in the ground. While in rural areas it is not uncommon to find an above ground cellar - an excellent alternative to the traditional, buried storage facility.

Such a structure is distinguished not only by its large capacity, but also by an optimal microclimate, which allows keeping food fresh for several months. And building it with your own hands is quite simple. The construction cost is also quite low in comparison with the underground option.

A ground or horse cellar can be built on any site, including those with high groundwater levels. At the same time, the cellar, like any other outbuilding, can be beautifully decorated, and thereby make your site even more attractive. But first things first.

Choosing a place on the site

The durability of the aboveground cellar and the safety of the products in it depends precisely on the correctly chosen location of the building. Construction should be carried out on a dry (preferably elevated) place so that the groundwater level is 50-60 cm below the bottom of the storage facility.

It is better to choose a place for construction on a hillock.

If the water is very close, you should first create a cushion of sand and gravel under the bottom of the storage facility. It's also easy to do it yourself. Drainage will prevent water from leaking into the room.

Well, now it's time to decide on the type of this very repository.

Features of ground storage

The main difference between the cellars from each other lies in the only indicator - the location relative to the soil level. A ground cellar is built entirely on the surface, in contrast to underground ones, which are buried in the ground half or completely.

Ground cellars are:

  1. Detached, that is, erected as an autonomous structure.
  2. Wall mounted. In this case, the wall of an existing building acts as one of the walls of the cellar: the house of the barn, etc. The above-ground wall cellar will not be discordant with the surrounding landscape.

Despite the external differences, both construction options have undeniable advantages:

  • They occupy a small area of ​​the site.
  • Flooding is completely excluded in them.
  • Excellent functionality at any time of the year with absolute energy independence.
  • Ease of use, due to the relatively large size of the cellar, in contrast to the usual household refrigerators.

But, of course, like in any other structure, you can notice some disadvantages here:

There are three main types of surface storage design.

Regular storage shed with embankment

This is the simplest structure. It looks more like a hut, and planks or logs are used to build it. Moreover, it is not at all necessary to buy new ones, because on each site there will be previously used building materials.

Scheme for the construction of a vegetable storage.

To build such a cellar with your own hands, you need to perform just a few operations:

  1. Shredded logs, no more than 25 cm in diameter, should be covered with bitumen or burned to a height of 50-60 cm, which will double their service life.
  2. Dig in the workpieces with a processed edge into the ground along the perimeter of the future building. Tie the upper ends tightly together with long poles. Thus, a holistic structure is obtained.
  3. Make a slab crate and a plank roof.
  4. Cover the structure with roofing material, that is, create the necessary waterproofing.
  5. Arrange thermal insulation: sew up the end side in 2 rows with boards and lay a layer of roofing material between them.
  6. Fill (dump) with peat soil, which perfectly retains heat. Sow any undersized or creeping plants.
  7. On the north side, make an entrance with an insulated door and a canopy above it.
  8. To dig a not very deep ditch around the entire perimeter of the built cellar - to create protection from the approach of water.
  9. Arrange ventilation: a wooden box equipped with a regulating valve and a pair of pipes: an exhaust (under the ceiling) and a flow pipe, located 50 cm above the floor level, will serve as the hood.

This is how the storage shed may look from the outside.

The optimal size of the storage shed is 4x8 meters. Its service life is about 10 years.

Important! The edges of the roof should hang almost to the ground. Thus, the built cellar should outwardly imitate a hut. And the snow that has fallen in winter will act as a natural insulation.

There is also a collapsible storage model - for those who do not want to clean their vegetable store every year. As a rule, it is erected in early autumn, and dismantled in the spring. However, after that, the soil should be dug to the depth of the shovel bayonet and treated with a 5% solution of copper sulfate. That is, to disinfect the soil. The service life of such a cellar can also reach 10-12 years.

Cellar without embankment

A cellar, built entirely above ground level, like an ordinary outbuilding.

Building such a storage facility with your own hands, having some construction skills, is quite simple. You just need to follow the sequence of work:

  1. Make a markup of the future ground cellar and remove the sod. Dig a hole no more than 50-60 cm deep, and collect the earth in a heap (it will still be needed). Then, align and properly tamp the prepared area.
  2. Arrange a drainage pad made of expanded clay, fine gravel or coarse sand, that is, equip the cellar with the necessary waterproofing.
  3. To create reliable protection against rodents: put a layer of 10-12 cm of well-soaked and mashed clay on the prepared pillow.
  4. Lay (drown) red bricks flat in it. Moreover, the gap between them should be minimal.
  5. Lay out the side walls with a brick (put on the edge). The binder is a mixture of sand, clay and lime. In this case, the masonry should rise above ground level on the bayonet of the shovel.
  6. Make the ceiling and walls: to build a ground cellar, you will need thick enough boards (forty or fifty). They should be sewn in 2 rows, each laying with heat-insulating material (expanded clay, foam, moss and others).
  7. Sheathe the finished walls with roofing material - this will avoid the occurrence of undesirable drafts in the vegetable store.
  8. On one of the end sides of a self-built ground cellar, arrange a manhole with inner and outer doors. With the onset of severe cold weather, insulation must be laid between them. It is also necessary to build a small vestibule, which would contribute to more reliable thermal insulation of the storage facility. Install a ventilation pipe on the same side.
  9. Build a roof: it can be single or gable. Any roofing material will serve as a material for it: slate or roofing felt.
  10. Dig a drainage ditch up to 50 cm deep along the perimeter of a self-built above-ground cellar and equip a blind area (1 m wide) with a slight slope from the storage. This will protect it from flooding.

Ground wall cellar

A good solution that saves the area of ​​the site is to build a cellar near the load-bearing wall of the house. Moreover, with minimal material costs (subject to do-it-yourself work).

Scheme for the construction of a wall storage.

The order of work is as follows:

  1. Designate the perimeter of the future building (its size is selected individually).
  2. Lay out the walls of the storage: the material can be fired brick or monolithic concrete; masonry is made in 1 brick using sand-cement mortar in a proportion of 3x1. Internal and external walls must be thoroughly plastered with cement mortar.
  3. Outside the cellar, apply 2 layers of bituminous grease, that is, create a reliable waterproofing.
  4. To make a floor - to properly level the earthen surface, clean it up and make a concrete substrate no more than 20 cm thick.
  5. After the concrete has completely hardened (after 7-10 days), pour a cement-sand mortar with a thickness of 5-6 cm, that is, finally create a floor in the cellar. At the same time, in order to avoid the occurrence of unnecessary stresses in the building, all concrete work should be carried out in one day. So the mass will solidify evenly over the entire area.
  6. Build a multi-layer roof using slab, clay and 2 layers of roofing material.
  7. Embankment with dry (preferably fertile) soil and sow it with stunted perennials.
  8. Along the entire perimeter of a self-built ground cellar, make a blind area with a slight slope to the side of the building and dig a shallow (20-25 cm) groove to drain rain or melt water.
  9. Equip with shelves and all kinds of necessary containers for storing vegetables and home preservation.

Important! You should not neglect any of the systems (waterproofing, ventilation, insulation, drainage), since they are all equally important, interrelated and support each other.

Any outbuilding can be beautifully decorated.

It should be remembered that the best time to build a cellar is summer, when the level of ground (ground) water is at its lowest.

Thus, a ground cellar built according to all the rules with your own hands will bring only benefit and satisfaction to its owners for many years.

Foreword

The presence of a well-built cellar in a private house will help preserve vegetables and conservation until the next harvest. There are many solutions for the device of such structures, but the most common is the cellar under the house.

Cellar or basement?

Safely preserving stocks throughout the winter is an important task for garden owners, therefore, the arrangement of a place for potatoes and other vegetables must be followed in accordance with all the rules. In order for the potatoes not to sprout and the lids on the jars not to rust, you will have to not only dig a hole. Ventilation as well as waterproofing and interior finishing must meet certain requirements.

The main point from which all the differences between the cellar and the basement follow is the purpose of each of the structures. The basement is partially heated, so it is used as workshops, storage or other utility rooms, as well as garages, as seen in the photo. The structure, which is located under the house and is called a cellar, performs a different function, being a repository for:

  • vegetables and fruits;
  • jars of jam and pickles;
  • homemade wine;
  • barrels of sauerkraut, cucumbers or tomatoes.

Inside the cellar, it is necessary to maintain the appropriate temperature; ventilated boxes, shelves and racks are installed here, the successful placement of which is often photographed. The device of the cellar, in contrast to the basement, requires less space, and its decoration can be quite simple and uncomplicated.

Is it possible to make a cellar in the basement?

If there is a cool basement under the floor of the house and the temperature in it remains relatively low even in summer, you can select a part of it in order to make a storage for vegetables. This option is perfectly acceptable. But it will not be possible to complete the arrangement of the basement in the cellar, and even a photo of such "transformations" cannot be found.

To equip a cellar under the house with your own hands in the basement, you need to separate a smaller part of it with a wooden partition. Inside, you will need to install racks, make separate lighting and ventilation. To keep the cellar cool, an insulating layer should be installed. It is important that heated air does not enter inside, and the temperature remains at a level slightly more than zero degrees, which is considered the optimal mode for the cellar. It is better if the vault has an individual descent and complete autonomy from the main basement. The decoration of the cellar should provide for the treatment of the walls with one of the compositions:

  • anti-fungal;
  • slaked lime;
  • copper sulfate.

For thermal insulation, choose foam or glass insulation. In the numerous photos posted on this site, you can see that the front finish is made of fiberboard or plywood sheets. So that the earth from the cellar does not get into the house, a layer of expanded clay, pebbles or straw is poured onto its floor.

Benefits of a cellar located under the house

There are many positive aspects in favor of arranging a vegetable storage directly under the house. First of all, there is no need to allocate a separate place for construction, which is especially important for small personal plots. In winter, you don't need to dress up to get a jar of cucumbers or a few potatoes for borscht.

With a high level of groundwater, it is not necessary to lay a separate drainage system, which will require additional material investments. Yes, and only one foundation pit will need to be made. It should be noted, however, that with a high water level in the ground, it is not recommended to make a cellar located under the house, since it will be too damp, and during the period of snow melting, water will most likely appear in the vegetable store. Although good waterproofing and underground drainage can fix the situation.

Cellar device during the construction of a house

Responsible owners are worried about how to build a cellar, located under the floor of the house correctly, so that later there will be no problems, and his photo could be shown to friends. There can be only one answer here - it is necessary to thoroughly approach all stages of construction, from earthworks to the installation of shelving. This structure must be erected at the stage of laying the foundation, since it will be difficult and impractical to disassemble the floor later and dig a deep and wide hole under it. During the construction process, you will need:

  • dig a pit;
  • build walls;
  • perform waterproofing, and, if necessary, thermal insulation;
  • mount the ceiling and hatch;
  • make cellar ventilation under the house;
  • cover the floor with sand or concrete;
  • finish the inner surfaces;
  • install boxes and shelves;
  • build a ladder.

So that during a flood or a strong, prolonged downpour, a "surprise" in the form of leaked water does not accidentally appear in the cellar, before you start digging the pit, you will need to find out at what level the groundwater lies. You can look into the nearest wells, and in their absence, drill a well at least 2.5 meters deep and wait a couple of days to see if water appears in it or not.

The depth of the cellar is determined depending on the groundwater level (groundwater level), taking into account the requirements for its minimum depth of 1.8 meters. At shallower depths:

  • it will be inconvenient to be in the storage and move around;
  • the air temperature will rise by 7-8 degrees, which will affect the safety of vegetables.

The ideal option is considered to be the distance from the groundwater level during the flood period to the cellar floor - at least one meter. At lower values, reinforced waterproofing of the walls and floor of the building or the construction of a free-standing semi-underground cellar will be required. Photos of similar buildings can be seen here. The optimal depth of the cellar under the house is 1.9–2.25 meters.

The storage area for vegetables must be at least five square meters. The dimensions of the pit are determined taking into account the thickness of the walls (25-30 cm) and sinuses intended for applying waterproofing and the device on the outside of the clay castle. Cellar walls are made of:

  • monolithic reinforced concrete;
  • red brick;
  • cinder blocks;
  • logs.

After installing a sand cushion (up to 20 cm high), laying a layer of crushed stone (10 cm thick) and reinforcing wire mesh (0.6 cm in diameter), the floor in the cellar is poured with concrete. In this case, the slope of the base should be maintained towards the technical pit intended for collecting condensate or in case of the appearance of groundwater.

Then they make a device for heat, steam and waterproofing of the ceiling and hatch. This will avoid the appearance of excessive condensation on the ceiling, the penetration of cool air and a specific odor into the house. A simple decoration of the cellar provides for wall cladding with wood materials, such as slab or lining. Look at the photo to see how it looks in reality. In order to avoid the appearance of mold and decay processes, they are treated with compounds containing an antiseptic.

An interesting fact is that the decoration of the cellar can be expensive and exclusive. For example, in the photo of wine cellars, you can see that they are lined with natural expensive materials and decorated with exclusive elements. Inside, chairs, tasting and chess tables, audio systems are installed. And all this, if desired, can be done directly and under your house.

Waterproofing

If water gets into the cellar, you don't have the slightest chance to save the grown crop. But water will not be able to get inside the storage facility if its walls and floor are qualitatively insulated, and all cracks and seams are hermetically sealed.

Roofing material glued to hot bitumen is traditionally used as waterproofing. From the inside, walls and floors can also be treated with penetrating waterproofing mastics and coating mixtures with good adhesion. Special additives are added to modern waterproofing compounds and masonry mortars that increase moisture resistance and help create a durable layer that prevents breakouts or punctures. When choosing waterproofing, it is recommended to give preference to coating materials.

In the case of a close occurrence of groundwater from the surface of the earth, it is necessary to perform a high-quality drainage system that will remove moisture not only from the cellar, but also from the whole house.

Ventilation

The best waterproofing device will not save a home vegetable store from the presence of increased moisture in the absence of ventilation. The resulting condensation has a negative effect on fruits and vegetables in boxes, nets and containers. To get rid of it, you will need a properly executed supply and exhaust ventilation of the cellar, the installation of which should be given special attention. Signs that ventilation is inadequate include:

  • stale, heavy air;
  • the appearance of mold and mildew;
  • feeling of dampness and dampness.

Ventilation is mounted from two pipe sections, which are located in opposite corners of the cellar. One of them, the exhaust, is installed under the ceiling, and the other, the supply one, half a meter from the floor. Both pipes should go outside at the same level, but it is allowed that the top of the supply pipe is lower.

For a forced ventilation device, an electric fan is installed in the chimney. Additionally, quicklime helps to remove unnecessary moisture, a bucket of which is placed in one of the corners of the building.

The cellar under the house is very easy to use and pleases its owners in the winter season. In numerous photos posted on the Internet, you can see excellent examples of such a room. But for its proper functioning, a number of requirements must be fulfilled, including a reliable waterproofing and ventilation device. With the right approach, this is not too difficult a task, so you shouldn't just place vegetables underground, it would be wiser to dig a full-fledged cellar.

So the golden autumn has come. The harvest is harvested, country delicacies are appetizingly packed in glass jars, and the soul is cozy and calm. Stop! Where do you store vegetables and fruits? If in, then your supplies are reliably protected. And if you don’t have a cellar, don’t worry, it’s not very difficult to build it yourself, and I’ll tell you about it now. But first, let's figure out how the cellar differs from the basement, otherwise many summer residents confuse these concepts.

What is the difference between a cellar and a basement

These are different structures: basement- a room in a house located below ground level, which is used for various household needs. In it, you can equip a workshop, store a summer cottage, build or any utility room, and so on.

And here cellar intended solely for storage of crops and equipped accordingly. That is, it is equipped with shelves for storing vegetables and fruits, a ventilation system that maintains a uniform temperature regime (above 0 ° C), which does not allow supplies to freeze.




It is quite possible to build a cellar separately from the house, in any place convenient for you in the country. The basement is an integral part of the house; it can occupy a huge area, sometimes equal to the area of ​​the entire country house. And the cellar is more compact (unless you have a fruit and vegetable base in your dacha, of course)) You can make a cellar in the basement of the house, on the contrary, you cannot.

How to make a cellar in the basement

Part of the basement available in the house can be equipped with a cellar. To do this, separate the area you need for storing vegetables, fruits and preserves from the main part of the basement with a simple wooden partition. Provide separate lighting to the cellar room, equip ventilation, install convenient shelves for storing food, insulate the room if necessary to keep the harvest until spring.


Quite safe staircase to the basement with comfortable steps. Photo from the site pinme.ru

Make a separate comfortable ladder for descending into the cellar, because you constantly have to climb it with loaded hands. Many summer residents are injured if the stairs are too steep and have narrow steps, consider this nuance.

If in winter the temperature in the cellar drops below 0 ° C, the walls should be insulated by pretreating them with any antiseptic, slaked lime or copper sulfate. As insulation for the walls, you can use rolled roofing material, glass insulation or ordinary foam sheets, and close the insulation on top with plywood or fiberboard sheets.


If it is necessary to insulate the floor, you can cover it with a strong plastic wrap, and lay the boards on top. When such protection from the cold is not enough, more thorough insulation is needed. Fill the floor with bitumen, sprinkle a layer of sawdust 5-6 cm high on the bitumen, and make a wooden flooring on top. By the way, high-moor peat, expanded clay, pebbles and even straw or ash can be used as a heat-insulating material for arranging the floor in the cellar. In general, any insulation material at your disposal.

It is no coincidence that I paid close attention to the nuances of cellar insulation, because it is very important to maintain a constant temperature there, slightly above 0 ° C. I think that making a cellar in the basement is not a particularly difficult task, because the supporting structures already exist. And if the house does not have a basement where you can build a convenient storage for food, let's consider building a free-standing cellar.

Do-it-yourself cellar in the country

The simplest cellar in the country is a concrete pit covered with a lid. Such a structure is quite suitable for summer residents who do not store crops and preparations for future use in the country, but take them home. And also - it will act as a large summer refrigerator where you can store the drinks and food brought with you. It is also perfect for temporary storage of the harvested crop. So, arm yourself with labor enthusiasm, tools and material. It will not hurt to involve a quick assistant to the case.

Let's outsmart the groundwater and build a summer cellar on a high ground. The ideal place for him is a small hill on the site, if, of course, there is one. If not, make drainage around the pit under the cellar to drain groundwater. Next, on graph paper, draw a plan of the cellar with internal shelves (if you intend to build them), indicate the dimensions. Now dig a small pit.


The pit may not be deeply buried, otherwise it will already be a capital construction, the creation of which will require the involvement of special equipment. And a simple cellar for a family of 3-4 people can be 1.5 × 2 m around the perimeter and deepened by 1-1.2 m. This is where you need an assistant, because it is difficult for one to dig even such a small pit.

When the pit is ready, you will need to properly strengthen its walls. Do not be alarmed, we will not make a bunker, but we do not want our cellar to collapse, and the works of our righteous hands perished under the ruins? Then let's concrete its bottom and walls according to all the rules.

Cover the bottom with rubble or pebbles to a height of 5-7 cm and cover with a reinforcing mesh. Place concreting guides on top of the mesh. For these purposes, you need to take two boards 2.5 m long, 10 cm wide and fasten them crosswise at the bottom. You can also use a metal frame from a corner connected by transverse fasteners. Reinforce the walls of the cellar with support reinforcement. And then everything needs to be concreted. Do not forget to make natural ventilation of the cellar, which may look like this:


In fact, ventilation of basements and cellars is not an easy matter, but in our case, a piece of ordinary aluminum pipe with a diameter of 8-12 cm will be quite enough.Pull the pipe outside, and cover it from above with a piece of metal mesh so that debris does not get into the basement and harmful ones do not penetrate rodents.

Reinforce the top of the cellar around the perimeter with a sturdy frame made of timber with a section of 50 × 50 mm. To one side of the frame on the support hinges, attach a door cover insulated with foam plastic.

To equip such a cellar, you can use wooden boards, metal sheets, brick or masonry. As a result, your cellar may look like this from the inside:



Or like this, simpler))


Of course, you can build a huge capital cellar for a summer residence, which will serve you faithfully for many years. But only now, I'm afraid, I won't be able to make such a global structure with my own hands. Although, just in case, I will give a few pictures representing the schemes and designs of cellars and basements. So to speak, for reference))


Detached insulated cellar in the country. Photo from liveinternet.ru

And here is the cellar, which is located in the basement:


A very economical cellar option:


A cellar in the basement of a house may look like this:


I hope the above projects of cellars and basements will give you useful ideas))

For storage of home preservation and vegetables grown in the country or in a personal plot, three types of premises are used: completely buried (including basements), semi-buried and above ground. If everything is done correctly during the construction process, then in any of the 3 storage facilities the optimal conditions will be observed - darkening, clean air and low temperature (from 2 to 7 ° C). The purpose of our article is to explain how to build a cellar on the street with your own hands, choosing the most suitable design.

Selecting a storage project

For the successful construction of a cellar, you should understand a simple rule: the more the structure is buried in the ground, the easier it is to create optimal conditions for storing agricultural products in it. The diagram below shows how the soil temperature changes at different depths throughout the year. It is easy to see that it behaves more stable on the lower horizons than in the upper ones.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to equip an ideal basement. The reason is in the local geological and hydrological conditions, in other words, in the specific composition of soils and a high level of groundwater. In any case, before building a cellar, the owner of a summer cottage or estate must find answers to the following questions:

  • how close to the surface is groundwater during heavy rains;
  • what is the depth of soil freezing;
  • the nature of the underlying soils;
  • what area of ​​the yard is allocated for construction.

Note. These questions are especially important when it is planned to build a basement under a garage, shed or private house, since you will have to select and calculate the foundation of the building.

The high level of groundwater is the most serious problem for the construction of an underground vegetable storage. Therefore, at the initial stage, it is necessary to experimentally determine at what depth they lie, for example, drill a well or interview neighbors who managed to make cellars. If during the flood period the water does not rise above the minus 3 m mark, then you can safely build a completely buried basement in the country house, shown in the photo.

If the aquifers pass closer than 3 m, then the bottom of the cellar or glacier should be made 0.5 m above this mark. This means that you will have to build a semi-recessed or ground structure with a bulk top. At the same time, wet and heaving soils around the structure, freezing 1.5-2 m deep, must be replaced with bulk fractions (sand, fine gravel).

Advice. Fighting flooding in a deeply recessed basement is troublesome and expensive. In order not to have to arrange a full-fledged caisson - a technically complex sealed structure, it is better to leave part of the cellar on top and dump it with earth. An example of a similar structure with an original design is shown in the photo.

How to make a deep basement

All work on the construction of a buried cellar with your own hands is divided into several stages:

  1. Clarification of the layout of the structure.
  2. Selection of building materials.
  3. Digging a foundation pit, erecting walls and ceilings.
  4. Ventilation and lighting installation, interior arrangement.

There are 2 types of underground storage layout - with a hatch and a full-size door at the entrance. The first option is inconvenient in operation, but it saves space and therefore is used for basement rooms under garages, country houses and sheds, and sometimes on the street. How a cellar with a lid and a vertical staircase is arranged is reflected in the drawing:

To install the front door, one of the basement dimensions will have to be increased by at least 1 m in order to make steps along the wall. Another way is to build a flight of stairs directly to the door, which is very handy for moving supplies to and from the vault. The drawing below shows a structure with a straight staircase, shown in section.

More information about the construction of the basement is described in the video:

We select materials

The requirements for the structure of the underground part of the cellar are simple - it should not collapse from the effects of moisture, pass heat well and withstand soil pressure. So traditional building materials are suitable for the construction of walls:

  • monolithic concrete;
  • ceramic red brick (non-silicate);
  • cinder blocks;
  • various natural stone - flagstone, granite, shell rock, sandstone;
  • ready-made foundation blocks of the FBS series.

Natural stone masonry

Advice. The use of metal and sand-lime bricks is a mistake. The first in basement conditions strongly rusts and emits harmful compounds, and the second is destroyed by dampness. Metal products are used only for reinforcing concrete fences and coatings.

To block the basement, you can take a tree - a bar, a log and a slab, or pour a slab of concrete on a steel frame. A more expensive and complex option is a brick vaulted covering, built using wedge technology (each stone is trimmed so as to jam adjacent ones), or on a solution using templates, it was circled.

The floors are made of three types:

  • earthen with the addition of crushed stone (adobe);
  • bulk from gravel and crushed stone;
  • reinforced concrete.

The first 2 methods of flooring are suitable for cellars dug in dry, dense soils - sandy, rocky, and the like. In the presence of moisture, it is better to perform a screed with a slope towards the pit.

Reference. In the old days, storages were made like a dugout - without stone fences. The earthen slopes were sheathed with wood, after which the pit was covered with logs tamped with slabs, where the insulation was laid - clay and straw.

Basement walls need waterproofing as they will still have to come into contact with moisture. For this purpose, you need to purchase bituminous mastic or roofing material.

We build the underground part

The first step is to dig a pit, whose dimensions are half a meter larger than the dimensions of the future cellar. Then sinuses are formed between the walls and the ground, allowing external waterproofing to be performed. Dense dry soil can be dug vertically, at an angle of 90 ° to the horizontal, leveling the sides of the pit flat. In loose or wet soils, it is better to dig a pit with slopes of 30-45 ° to the vertical. Also, at the stage of excavation, you need to dig an inclined trench for the stairs.

Advice. To facilitate labor, it is worth using an excavator that will extract the bulk of the land. You just have to earn some money on the walls and bottom of the pit.

For the construction of concrete walls and floors, use the following technology:

  1. Fill the bottom with sand to a height of 10 cm and tamp it well, pouring water, repeat the same operation with rubble. Install the formwork at the edges and lay a mesh of periodic profile reinforcement with a diameter of 10-12 mm with cells of 15 x 15 cm.
  2. Screed 10-12 cm thick M200-250 concrete with a slope towards the pit or collecting gutter, as described in the video above. Allow the screed to set for 1 week.
  3. Install the panel formwork along the walls and fix the reinforcing mesh in it, as it was done in the photo. Do not forget to put embedded parts and lay plastic ventilation pipes upstairs.
  4. Pour concrete to the very top of the pit, expelling air from it by immersing steel rods. After 7 days, remove the formwork and lay channels No. 14-20 on the walls with a step of 0.5 m. Weld the reinforcement to them with an interval of 10-12 cm.
  5. Assemble the bottom and side slab formwork. To do this, OSB plywood sheets must be tied to the reinforcing cage and supported from below with wooden beams. It remains to lay the concrete mixture and wait 28 days until the entire structure has completely hardened.

Note. The minimum thickness of a monolithic wall should be 20 cm. For masonry and brickwork, this size is 250 mm, and for cinder blocks - 1 stone wide.

If an inclined staircase leads to the basement, then while the main structure solidifies, work on finishing its walls and forming steps. It is not necessary to use concrete here, slopes and treads can be overlaid with an improvised stone.

After the solution has hardened, the outer surfaces of the walls must be treated with a bituminous primer or covered with roofing material for waterproofing. Then backfill the sinuses with clay (the so-called clay castle). The overlap also needs to be covered with roofing material and covered with a layer of earth, or a beautiful gable roof must be made.

Reference. Now, instead of traditional buildings, you can use a more modern solution - a ready-made cylindrical plastic cellar, which is completely installed in the pit. Judging by user reviews on the forums, seamless plastic products from the Russian brands Triton and Tingard are popular.

Internal work

To create normal operating conditions, the cellar should be equipped with a natural ventilation system and lighting, as well as racks and bins for storing vegetables. From the inside, the walls and ceiling of the basement will not hurt to plaster and whitewash.

We will give a number of tips for arranging the cellar:

  1. Provide ventilation of the storage through 2 pipes - supply and exhaust, then the room will be well dried. The inflow outlet is made 30 cm above the floor, the hoods - under the ceiling. The correct organization of natural air exchange in the cellar is described in detail.
  2. For safety reasons, basement lighting is best done through a step-down transformer that supplies a voltage of 12 or 36 volts. Route all wiring in protective plastic bellows.
  3. Make racks and shelves from wood treated with an antiseptic. Eliminate metal elements completely.
  4. If you have built a small roof over the ceiling, then the ceiling must be insulated. Use polymeric materials that are not afraid of moisture - polystyrene foam, polystyrene foam and polyethylene foam.

The coating is insulated from the outside as well. Simple materials will fit here - expanded clay, clay with straw or sawdust. By the way, the ceiling can be cast from concrete with the addition of expanded clay or polystyrene, then the structure will come out obviously lighter and warmer.

Semi-buried structures

The construction technology of such cellars differs little from the arrangement of deep storage facilities. The pit is dug to a depth of 0.5 m above the groundwater level, after which the work is carried out in the same order. For the construction of the aboveground part, it is better to use warmer and lighter materials - foam block and aerated concrete, the simplest option is double slate sheets with insulation in the middle.

Note. A good way to arrange a semi-buried cellar is to dig it on a slope or a small hill. The earth extracted from the pit will then go to the upper backfill.

In order for the ceiling to withstand the weight of the soil, it is specially made vaulted. For this, a reinforcing or wooden frame is constructed in the form of an arch, which is subsequently poured with concrete or lined with brick. You will learn more visual information about the construction of bulk cellars by watching the video:

Conclusion

As you can see, self-construction of a cellar on the street is not too difficult, although the process itself is long and laborious. If you want to make it cheap and cheerful - then dig a traditional dugout, provided that the soil allows. This option also has the right to life. But over the years of operation (and this is not less than 20 years), any basement can be flooded, since the level of groundwater is a variable quantity. The simplest solution is to add the floor to the detriment of the height of the room, another way is to collect and pump out water from the pit with a pump.

Design engineer with over 8 years of experience in construction.
Graduated from the East Ukrainian National University. Vladimir Dahl with a degree in Electronic Industry Equipment in 2011.

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At present, almost every family has a personal plot in the form of a small summer cottage, where the townspeople plant vegetables, take care of fruit trees, and grow flower crops for their pleasure.

However, in the fall, many owners begin to think about where to store all the vegetables and fruits collected in the garden.

The ideal option for this is a cellar, in which the optimum temperature for storing preparations and vegetables is kept all year round.

In this article, we will talk about how to build a cellar at no extra cost, what requirements and recommendations must be followed during construction.

Cellar device and its differences from the basement

There are serious differences.

Materials required for the construction of the cellar

For the construction of a cellar, materials such as concrete, cinder blocks and bricks.

Porous materials such as expanded polystyrene, will easily let air and moisture into the room, so additional costs may be spent on waterproofing and ventilation.

To build a cellar with our own hands, we will need:

  • crushed stone and gravel;
  • river sand;
  • clay;
  • roofing felt;
  • cement;
  • bricks;
  • ceiling boards.

The main stages of the construction of a buried cellar

Preparation of the pit and a solid foundation for the cellar

Having chosen a place for the construction of the cellar, and having decided on the size of the structure, it is necessary clear the surface of the soil from vegetation, stones and sticks.

In order for the cellar to be durable and serve you for many years, it is important to properly dig a pit and prepare the base for pouring the floor and installing the walls:

  • First you need dig a hole to a certain depth, depending on which type of cellar you have chosen. In our case, the height of the structure will be about 2.5 meters... In addition, it should be borne in mind that part of the space will be occupied by a space for an entrance or a hatch, stairs and shelves, so the pit should be dug with a margin, which will depend on your preferences.

Helpful advice! Before digging a pit, the meteorological forecast for the next week should be clarified, since the presence of precipitation can significantly complicate the construction process.

  • After preparing the pit, it is necessary to process the base of the cellar, level and compact the upper layers of the soil... The floor in the cellar must be stable and level. To get rid of excess moisture, we need to fill the bottom of the cellar with a layer of rubble or gravel with a height up to 30 cm.

Filling the floor with clay and concrete

To build a floor in a cellar, you need knead the clay mortar with a small content of quartz sand (no more than 10% of the total amount of clay) with water.

You should get the consistency of thick sour cream. Pour gravel with the resulting mass in an even layer to a height of about 3 cm.

For the structure to serve you for many years, the clay floor will not be enough, so many strengthen it and poured with concrete... For this, a reinforced mesh is installed on the dried layer of clay to strengthen the floor covering.

On top of it, it is necessary to pour a layer of concrete mortar to a height of approximately 5 cm.

To prepare a concrete solution, you need to take five parts of river sand and one part of high-quality cement. For example, on 1 kg cement we should take 5 Kg sand.

Most often, the proportions of the required materials are indicated on the cement packages, so it is best to follow these recommendations. Filling the base of the cellar with a solution on 5 cm, it is necessary to level it and let it dry completely for a couple of weeks.

Building walls in the cellar

An important stage in the construction of the cellar is walling... Consider the rules for building brick walls step by step:

  1. Before erecting walls, you need them level with a shovel or trowel, so that the laying of bricks is as even as possible
  2. A prerequisite for laying bricks is foundation cleared of earth and pieces of clay, on which the first layer will fall. The foundation is essential for the stability of the brick walls. For its construction, the remaining concrete solution is used, which was used when pouring the floor. The width and height of the foundation depends on what kind of load will be placed on it in the future. Usually the width of the walls is made from 1 brick, so we fill the foundation in such a way that it protrudes above the floor level by 15 cm and let it dry
  3. The beginning of the masonry must begin from the corner of the wall in which the doorway will be... Masonry must be staggered, that is, starting with a whole brick, the second layer will start with half a brick, the third with a whole, and so on.
  4. When laying a brick on a foundation, you need it every time to tap with a trowel handle for better bonding and so that excess mortar comes out. In order for the walls to be even and strong, it is necessary to check each erected row using a building level
  5. The cement mortar for bonding bricks is prepared in the ratio 4 parts sand to 1 part cement powder
  6. Simultaneously with cement, experts recommend preparing a thick clay solution by mixing clay and water in the ratio 2 × 1 who need to fill the free space between the earthen wall and the brickwork. This will serve as an additional layer of waterproofing.

After the construction of the walls, it is necessary to allow the solution to harden for about for a week, after which it is possible to arrange ceiling ceilings with a ventilation system and waterproofing.

Waterproofing

Availability waterproofing layer is a necessary requirement when building a cellar.

The most popular wall insulation materials are roofing material or hydrostekloizol... In addition, experts advise treating the walls and floor with a special waterproof compound.

So, after we have processed the brick water repellent, it is necessary to waterproof the walls with roofing material and cement.

Are attached to the walls 2 - 3 layers of roofing material with the help of heated bitumen, after which they must be plastered with cement mortar.

Hot bitumen is a molten bitumen mastic made from hydrocarbons and their derivatives. It is a bonding material that is water-repellent.

Floor construction

Overlapping in the cellar should be as strong and reliable as possible.

For the construction of the ceiling in our cellar, we use metal channels, which are U-shaped metal structures.

Due to the fact that the weight of the ceiling is very large, you should build it yourself supports supporting the ceiling. First, a base is made of four boards fastened together, wooden supports are installed on them.

This entire structure is installed on the base of the floor and supports the concrete ceiling until it is completely dry.

For the construction of the ceiling, we lay on the top layer of brickwork reinforced mesh, fill in with cement mortar and wait for drying.

Then you can start laying the channels at a distance of about half a meter from each other. In this case, it is necessary that the channels go perpendicular entrance opening.

When making ceilings in the cellar, you need to leave holes for ventilation pipes, each of which is approximately 15 cm in diameter.

Cellar ventilation

Ventilation in the cellar is an important point when designing a cellar in the country.

If the room does not receive enough fresh air, it can cause serious harm to human health.

The most popular type of ventilation is supply and exhaust... To organize it, you need to take two plastic pipes and place them in the holes of the floors.

One pipe is placed at a height half a meter from the floor... Fresh clean air will pass through it into the room.

Another pipe is necessary to remove stale and harmful air outside, it should be located above the ceiling, protruding downward on 10 - 15 cm.

The pipes are installed plugs and protective caps protecting from excess moisture.

Decoration of shelves and racks in the cellar

The decoration and decoration of the premises should be dealt with after the completion of all construction work.

Many owners prefer to build a full wall wooden racks with shelves of different sizes.

Some attach metal shelves to the walls that can support a large weight of the stored food. Metal corners fastened to the wall by welding at selected locations.

When choosing one or another design in the cellar, one should proceed from what products will be stored there.

The most popular option among summer residents is prefabricated shelving that are simply attached to the entire wall. The advantage of such shelves is their mobility, that is, in dry, sunny weather, they can be taken out to dry.

Attention! It is advisable to cover all wooden elements in the cellar with a special agent against eating insects, which will keep the building from cockroaches and beetles.


Thus, every owner can build a cellar on his own, the main thing is to follow the advice of experts and not save on building materials.

You can see detailed information on the construction of a cellar in the country with your own hands in this video.

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