Cellar – important element any suburban area, it is indispensable for storing vegetables, fruits and canning. The article contains information on how to build a cellar at your dacha with your own hands: a step-by-step description will help you take into account a lot of nuances, from the correct choice of location to the installation of waterproofing, etc. The external arrangement of the building also has great importance, and the construction of shelving and drawers will help to use the space efficiently.

Do not confuse the cellar and the basement. Building a cellar at your dacha with your own hands can come down to simply digging a hole and minimally arranging it. The choice of the type of structure depends on many parameters, for example, on its intended purpose, on the climatic conditions of the region, financial opportunities 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 therefore more finance. Making storage under a residential building or outbuilding will be cheaper, but this option is limited in space.

One of the most popular options is an ice cellar. It copes well with the function of long-term storage of food even in the hot season and is especially in demand in the southern regions. It is quite difficult and expensive to build this type of cellar in a private house with your own hands, but the result is characterized by high performance characteristics, durability and reliability.

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

A separate type of cellar is a wine cellar. It is used for storing wine products and has its own design features and nuances that must be taken into account in order to properly build the cellar. As a rule, in such storage you can store not only wine, but also various preserves.

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

When choosing a storage location, it is very important to take into account factors such as total soil moisture and level groundwater. The lower it is, the easier it will be to build the structure, and the less often repairs will be needed. If we're talking about about a free-standing building, then you should choose the most high place on your site. It is best to determine the groundwater level when it is at its maximum, that is, in spring or autumn. If there is a well or borehole on the site, then you can determine the maximum elevation using 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 this as efficiently as possible? First of all, it is necessary to pay great attention to the waterproofing of the structure. Also, with increased soil moisture for better waterproofing To protect cellars from groundwater, it is worth using building materials characterized by increased resistance to water. In this case, you should not use wood or plywood, but rather give preference to concrete and brick.

Helpful advice! You can check the groundwater level by folk signs. To do this, you need to leave a piece of wool at the construction site and egg, 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, but if there is only dew 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 choose or what materials you plan to use, there are a number of general recommendations, which should be followed when step by step construction DIY cellars:

• 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;
• It is best to start building a cellar in the summer, when the groundwater level is at the lower level. In this case, the soil will be the driest, and the risk of flooding of the structure will be minimal;
• To ensure efficient storage of products, it is very important to consider a ventilation system;
• if you want the structure to maintain the desired temperature, then when building a cellar with your own hands, it is recommended to make two doors separated by a vestibule;

• special attention should also be paid to thermal insulation, then the optimal 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 you should familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages in advance various types. The construction itself must be carried out in a clearly recommended order.

Features of using various materials

Most often, materials such as brick or concrete blocks. 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, you should take into account the features performance characteristics each type of this material:

• cinder block or foam brick is characterized by increased fragility, so these varieties are not recommended for use in the construction of underground storage;
• sand-lime brick is more durable, but reacts very poorly to high humidity. This means that a building made from it cannot boast of a long service life;

• red brick is an ideal option for a cellar in a private house. How to make a building from this material as efficient as possible can be learned from numerous step by step instructions from specialists.

If you decide to use concrete blocks in construction, then you will definitely need specialized construction equipment, since they are characterized by heavy weight. A cellar made from them will last a long time and maintain the temperature well.

Also, when building a cellar in a house with your own hands, you can use bricks that have already been used, if its condition allows it. And if you are simply going to line an earthen pit with wooden boards, they must be thoroughly treated with antiseptics to prevent rotting.

Note! The use of metal-reinforced concrete slabs 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.

Do-it-yourself cellar at the dacha: step-by-step construction guide

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

Arrangement of the pit

The turf is removed from the selected area, after which the ground is leveled and markings are made. Many photos of a do-it-yourself cellar show that specialized construction equipment is often used to build a pit, but if this is not possible, then you can use shovels and spades. Job advantage hand tools is that this allows you to preserve the structure of the soil. If the soil in the selected area is loose, then the walls of the pit should be sloped to avoid crumbling.

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 soil can be distributed over summer cottage. After finishing the work, the evenness of the bottom should be measured with a level and corrected if necessary.

Construction of the foundation

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

Walling

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

A mixture of clay and sand or cement can be used as a mortar connecting the bricks. When building an underground or above-ground cellar with your own hands, laying should begin from the corners, and the first row should be laid without using mortar in order to more accurately plan the position of the wall. Bricks next rows it must be embedded in the solution until the thickness of the seam is approximately 12 mm.

Helpful advice! Be sure to use a building level and plumb line when laying walls. Using the first, you check how evenly the brick is laid, and using the second, the correctness of the angles.

DIY cellar floor installation

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

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.

Types and features of floor installation in the cellar

There are many various options when 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.

Dirt floor- the simplest 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 compacted, after which a layer of gravel about 10 cm thick is poured. The advantage of this option is zero installation cost, but there are many more disadvantages. These include a high risk of flooding and a high probability that metal elements will rust and wooden elements will rot.

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

To build a concrete floor, it is very important to level the surface, after which a cushion of crushed stone and sand 15-20 cm thick is installed. The sand must be thoroughly moistened and compacted, and bitumen must be poured on top. In order to concrete base was as durable as possible; a metal grate can be installed on top of the bitumen layer. After this, you can begin pouring concrete.

You can install the waterproofing layer either on sand cushion, and on top of concrete. In the second case, it is necessary to pour another concrete layer on top.

Clay floor- a reliable, but very labor-intensive option in terms of installation. Requires large quantity high-quality material, so it is used quite rarely. 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 installing a layer of waterproofing made of roofing felt or other material, and cracks that may form after drying are sealed with a clay-lime mixture.

Brick covering– strong, durable and attractive appearance. In addition, the material is quite cheap and easy to install. The brick floor is laid on a bed of fine crushed stone or gravel, and a clay mortar is poured on top. The bricks are slightly sunk into the mortar close to each other. You can also hammer cement mortar into the seams between the bricks using a stiff brush.

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

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

Design and installation of a ventilation system

If you are building a ground-based structure, then the flow of air into the cellar can occur naturally through small openings. For underground structures, 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. Many do-it-yourself photos of a cellar in a country house show 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 you need to save space, you should make an almost vertical staircase to the cellar with your own hands. How to make it as safe as possible for descent? It is recommended to use handrails. Photos of a do-it-yourself cellar staircase show that it can be built from wooden planks fixed directly into the ground, as well as from brick or other materials.

Doors are mounted in ground-based design options; in other cases, a hatch is used. Making a cellar hatch with your own hands is quite simple.

Making a hatch

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

• a location for the future entrance is selected. It is very important that access to it is as simple as possible and not cluttered with shelves, drawers and other objects;
• The dimensions of the hatch 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 edges of the hatch must be sheathed with a sealant;
• a cellar hatch cover is being made. How to make it light and durable? For this, it is best to use wooden boards impregnated with drying oil. They are connected to each other with slats, and a sheet of plywood is nailed to one side of the lid. If we are talking about a cellar in a residential building, then the top of the hatch cover can be sheathed with the same floor covering, as the floor around her. It is worth considering that if you plan to install a cellar hatch under tiles, its design must be made of sufficiently durable materials that can withstand all the ceramics. If you prefer to use steel, then for the lid you will need a sheet with a thickness of at least 3 mm, which is welded onto a metal frame;

• a handle is attached. The best option would be a special hidden or folding design. If the cellar is located in a non-residential premises or there is a need to save money, then you can use a regular door handle;
• the hinges are screwed on. It could be ordinary door hinges or automobile ones 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 cellar hatch with your own hands, so you should choose the option that is most suitable in 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 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 properly make wiring as safe as possible can be seen in training videos from specialists.

Installation of waterproofing in the cellar

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

Waterproofing can be external or internal. The external one is done during the construction stage, while the external walls are sheathed with insulating materials, and gutters, drainage wells and other structures are installed. 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 your country house with your own hands from waterproof concrete, then you are unlikely to need additional cladding with insulating material. But for a brick structure you can use the following options waterproofing:

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

• – the most expensive, but also the most effective option. It is good because 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 installed;
• Cement-based polymer mortar is one of the most reliable and easy-to-apply waterproofing materials. It fits tightly to the walls and reliably protects them from mechanical damage;
• membrane-type moisture insulation - consists of various polymers, among which liquid rubber based on bitumen is very popular.

Note! Availability is very important effective ventilation For reliable waterproofing cellars in the country with your own hands. How to build a ventilation system so that there is no condensation in the storage excess moisture? The installation of a supply and exhaust system is best suited for this.

Procedure for installing waterproofing

Numerous photos of a cellar in a private house show that 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.

Waterproofing using bitumen or mastic for the walls of the cellar under the house with your own hands, as a rule, is not difficult. To do this, the walls must first be plastered, and the waterproofing itself is best applied in two layers. Before the coating dries completely, it is recommended to sprinkle it with fine dry sand.

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

To apply liquid rubber, the walls must be leveled and cleaned. After this, the surface is primed and a waterproofing material is applied to it using a brush, spatula or roller. Decoration Materials can be mounted directly on a layer of liquid rubber after it has dried. Photos of wine cellars, for example, show that the walls are lined with wood panels.

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

DIY installation of shelves in the cellar: photos and instructions

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

• Wooden shelving is one of the most common answers to the question of what to make a shelf from in the cellar. The material is environmentally friendly and easy to use, and for shelving it is best to use timber with a cross-section of 100x100 mm and boards 3-4 cm thick. The installation scheme is very simple - racks are made from timber, in which sockets are cut to secure the shelves. In order for wooden shelves to last longer, they are impregnated with special compounds;

• 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 slabs from reinforced concrete or niches in the walls that are filled with concrete screed;
• shelves made of steel angle – used in rooms with low level humidity, otherwise the structures can very quickly begin to rust. In order to make a shelf in the cellar for cans, as a rule, it is used welding machine, but you can get by with simple self-tapping screws. First, frames are made from metal slats, then shelves are attached to them;
• plastic shelving is one of the most economical and simple options, which is distinguished by its attractive appearance and resistance to moisture. However, plastic does not tolerate well low temperature, therefore cannot boast of durability.

Helpful 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 racks. Concrete can easily withstand even very heavy loads, but plastic cannot boast of this.

From the same materials you can make boxes for potatoes in the cellar. As a rule, they are equipped with removable covers, which are installed if necessary. Regardless of what material you choose, in the warm season it is recommended to take shelves and drawers outside to dry. This will prevent the occurrence of mold and the proliferation of pathogens.

When construction and interior design the cellar will be completed, you can think about exterior decoration 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 landscape design. During the process of building a cellar with your own hands, use video and photo instructions that will help you take into account all the nuances and arrange a practical and functional room.

In order for the cellar to always remain dry and the temperature in it to be stable, its construction should be carried out in compliance with certain rules and requirements. The work ahead is quite extensive, but in the future it will pay off with interest.

The cellar can be located either away from other buildings or located under a house, garage, bathhouse or barn. The storage facility located under the building allows you to save space on the site, and can also be used in winter time it will be much more convenient for them.

If you decide to build it in an open area, then you should choose a higher place - in a storage facility located in a lowland there will be constant dampness. It is advisable that a free-standing cellar be located in the shade. In this case, in the summer it will warm up less.

To avoid the collapse of buildings, in no case should a free-standing cellar be located closer than half a meter from their walls.

Types of cellars

The decisive factor when choosing the type of cellar is ground water level . If the aquifer is too close, spring floods will flood your food supplies every year. Moreover, no drainage system will save you - the more you pump out water, the faster the ducts will erode, and every year there will be more and more of it in the cellar.

To prevent it from being flooded during floods, it should be located 0.5 m above this level. To determine how close groundwater is to the surface, you can use:

• garden auger: 2.5 m long or more;

• spoon drill: it is used to drill wells under water, but it can also be used for similar measurements.

After drilling, the well should stand still for at least a day. Next, the water level is measured using a long rod lowered into the well. Depending on the result obtained, they decide which type of cellar can be built on the site:

• underground: a standard cellar located on a dry area, most often deepened by 2.5-3 m;
• semi-recessed; less demanding on the soil, its depth is on average 1 m;
• bulk: built on swampy soils where the groundwater level is very high;
• a slope cellar, a type of bulk cellar, is used quite rarely.

To protect against frost heaving of the soil and preserve heat in storage cellar depth must necessarily be 0.5 m below its freezing level.

Construction of a cellar in stages

A cellar should only be built in summer – at this time the groundwater drops to its greatest depth. To prevent an open cellar from being flooded with water, work is carried out only in dry weather. If it does rain, cover the hole with polyethylene for a while.

Pit preparation

Construction of floors

It is not advisable to fill the floors in the cellar with concrete. The soil located below the freezing depth will be the main (and in the case of a cellar located outside the buildings) and the only source of heat in winter and cold in summer.

Clay castle

Our ancestors have long used compacted fatty clay to waterproof foundations and basements. Of course, it will not save you from rising groundwater, but clay is quite capable of protecting you from capillary moisture, which constantly penetrates through the thickness of the soil. This kind of protection is called clay castle .

To create it, clay is laid in layers:

• at the bottom the height of the castle is 0.4 m;

• wall thickness 0.25-0.3 m.

To make the clay plastic, it is pre-soaked and left to soak for some time. The ideal option would be to harvest it in the fall. Over the winter in the open air, it will gain enough moisture, and it will be easy to work with.

It should not crumble, but also not flow out of your fingers. Clay is laid using adjustable formwork in small layers. You can start working with a new layer if it has dried to the consistency of plasticine.

The quality of the clay will be much higher if 20% lime is added to it.

Wall decoration

The walls can be made of brick, concrete, rubble or asbestos cement sheets. Thickness concrete wall should be 5 cm, buta - 25 cm. To protect against capillary moisture, before finishing they are coated with bitumen mastic, hot bitumen or pasted over roll materials(roofing felt, roofing felt, etc.).

To pour concrete, vertical formwork is prepared. To create a waterproof film, the wall can additionally be plastered with cement-sand mortar - iron-clad. The ratio of sand and cement in this case is 1:1. To protect against cracking, lime is added to the solution (about 1/10 of the cement).

Be sure to insulate the hatch or door leading to the cellar. They should fit as tightly as possible and have no gaps. They are made in two layers and edged with timber or metal corner filled with any heat-insulating material (for example, polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene).

Ventilation

Since most vegetables should be stored in dry, ventilated areas, the cellar must be equipped with natural ventilation. To do this, perform the following work:

• Exhaust and supply pipes are installed in the cellar:

Pros and cons of free-standing cellars

Free-standing buildings have significant disadvantages:

1. Such storage facilities must be equipped ground part– entrance and roof, which significantly increases the cost of their construction.
2. Inconvenient to use winter period: the passage to them will need to be cleared of snow. Plus, in severe frosts, in order not to freeze, it is often undesirable to open them.

But there are also positive aspects of having a cellar located outside the house. The temperature in the underground under a heated building is always much higher than in the cellar. Therefore, vegetables and fruits are stored in it only until the end of winter - by spring, potatoes, carrots and other vegetables begin to sprout, and fruits begin to flake. In a separate cellar they are stored excellently until the end of summer. Plus, if there is a subfloor in the house, rodents infest it faster. If supplies are kept in a separate storage unit, they are less likely to come into the house.

If the plot of land is small and there is no space on it to build a separate cellar, you can use the advice of the author of this video and make a mini-cellar with your own hands:

The cellar is one of the most necessary premises in household. If you build it correctly, then in the cellar you can store not only canned food and fresh vegetables, but even meat, dairy products and eggs.

Following the advice 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.

Building a cellar with your own hands
Kinds	Construction stages	Additional work	What to consider?
Ground Zemlyanoy Semi-recessed Wall-mounted	At the initial stage, a dry place with a low groundwater level is selected. After this, they begin digging a pit, erecting walls and pouring the floor. At the final stage, the ceiling is installed and ventilation is installed.	The interior must be waterproofed and supply and exhaust ventilation. This necessary condition to maintain the indoor microclimate.	During construction, the density of the soil and the level of groundwater are taken into account.

How to build a cellar with your own hands

A cellar under the house has certain advantages compared to free-standing buildings. Firstly, it can be done at the stage of building a house. Secondly, it is very convenient to use: you don’t need to go outside to store vegetables or take them out for consumption.

However, the construction of a storage facility also has some difficulties, which will be discussed below.

What is needed for construction

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

• The pit must be deepened by at least one and a half meters. This will allow you to create the optimal temperature regime. If the room is less deep, the temperature in it will rise above +8 degrees, which negatively affects the storage of fresh vegetables.
• It is imperative 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 for a week how intensively it fills with water. It is better to do this in the spring or after heavy rains in the fall, when the level underground water 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 arrange a storage facility, but for this it is necessary to drain the soil and the room itself.

Note: It is best to deepen the room 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 earth, planks or concrete, and the walls are best built from ceramic bricks, concrete blocks or stone. Use sand-lime bricks and cinder blocks are not recommended.

How to choose a place for a cellar

When constructing above-ground or semi-buried structures, you can choose almost any location 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 selecting a location for an underground storage facility, take into account:

• Soil density and composition- it should be loose enough so that you can dig a pit yourself. If the house is located on rock, construction will have to be abandoned, since it will require the use of heavy equipment that physically cannot be driven inside the premises.
• Groundwater height- key indicator. It is best that the floor of the storage facility is at least half a meter from the level of underground streams. If this condition is not met, the basement will begin to flood even if high-quality waterproofing is installed.
• Login to the vault should be in a place convenient for you (Figure 2). For example, in the garage, hallway or next to the kitchen. It is better to cover the entrance from above with a hatch, and make a staircase for the entrance. How exactly you will go down inside must be determined at the stage of designing and digging a pit.

Figure 2. Arranging a hole to enter the cellar under the house

After procurement of materials and determination of 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 sufficient for home use.

However, it should be borne in mind that the pit should be approximately 60 cm larger on all sides. This space will be needed to build walls and lay a layer of waterproofing.

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

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, it is necessary to completely remove the floor in the room under which it will be located.

Figure 3. Digging a pit for underground storage

Traditionally, a 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 drainage well, in which condensation and excess water will accumulate.

Construction of walls

Walls in underground storage facilities are usually made of brick or foam concrete blocks. However, walls made of reinforced concrete 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 around 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 available materials, even from scraps of wood.
• Used for filling walls high strength concrete, adding a small amount of crushed stone to it. Filling is carried out in stages, 10-20 cm, carefully compacting each layer.

Figure 4. Construction of walls

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

Floor

Concrete floors are most often used in storage facilities, as they resist groundwater better than earthen floors. In addition, rodents and other pests will not be able to enter the room through such a floor.

The construction of a concrete floor is carried out in several stages(Figure 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 flat so that the concrete floor does not begin to bend 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 to lay waterproofing material. You can use special polyethylene or regular roofing felt. This will help strengthen the concrete floor and protect the room as much as possible from water penetration.
4. A reinforcing mesh of at least 5 mm rods is laid on the waterproofing and the structure is filled with a 10-15 cm layer of concrete.

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, you cannot walk on it for the first few weeks.

Roof

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

The floor beams are hemmed from below with a continuous panel covered with a heat-insulating film. Between the beams lay insulation (glass wool, polystyrene foam or mineral wool). There is no need to skimp on thermal insulation: the thicker and more reliable the layer, the more stable the temperature in the storage will be. The insulation is re-covered with film on top and the structure is covered with boards, plywood or OSB.

The manhole cover is made according to the same principle, but it is better to make it two-layer, placing 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. It is much easier to build above ground, and the building itself is suitable even for regions with close groundwater. However, in such structures it is more difficult to provide the necessary thermal insulation.

Main types of cellars

Types of basements differ in the degree to which the structure is buried in the soil. For example, a ground-based structure is a full-fledged building with a foundation slightly buried in the soil.

There are also underground cellars(subfloors), which are most often installed under a residential building or garage. Semi-buried and earthen ones are similar in design. The only difference is 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

By ground cellar we mean small room or even a box with a layer of insulation.

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

Note: Build ground structure best in July, when the groundwater level is lowest.

Construction is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Select a dry area 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. Bottom of the pit compacted and covered with a layer of drainage (coarse sand, expanded clay or broken brick). The layer of such material should be approximately 10 cm.
3. Above lay 15-20 cm of fatty clay, in which you need to place bricks at a minimum distance from each other. The side walls of the pit are strengthened in the same way.
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 material is placed or filled in the center thermal insulation material(sawdust, crushed stone or mineral wool).

Figure 6. Drawing and photo of an above-ground cellar

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

Zemlyanoy

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

Note: Earthen cellars are excellent for storing potatoes, since the tubers practically do not sprout, do not dry out or wrinkle.

The construction of an earthen storage facility is carried out using the following technology(Figure 7):

• They dig a pit with walls at a slight slope to prevent the soil from crumbling. 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 facility.
• The floors are made of adobe by adding crushed bricks. The thickness of the floors should be 15 cm.
• The ceiling is made of poles, covered with a clay mixture and earth on the outside. The thickness of the soil 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 ground. At severe frosts it can be additionally insulated.

Figure 7. Drawing of an earthen cellar

It is better to place shelving inside an earthen cellar on both sides of the passage for ease of use of the room.

Semi-recessed

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

To build a semi-buried basement with your own hands, you dig a shallow pit, then make a low foundation, and build the walls from 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 inner space from moisture penetration and temperature fluctuations. Additionally, the roof can be covered with roofing felt, and thermal insulation material can be applied to the walls.

Wall-mounted

The main advantage of a wall cellar is that it saves space on the site. In addition, there is no 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 around the perimeter and installed drainpipes to remove moisture, and the roof is covered with rolled material.

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

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

Cellar in the country - a traditional element country life, after all, it is better to use a separate cellar for storing crops than a basement at home. A good cellar optimally maintains a stable temperature no higher than +8C in summer and no lower than +4C in winter. Maintaining such a temperature in the basement of a house is almost impossible. How to make a cellar at your dacha with your own hands?

We will look at the principles of building a cellar, the conditions under which it is not practical to build one, and interesting options for cellar design.
After all, you can make a cellar so as not to hide it in the far corner of the garden, but with its help create an intriguing style and an unexpected plot.

How to properly build a cellar at your dacha with your own hands?

It is better to plan the construction of a cellar at your dacha with your own hands in the warm season.
But such important point How the groundwater level at the site should be determined in spring or autumn.


After all, the only serious obstacle to the construction of a traditional cellar is soil with a high level of groundwater.

In this case, it is better to refuse a cellar buried in the ground and choose a semi-buried or above-ground option.


A traditional camp cellar can become interesting element landscape design of your site.


Or become almost invisible in the garden, hiding under the seating area

In order for the cellar to fit better into the overall design of the garden, the entrance to the cellar can be stylized as a small gazebo.


Where to start building a cellar if the pantry in the house does not provide proper storage of jars of delicious preserves, homemade wine And bountiful harvest vegetables and fruits?

DIY cellar at the dacha. Scheme and construction.

At the first stage, we dig a pit for the cellar. The floor level in the cellar should be below the freezing zone of the soil; this determines the depth of the pit: usually about 1-1.5 m. We make the perimeter of the pit wider than the planned size of the cellar by 0.5 m on all sides for insulation. In the finished pit to insulate the floor we pour gravel-sand cushion and pour a foundation slab 20 cm thick.


We are building the walls of the cellar. A traditional vaulted cellar usually has brick walls 1 m thick, and this despite the fact that vaulted structures best cope with the load on the cellar box. Because the cost of such brick walls is high, then to strengthen bearing capacity walls, take care of pouring concrete pillars. When laying walls on outside We immediately lay insulation film on the walls and fill the distance between the wall and the untouched soil with clay, which we compact well.


We are erecting wooden formwork for the vaulted ceiling. Because From above the cellar will be covered with earth for better insulation, then it is the vaulted design of the ceiling that will optimally distribute the load on the ceiling and walls. This way we will reduce the cost of building a country cellar and get excellent insulation. Let's do ceiling, strengthening it with reinforcement, we make the ceiling on top concrete screed, creating additional protection our design.


A flat ceiling in the cellar creates an additional significant load on the walls. Therefore, a “simple rectangular” cellar will cost us more than a traditional vaulted one.

We install one ventilation supply pipe 50 cm from the floor and 30 cm above the embankment, the other - the exhaust pipe - is approximately 20 cm below the ceiling and it is advisable to raise it above the ground above the supply pipe. The pipes must be spaced different sides cellar


To insulate the ceiling we use special insulating films, polystyrene or foil. We fill the above-ground part of the cellar with a 50 cm layer of soil. We reinforce the front side of the embankment with bricks.


If you plan to use the cellar embankment for planting shrubs and ornamental plants, then to insulate the ceiling of the cellar it is best to use a green roof insulation system.


We install electricity in the cellar and arrange shelves.


If the steps leading to the cellar are outdoors, they can be slippery and dangerous in winter.


Therefore, the entrance to the cellar can be arranged under a canopy.


However, quite often, the steps to the cellar are located in the front chamber of the cellar itself, so they are not only protected from precipitation, but the chamber itself creates a temperature buffer zone in front of the cellar, which contributes to a stable temperature regime in the cellar.


If from the very beginning there was no provision for a canopy over the steps, then even the most warm winter You may encounter the problem that the cellar door does not open due to minimal ice at the bottom of the steps. But the canopy can be made after the main construction is completed.


The cellar door itself must be insulated with foam plastic or polystyrene.


In the country cellar in the summer you need to do preventative work: ventilate and dry the cellar itself, wash, disinfect and dry wooden racks, refresh the lime whitewash in the cellar.


On the embankment under which the cellar is located, you can plant herbaceous perennials and vines.


If the groundwater level at the dacha is quite high, and the need for a cellar is urgent, then you can choose not a cellar buried in the ground, but a semi-buried or above-ground one.

All photos from the article

Country farming requires storage space for prepared foods, vegetables, fruits and pickles. Ideal place For such purposes there will be an earthen cellar, as it maintains optimal 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 constructing underground storage facilities has been known for a long time, since previously we did not have refrigerators at our disposal, and there was a need to keep food supplies fresh. One came to the rescue here interesting feature our soil.

The fact is that upper layer the 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 regions for summer. Below this depth, an approximately constant temperature remains throughout the year at a level of 5–9 ˚С, 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 +8 ˚С.

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

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

Important!
The most effective option will be a completely recessed one.
It is guaranteed to protect your supplies from freezing in winter and overheating in summer.

Materials for construction can also be different.

The most commonly used are:

• Rubble stone. Allows you to build strong and durable structures, but the work will be labor-intensive, and the price of the material and its delivery will be significantly high;
• Brick. It is better to use ceramic bricks, as their moisture resistance is higher. Good material for the basement, but quite expensive and labor-intensive to work with;
• Concrete plates. It is possible to construct the room from reinforced concrete blocks and slabs, but this will require the work of a crane. The design will be very strong and durable;
• Monolithic concrete. You can install formwork in the pit and fill the walls with concrete. If possible to order ready-mixed concrete, then this option deserves attention;
• Wood. A traditional, time-tested option that is distinguished by an excellent microclimate, complete environmental safety and availability of materials.

Choosing a tree as building material for a cellar, you should remember its features, such as fear of moisture, rot and mold.

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

Selecting a location

Once you have decided on the type of structure, its depth and the materials from which it will be constructed, you need to find a suitable location for the basement. There are two main options:

Cellar location	Features and Benefits
Under the house	Cellars are often located under a residential building. This is beneficial from several points of view: the house protects the basement from surface moisture and frost, it is convenient to go down into it without going outside, and it is easier to install communications. However, if the cellar was not taken into account and dug during the construction of the house, subsequently it will be very difficult and inconvenient to work
On a plot separate from the house	This arrangement will require more serious protection from precipitation 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 foundation walls. Again, basement odors will not penetrate the house.

Usually, when building a house, the presence of a basement is provided for in the project, and it is dug out and strengthened 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 your home, take this into account when designing.
Digging and arranging a basement inside a finished building is extremely inconvenient and difficult.

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

It is important to take into account the overall ensemble of buildings on the site. Cellars are not placed near compost pits, toilets, septic tanks, sewers, or enclosures with livestock. But about summer kitchen, home, utility shed, it will be quite appropriate.

It is advisable to provide a convenient and short path from your kitchen to the cellar, since you will have to walk along it quite often. It is better to turn on the lights twice: 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 this can destroy the waterproofing of walls and ceilings.

Construction of a wooden cellar

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

You can check the groundwater level at the gardening association, with your neighbors, or at the regional geodetic service. You can also measure the depth of the water surface in a nearby well.

As an example, we have compiled instructions for building a recessed wooden cellar:

1. We dig a pit 3 meters deep. The dimensions should be 50 - 60 cm larger than the room in each direction for ease of processing the walls;
2. The soil should be compacted at the bottom, and four holes 70 cm deep should be dug in the corners at a distance of at least 50 cm from any of the walls;
3. The bottom of the pits is covered with a 15 cm thick layer of sand and gravel, and then covered with polyethylene with a full wrap around the walls. 2.5-meter sections of 100x100 mm pine beams are installed in the pits and concreted. The part of the beam to be concreted must be covered with bitumen;
4. The floor is covered with a layer of crushed stone, which is spilled with melted bitumen or resin. You can leave the dirt floor if the soil inside is dry;
5. When the pillars gain strength, they are tied. To do this, a 100x100 mm beam 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. Walls with outside sew 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. The ceiling can be made of logs or timber. A durable board 150x50 mm or glued is also suitable wood slab. On top of the ceiling you should lay polystyrene foam in a layer of 100 mm or fill it with expanded clay, straw or sawdust;
8. Don't forget to withdraw ventilation pipes, one for exhaust, one for ventilation;
9. The outside walls should be coated, then the entire structure should be covered. waterproofing membrane, polyethylene or roofing felt. 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 of concrete, brick or stone;
11. The pit should be filled with clay. It will create an additional barrier to moisture;
12. A canopy needs to be built over the entrance. Usually they make a classic basement entrance with a sloping roof or a gable canopy. Subsequently, a barn or summer kitchen can be placed above the cellar.

Important!
Everything wooden parts must pass before work deep impregnation complex antiseptic with antifungal action.

Conclusion

Wooden cellar – a good place for storing any food, vegetables or preserves. You can do it yourself, provided you follow all the rules for preparing the material and waterproofing the structures. The video in this article will make our instructions clearer.