The value of the harvest collected at the dacha directly depends on its preservation. Insure family budget from unnecessary expenses and to serve a fresh vitamin harvest to the table all winter - these are the main tasks that the cellar performs. No one home refrigerator, even the size of a linen closet, will not replace it.

The word cellar is most often associated with a country house. Here on the veranda or in the kitchen there is a hatch leading to the basement or shallow pit.

Free-standing cellars outside the house for storing vegetables, fruits and canning are less common and many summer residents are practically unfamiliar with them. This article will help you evaluate the advantages, study the varieties and understand the features of the construction of such structures.

Despite the same purpose, a free-standing cellar is structurally different from a basement. Placement of storage under open air requires a reliable roof and powerful insulation.

The need to build a cellar on the territory of a dacha arises in two cases:

• At high level groundwater.
• For storing large volumes of fruits and vegetables.

The type of structure depends on the water saturation of the soil. Surface storage is built in cases where it is impossible to go deeper into the ground than two or three “bayonets” of a shovel.

If the maximum level of soil water rise is at a depth of 1.5-2.0 meters, then the structure is buried in the ground to half its height. If the aquifer is deep, the storage facility can be completely dug into the ground, leaving a flat roof covered with turf on the surface.

Entrance to a semi-buried cellar

Some may say, why would I make a cellar in the yard when I can dig it under the floor of the kitchen or porch? There are several serious objections to this argument.

First. It is best to dig a cellar under the house during the construction of the building. In the existing dacha, the floors will have to be dismantled, and then, in cramped conditions, tons of earth will have to be manually removed.

Second. The construction of a bulk storage facility under a house can disrupt the soil conditions of the foundation and cause the building to settle.

Third. The ground may contain radioactive radon gas, which will enter residential areas.

Fourth. The dimensions of the basement are limited by the size of the room in which it is located. There are no such limits for a street cellar (storage warehouse).

Fifth. IN winter period heat from the house significantly increases the temperature and humidity in the basement, worsening storage conditions and activating the growth process of potatoes.

General information on cellar construction

As we said above, the solution to the question of which cellar is better to make depends on the groundwater level. If they are close to the surface of the earth, then the only option is above-ground storage.

Ground cellar - the best option for damp soil

The original appearance of the above-ground cellar is liked by lovers of rock gardens and other miniature “mountain massifs” created in the country.

As the “upper water” moves away from the surface of the earth, the storage for vegetables and fruits can be lowered deeper.

The lower the water, the deeper the storage

Along with the increase in the depth of a country storage shed, the problems inherent in all underground structures become more acute: the need for high-quality drainage, waterproofing of walls and ceilings. To solve them, a trench is dug along the perimeter of the pit, filled with crushed stone and sand. This reserve “pocket” will collect excess moisture that gets into the ground after melting snow or heavy rains. Backfill walls are made not with earth, but crushed stone-sand mixture, draining water into a drainage trench.

Regardless of the quality of drainage, an outdoor cellar needs waterproofing. Today it is easy to do. On the market you can find many hydrophobic impregnations and mastics that protect the bottom and walls of the building from soil moisture.

Water protection is needed outside and inside

Any summer resident knows that long-term storage of crops requires a certain temperature and humidity. In winter, the temperature in the country cellar should be maintained from +2 to +4C with an air humidity of 80 to 90%. It is easy to control using a thermometer and hygrometer. But how to ensure that the room is warm enough and not too damp?

The first problem is solved by insulation. In surface and semi-buried storage facilities, this role is played by the soil used to line the walls.

The best natural heat insulator is peat. Unfortunately, it is quite rare. Therefore, if you decide to build a cellar at your dacha with your own hands, buy polystyrene foam boards 5 or 10 cm thick to insulate the floors and walls. They are covered with earth on top and fixed to the walls with glue or bitumen mastic. To prevent erosion of the embankment soil, it is sown with grass or covered with layers of turf cut from the soil.

This is not a hobbit's house, but a mound cellar covered with turf.

Regulates humidity in storage simplest system natural ventilation. It consists of a long supply pipe and a short exhaust pipe.

Pipe A – inflow, pipe B – exhaust

There is a very effective and cheap way to accumulate cold in a storage facility - a glacier. Our great-grandfathers successfully used it to store meat and dairy products. This is a shallow pit with ice (in our time, its walls are made not of wood, but of concrete). There is nothing clever in the design of the glacier, but the cold release from the ice blocks is very impressive and persists for several months.

What types of cellars are there?

The simplest cellar is a wooden frame made of logs, on which a slab rests. A layer of roofing material is laid over it and soil is poured.

This is what a wooden vegetable cellar looks like

Wood, even antiseptic, will not last more than 15 years in a buried storage facility. Therefore, most often the walls of cellars are built from brick, cinder blocks or monolithic reinforced concrete. The ceiling is made from standard hollow-core slabs or using concrete poured over a reinforcement frame.

Sometimes wooden beams are used for the ceiling, between which expanded clay insulation is poured or mineral wool is laid.

Concrete storage slab made from wooden beams

Insulation of floors with expanded clay

For underground storage of vegetables, in addition to concrete and brick, you can use metal or plastic. A finished cellar for a summer residence is a container with stiffening ribs, which is buried in the ground to a given depth. The metal is treated with bitumen coating before installation. Plastic does not need additional protection.

Metal cellar in the process of installation

During the period of seasonal rise of the “high water”, a powerful buoyant force acts on the caisson cellar (Archimedes’ law). Therefore, a prerequisite for its trouble-free operation is the use of ballast - a monolithic or prefabricated concrete slab. It is placed with a crane or poured at the bottom of the pit before installing the tank and secured to it with anchors.

When considering the option of purchasing a ready-made storage unit made of plastic or metal, you need to take into account the following considerations:

• The price of a container for storing fruits and vegetables (including installation) is higher than the cost of building a structure made of concrete or brick.
• Despite the high factory readiness of the caisson, completely abandon the earthen and concrete works you will not succeed (a pit and a ballast slab are necessary).
• It is problematic to drive a crane into a developed summer cottage to install a stove and container without damaging green spaces, paths and fences.

The only real advantage of plastic and steel structure is absolute tightness - an important factor for a deep cellar.

The average cost of a 5 cubic meter plastic cellar (without installation) is 95 thousand rubles. Installation work will cost 50 thousand rubles.

The approximate price of a metal storage facility of the same volume (walls made of steel sheet 5 mm thick) is 85 thousand rubles. You will have to pay at least 45,000 rubles for installation.

Looking for inexpensive option street vegetable storage, pay attention to concrete rings. They are used for septic tanks and other underground structures. Having done concrete base and by installing several rings on it, you will get a reliable shelter for the grown crop.

Factories make not only round, but also rectangular concrete sections

The floor in the cellar made of prefabricated rings and its walls must be treated inside and outside with a waterproofing compound (coating or impregnation). A prerequisite for tightness is the presence of joining locks on the concrete sections.

Construction of the underground storage facility is nearing completion

You won’t have to manually cast a concrete lid for such a cellar. It can be bought together with rings.

If there is old slate lying idle on the farm, then the problem with the cellar can be considered solved. Having made a frame from a corner or pipes, it is lowered into the prepared pit. After this, the slate sheets are attached to the profile with self-tapping screws.

A slate cellar on a metal frame is a simple and inexpensive option

After preparing the sand and crushed stone and installing the reinforcing mesh, the bottom is filled with concrete. The next stage is laying electrical wiring, coating slate and frame bitumen mastic. The work is completed by concreting the floor and backfilling.

Monolithic slate ceiling

Regardless of the type of material used to build the walls, a well-executed cellar floor design includes several layers indicated in the diagram.

Floor design

To conclude our review, we will consider two options for above-ground mini-storages. The first of them is a “box” of boards with gable roof and the door. By insulating the space between its outer and inner lining with mineral wool (thickness of at least 150 mm), you will get inexpensive and functional storage.

The second option for an above-ground mini-cellar is a structure attached to the wall of the house. The benefit of this solution is twofold: space saving and one finished wall.

The ceiling here is made of boards covered with crumpled clay and a layer of roofing felt. The embankment is made with soil, which after laying is moistened, compacted and covered with turf.

To preserve food, it is necessary to ensure the correct thermal conditions and optimal humidity. For most fruits and vegetables, and the cellar is built primarily for their storage, the optimal temperature is from +5 to +15 degrees. In addition, it is necessary to protect food from rain and provide ventilation, without which the moisture released from it will lead to mold and spoilage of food. A properly built cellar fully satisfies all these requirements - regardless of the temperature outside, it provides a comfortable temperature inside, and natural or forced ventilation protects products from spoilage.

What types of cellars are there?

There are four main types of cellars:

• not buried;
• shallow;
• deeply buried;
• combined;
• basement

A shallow or shallow cellar is also called a storage shed. It is a small hole in the ground, above which there is a wooden roof. Both of these cellars differ only in the depth of the hole - the shallow one is made in a natural depression, and for the shallowly deepened one they dig a hole up to 1.5 meters deep. A deeply buried cellar goes 2–4 meters underground and is essentially an ordinary dugout. It is more effective than the previous two types, but construction requires a suitable site - most often a small hillock. The combined cellar combines the best features of all the models described above.

It is built in a natural depression, making the walls as strong as possible, and then covered with earth to turn it into a hill. To do this, you will have to use imported soil, but this approach seriously reduces construction costs, because the cost of delivering soil cannot be compared with full-fledged ones. earthworks. This type of cellar is especially effective on rocky soil, where the cost of excavation work is many times more expensive than on other soils. A basement cellar is the most effective and does not take up free space on the site, but it is the most demanding on soil and labor-intensive to manufacture.

Where can you build a cellar?

Despite the fact that theoretically a cellar can be built on any soil, there are a number of requirements, the fulfillment of which greatly facilitates construction. First of all, this is the absence of high groundwater at the construction site. After all, the higher the groundwater, the higher the requirements for the foundation and waterproofing of the cellar. You can determine the groundwater level either by contacting a construction or design organization working in your area or by conducting test drilling. In addition, you can use the traditional method, for example, checking with an egg, a woolen rag and a glass.

For such a check, at the site of the future cellar, make a flat area slightly larger than a glass, place a piece of woolen cloth on it, then an egg and cover it with a glass. This procedure should be done at lunchtime or in the evening on a clear sunny day. If by morning the glass, egg and rag are dry, then there is no high groundwater in this area and you can make a cellar of any depth. If only a rag or just an egg is damp, then the groundwater level is from three to five meters. A damp rag and egg indicate that the water is less than three meters away, and if drops of dew appear on the inner surface of the glass, then groundwater is directly below the surface of the earth.

Secondly, these are the mechanical properties of the soil. The worst conditions for building a cellar are rocky soil and the so-called quicksand, that is, muddy soil. The first is due to the fact that it is very difficult to dig, and the second due to its strong mobility when wet. If you don’t have to choose and only an area with rocky soil or quicksand is available for building a cellar, then to dig out the rock you will have to either hire special equipment or build a shallow storage shed. To compensate for the mobility of quicksand, a hole under the cellar is dug noticeably larger than necessary, then a concrete, wooden or stone box is placed, after which the space between the box and the wall of the pit is filled with a mixture of clay and sand.

It is possible to build a cellar on land with a high groundwater level, but this will require the creation of a concrete box and very serious, and therefore costly, waterproofing. If you don't know what kind of soil is on your site, contact any construction or design company that builds houses in your area. When choosing a location on the site, keep in mind that a small hollow or hole is better suited for a storage shed, and a hill is better suited for a deeply buried cellar.

Preparing for the construction of a cellar

As we have already said, you need to start by determining the composition and properties of the soil, as well as the groundwater level. This can be done using “folk” methods, but it is much safer to contact those who build houses in your area for advice. After this, you need to decide what type of cellar you will build. The next step is to create a project that you can create yourself. During the design, you will determine the size and shape of the future cellar, its depth, measures to strengthen the soil and the amount of materials.

It is at the design stage that it will become clear whether you can dig a hole yourself required sizes and forms, or you will have to contact professional builders. It will also be necessary to determine a place to store building materials and protect them from rain. In addition, you will need to find a place for storing soil, located next to the pit, but not interfering with other work. If you start construction without preparing a project, then there is a very high probability that you will not take something into account and this will lead to various troubles. For example, you can put the soil in the most convenient place for storing building materials, which is why you will have to carry the latter much further.

Groundwork and waterproofing

Excavation work means not only digging a pit, but also creating a sand and crushed stone cushion, as well as a waterproofing layer. On dry ground, it is enough to lay a layer of crushed stone 20–30 cm thick and a sand cushion 10–20 cm thick to prevent an increase in humidity in the garage during heavy rains. A drainage layer of this thickness will ensure rapid absorption of moisture by the soil, so a wooden or concrete floor can be laid on top of it. However, in land with high groundwater levels, these measures are not enough. In such conditions, it is necessary to make not only a drainage layer, but also a waterproofing layer. The latter can be made from roofing felt or silicate concrete. If you use roofing felt, then be sure to pour a reinforced concrete pad 10–15 cm thick on top of it.

If you do not use roofing felt, then you need to fill the concrete cushion with the addition of liquid glass(silicate concrete). The thickness of such a pillow is 10–15 cm. Steel, fiberglass or carbon fiber reinforcement is used to reinforce both pillows. The main problem that arises for everyone who works with liquid glass is the rapid setting of the solution, because the greater the concentration of liquid glass, the shorter the setting time. At a concentration of 10% (optimal for creating a waterproofing layer), the setting time does not exceed 15 minutes, so the solution must be prepared either in a large concrete mixer and immediately poured onto the drainage layer or poured concrete in parts.

Walls

In dry soils, walls can be made from brick, various blocks, including the entire FS series, or wood treated with protective compounds, covering them on the outside with thick cellophane or polyethylene film to protect from rainwater. In an area with a high or even average groundwater level, the walls of the cellar must be made of reinforced concrete. As waterproofing, 1–2% liquid glass is added to concrete, then coated on the outside with a cement-silicate mortar, for which the following is mixed:

• 2 parts cement;
• 6 parts sand;
• 1 part water;
• 1 part liquid glass.

The lifetime of such a solution is 10–15 minutes, so it is prepared in small portions and applied in a layer 0.5–1 cm thick. The same solution can be used instead of a film, because its waterproofing properties are much higher. After the concrete or brick wall reaches maximum strength (25–28 days), or after 3–5 days for a wooden wall covered with a cement-silicate mixture, you can begin backfilling.

Roof and ventilation

The only requirements for the roofs of deeply buried and combined cellars are strength and good waterproofing. After all, a hill is poured over the roof of the cellar, which not only provides the correct temperature regime, but also holds a large amount of land. Therefore, rafters are most often made from debarked logs 15–20 cm thick, and the flooring itself is made from logs 5–10 cm thick, but sawn boards can also be used. All logs are pre-treated with antiseptics, which we described in the article on how to choose an antiseptic. For shallow or non-buried cellars (storages), I most often use a lean-to or gable roof with slate, shingles or metal profile flooring.

Typically, ventilation for a cellar consists of two pipes, one of which rises 1.5–2 meters above the other. Moreover, the greater the height difference, the more effective the ventilation. If it is not possible to install a high pipe, then an exhaust fan is built into one of them. This scheme is preferable, because it allows you to periodically change the direction of air movement in the cellar, which improves its microclimate. Both outlet pipes are equipped with either fungi or an inverted U-shaped elbow, which protects the cellar from water ingress during rain. Inside the cellar, the pipes should be located at different heights, one under the ceiling, the other under the floor. With natural ventilation, the exhaust pipe should be at the top.

Basement cellar

To create a basement cellar, you will have to dig out the soil from under an existing building, so you need to consult an experienced engineer or builder. After all, without inspecting the foundation and checking its condition, as well as without analyzing the soil, it is impossible to determine the permissible dimensions of the cellar, as well as choose the best method of waterproofing.

Staircase and interior decoration

After completing the construction of the cellar box and filling it with earth, it is time for interior decoration. A cellar is a place for storing fruits, vegetables and other products, so it should have:

• convenient shelves;
• safe and comfortable staircase;
• good lighting.

The stairs and shelves can be made from any materials, such as boards or metal. The main requirement is strength and safety. Often the cellar is decorated with interior decoration, including brick, which gives the interior of the room new features. Also, any cellar needs lighting, so wiring is laid in it, a lamp and a switch are installed. After all activities related to construction and finishing are completed, the cellar is loaded with products and used all year round.

Conclusion

Now you know what a cellar can be, how these or those types of buildings differ, and how to build it with your own hands. This will help you build a place to store food yourself, so that the harvest from your garden, or vegetables and fruits from the store will not be lost, but will remain intact for several months.

A cellar in a homestead is simply necessary - it will help preserve a large amount of food stored for the winter, which simply cannot fit in a regular refrigerator. This room may be located under the house, or it may be located near it, on the site. To know how to build a cellar on the street, you need to study all stages of this process, starting with digging a pit and ending with installing a roof.

A very important condition is the choice of time of year for constructing a cellar. Recommended do work in summer in dry weather, so that the pit remains dry and dense during the construction process.

Types of cellars

An outdoor cellar can be arranged in three main ways:

- completely located underground, in a dug pit, and having a roof over the entrance;

- dug out in an elevated area of ​​the site, on top of which an embankment is made;

- a ready-made insulated body, which is installed in a pit and covered with soil.

Having purchased a ready-made version of the cellar body, you don’t have to worry about the process of building walls and waterproofing them; you just need to prepare the foundation pit and strengthen its bottom.

To determine which one existing options to the maximum extent suitable both for the conditions of a particular site and for the volume of upcoming construction work, we need to consider each of them in more detail.

Cellar on a flat area

This option for building a cellar is quite labor-intensive, but if it is not possible to purchase a ready-made building, and the site area does not have a pronounced elevation, then it will be the only one that is applicable in this case.

When resorting to this method of constructing a cellar, you need to take into account the height of groundwater in the given area and in the specific area where the pit will be dug. If the area is not enough, then soil water can ruin all the work done or, appearing later, render the products stored in the cellar unusable.

The approximate water level is determined by looking into a nearby well in the spring, when abundant snow melts. In summer, in places where groundwater runs high, moisture-loving grass grows, such as horse sorrel, horsetail, sedge and other similar varieties - there it is juicier and taller.

If you want to more accurately determine this parameter, you can call a specialist who will professionally calculate the best place for digging a pit and its possible depth. In any case, there is no need to choose a place in the lowlands where water can stagnate.

When arranging a cellar in this way, the pit must be planned at least two to two and a half meters deep. The work needs to begin with the process of digging a pit.

Pit preparation

The place chosen for the cellar must be thoroughly cleaned by removing the turf fertile layer, thereby marking the digging area. The work is carried out manually, since the equipment will disturb the edges of the pit, which is undesirable for this particular option for constructing a cellar. To make digging easier, it is better to remove the soil in layers, loosening each of them and carefully leveling the edges of the hole as much as possible.

If the soil on the site itself is loose, then the pit is dug with a slope - then the earth will crumble less. In this case, the top of the pit is marked 30-50 cm in each direction more than its bottom should be.

If the groundwater level is sufficiently high, the pit is also made wider and deeper by 40-50 cm, and this space is filled with waterproofing material that will protect the walls from dampness. The walls and floor of the cellar can be waterproofed using clay extracted from the pit; it is poured into the bottom of the pit after digging is completed and around the already erected walls. The top fertile layer of soil is suitable for transferring to the beds of a vegetable garden or flower garden, and the rest of the soil can be used, for example, to fill the bottom layer of an “alpine hill”.

Materials for building a cellar

To build cellar walls it is best to use natural materials, which will not emit harmful fumes. The explanation for this is simple - in such a room there will be not only canned closed products, but also vegetables and fruits in special open boxes. They are capable of perceiving and absorbing odors and various substances unnecessary for the body. Metal in open form It is also not recommended to use it in the construction of a cellar, since it will serve as a conductor of cold, violating the optimal temperature required for storing food.

Therefore, for arrangement you need the following:

- choose brick, foam blocks or concrete slabs for the walls;

— for the floor you need cement and sand to make the mortar, reinforcement to strengthen the screed being poured, sand and crushed stone for the “cushion”;

- the floor requires ready-made concrete slabs or boards for formwork and a base for pouring concrete, as well as reinforcement to create an appropriate reinforcing belt;

— on the outside, clay waterproofing can be supplemented with roofing felt, securing it to the walls using mastic;

— for the roof you will need wooden blocks and boards, roofing felt for waterproofing, roofing material;

- will be required plastic pipes for ventilation;

— for the manufacture of hatches and doors, lumber is prepared;

- interior wall decoration involves the use plaster mixture or boards for sheathing.

All wooden parts buildings must be treated with antiseptic agents so that they last a long time without rotting, damage by insects or microorganisms.

Foundation

In order for the cellar to be reliable and dry, it is best to make it concrete, but before pouring it, you must make a good base for it. waterproofed basis.

• A sand cushion with a thickness of 100 ÷ 120 mm is poured into the bottom of the pit; it must be well compacted. To do this, the sand is slightly moistened and compacted.
• Crushed stone, 60 ÷ 80 mm thick, is poured on top of the sand, leveled and compacted.

• Next, it would be good to make a boundary around the perimeter of the pit and lay reinforcement. The height of the foundation floor can be from 70 to 120 mm.
• The next step is to pour concrete into the formwork and level it.
• After it hardens and the formwork is removed, the sides of the foundation can be coated with tar, which well insulates it from moisture coming from the ground.

It should be noted that the floor of the cellar is sometimes left earthen. This is possible if the groundwater is deep enough. An earthen floor will allow natural ventilation and soil temperature at a given depth to be maintained in the cellar. In this case, to erect walls at the bottom of the pit, a strip foundation is poured around the perimeter.

Construction of walls, ventilation and waterproofing

• Walls can be erected on the prepared foundation. For masonry brick walls In cellars, a mixture of clay and sand is most often used, but the usual cement mortar can also be used.
• If the ceiling of the cellar will rest on the masonry walls, then their thickness should be equal to one brick.
• When using not only walls, but also the soil surrounding the cellar to support the ceiling, then their thickness of half a brick is sufficient.
• If space is left between the earthen walls of the pit and the brickwork for waterproofing, then, as it is carried out, this space is filled with clay, spilled with water and thoroughly compacted.

• A layer of roofing material can be fixed between the clay backfill and the brick wall.
• After laying one or two rows of bricks, in the opposite corner from the entrance, in the wall to the entire height of the basement, a niche is cut in the ground for the ventilation pipe.
• In the second or third row of masonry, opposite the niche, install a ventilation pipe with a corner outlet, which is built into the wall. Later, this hole should be closed with a fine grate to prevent rodents from getting inside the cellar.
• The pipe above the surface of the cellar covering should rise no less than one and a half meters.
• The walls are erected to the top of the pit, with constant monitoring of their verticality and horizontality using a plumb line and a building level.

An important note - if the groundwater comes close to the foundation-floor, then it is worth building around the brick walls. It is usually filled with crushed stone or broken brick. It will drain moisture from the cellar into a specially constructed container or pit near the cellar.

Cellar cover

Covering a basement can be done in different ways. The simplest of them is to lay on top of it concrete slabs, which should, in addition to the walls, rest on the ground around the cellar by 400 — 500 mm. But not every site can be visited by equipment capable of lifting the slab and placing it in the intended place, so very often you have to do the flooring yourself. In addition to ready-made concrete slabs, a home-made concrete, wooden or combined floor can be installed. The latter is convenient because between wooden beams It is convenient to lay insulation from the inside of the cellar, as well as to secure the ceiling boards.

• If this option is chosen, then roofing material is laid on top of the walls and on the ground around them, on which processed bars measuring 150 × 100 mm are laid - they will act as beams. The distance between them should be no more than 500 mm.
• A flooring of boards is placed on top of the beam bars, and a hole is provided for the hatch.
• Then, waterproofing made of dense polyethylene film is laid on top of the wooden boards. The film should be placed on the ground, around the cellar.

• A reinforcing grid is laid on top of the film, a boundary formwork is installed, and then the resulting space is filled, which is leveled and left to dry. Thickness concrete floor, poured onto wooden base should be 40 ÷ 50 mm.
• After the concrete has hardened, the hatch hole, if necessary, is raised to the desired height and a cover is installed on it.

When constructing such an entrance, the staircase can only be the simplest.

Roof over the cellar

A gable roof will be installed above the hatch, and the rest of the space above the cellar will be covered with the film remaining on the surface and sprinkled with soil.

Since the concrete area will be larger than the cellar room, a gable roof is installed over its entire width. Thus, a small triangular shed is formed above the hatch, in which you can even stack some firewood.

The roof structure is assembled from high-quality lumber. The rafters of the slopes are fastened at the bottom with bars, which will become a reliable basis for the roof. They need to be secured to a concrete base with anchor elements.

You can do it another way. Along the perimeter of the concrete site, it is necessary to build a low wall in two or three rows of bricks, and install a roof structure on top of it. The brick part of this mini-shed must be covered with waterproofing.

The front part of the roof is sheathed with boards, and roofing felt can be laid on the slopes, and slate or metal tiles on top. Some people prefer to cover the slopes with plywood and then lay soft roof. On the one hand, the pediment is completely sewn up, and on the other, an opening is left for installing the front door.

When the cellar is no longer affected by precipitation, you can light the interior and finish the walls and ceiling.

Cellar lighting

The interior decoration of the room can, of course, be done before installing the ceiling, but there is no guarantee that it will not be spoiled by sudden rain. Therefore, it is better to conduct electricity and make lighting after the hatch is closed with the roof.

Lighting should be done not only in the basement, but also at the entrance to it under the roof.

Copper wires in reliable double insulation are stretched from the house to the roof above the hatch into the cellar; from this entrance room they are already carried down. The lamps must be placed so that under no circumstances can they be touched when going down to the basement. It is best to cover the light bulbs with a protective cap.

The wiring must be done in such a way that the light bulbs turn on simultaneously - under the roof and in the cellar. The switch should be placed under the roof at the entrance, on comfortable height, approximately 1.2 ÷ 1.5 m from the floor. It is prohibited to install sockets in a cellar or basement due to safety precautions.

If you do not have experience with conducting and connecting electricity, then it is better to entrust this to qualified specialists, since, without knowing the wiring system, at best, you can leave the entire house without light.

Finishing walls, floors and ceilings

If the cellar is good waterproofed, then any material can be used for finishing. If the ceiling is built on bars, then it is worth laying insulation in mats between them - this will maintain an even temperature in the cellar both in winter frosts and in summer heat.

To strengthen the insulation to the concrete ceiling, you can mount a lattice structure that can press the mats to the surface. From below it will not be difficult to sheathe the ceiling with boards or moisture-resistant plasterboard, screwing it to the bars.

Roofing felt and mastic can be replaced with liquid rubber or liquid silicate glass, which will also create a waterproof layer.

Many people leave the walls brick, without additional covering, but it is better to finish them plaster mortar, rubbing to perfect evenness. They can be soaked liquid waterproofing, which is able to penetrate deep into the plaster and, having crystallized, make it waterproof. After the waterproofing has dried, you can whitewash the walls with lime - this will make the cellar room neater and brighter.

After all the finishing of the cellar is completed and dried, you can think about where and how many shelves to place and where to organize boxes (boxes) for storing root vegetables.

There is one trick that will help site owners naturally remove excess moisture from the cellar. To do this, you just need to plant around the cellar berry bushes, which will actively absorb moisture from the soil. Trees of any species should not be planted close to the building, as their roots can destroy the waterproofing, and over time, even the walls of the cellar.

Prices for various types of thermal insulation materials

Thermal insulation materials

Video: stages of construction of one of the cellar options

Cellar with an inclined entrance and an earthen embankment

The second option for a cellar is located on a small hill, if there is one on the site. If there are high groundwater levels and there is such a place on the territory, this particular cellar will be the best option. However, such an “elevation” can also be created artificially.

The peculiarity of this approach is that all the soil that is removed from the pit is used for embankment on top of the roof and entrance. A thick layer of soil will not allow summer time warm up the cellar room, and keep it inside in winter desired temperature for food preservation.

When building such a cellar, a door is used for entry, and not a hatch, as in the first option. The staircase leading down is made of cement mortar, brick or treated boards, and has wide, steep steps rather than simple rungs.

The most important advantage in building such a cellar is that the pit for it does not need to be made too deep, since the embankment of soil built on top creates everything the necessary conditions. The floors and walls are arranged in the same way as in the first case, but the work of the corridor leading down also complicates the work.

• The first thing they do is, as in the first option, they dig a foundation pit, but not so deep, since the walls will be raised above it.

• Then, on the other side, where it is planned to install the door, steps are cut into the ground leading to the surface. They are subsequently necessarily strengthened by one of the options mentioned above.
• The optimal solution would be to strengthen the steps with reinforcing mesh and pour concrete with a layer of 40 — 60 mm, having previously made enclosing formwork. Steel corners are built into the edges of the steps - they will allow the stairs to last longer. If the steps are securely reinforced, they can serve as a foundation for the walls of the corridor leading upward.

• When the walls are removed, you can move on to installing the ceiling. It can be folded in the form of an arch or have a flat surface running parallel to the direction of the stairs.
• The brick walls of this cellar option rise higher above the pit than in the first option, so much so that the ceiling height is at least two meters.
• After raising the walls to the required height, a ceiling is placed on top. It must be strong enough to support a thick mound of soil. Waterproofing the walls is carried out in the same way as in the first option, but in this case it will also have to be done from above, under the roof.
• There is no need to insulate the ceiling or screed the cellar roof. There are enough floor beams for which flat or regular slate is laid on which and a mound of soil is made.

• The exit to the surface can be designed in different ways, but in any case it should be a brick wall in which the door is installed. Upper and lower door reliably close the room from external cold or summer heat. Doors are usually made of thick boards, which themselves are natural insulation.

Such a cellar is sometimes made not in a dug pit, but by digging downhill. This method is more complicated in the sense that it is not as easy to remove soil from a closed space as from a pit.

When making a cellar in this way, as you go deeper down the walls, you install supports that will hold the vault. At the end of the dug room it is necessary. For it, a hole is drilled from above into which the pipe is installed.

The interior is usually finished with bricks or stones, which are laid along the walls in concrete or clay mortar. Raised walls can turn into an arched ceiling or be covered with massive, impregnated with antiseptic compounds logs, which can be covered with boards on top.

But this method of building a cellar is rarely used today, since it is quite labor-intensive, requires careful calculations and, it must be said, is quite unsafe due to the risk of the vault collapsing during the digging process.

Installation of a finished structure for a cellar

Currently industrial enterprises ready-made housings are produced cellars from different materials, which eliminate the labor-intensive processes of wall construction and waterproofing during their installation. If you purchase such an insulated cellar, then you do not need to do additional thermal insulation for it.

A very good solution - a ready-made barrel cellar

This structure can be installed on the street or even under the house. The entrance to the cellar is a hermetically sealed hatch, which means that there is no need to build a massive staircase.

For example, a cylindrical body is presented, the side parts of which are made in the form of hemispheres - this is exactly what geometric shape will withstand external dynamic impact well when the soil swells during freezing.

Barrel cellar it is quite compact: its diameter is only 2.2 m, the length of the room inside the case is 3.3 m, and the total volume is 10.40 m³. In fact, it is a small cozy underground room with shelves arranged on the walls and ventilation.

The walls of the barrel are reliably insulated and completely sealed. They are multi-layered and consist of polyurethane foam and carbon steel, and the outer shell is made of fiberglass. The surfaces inside the barrel are primed and coated with enamel.

The ventilation system is made according to all the rules, and consists of two pipes - exhaust and supply. They are located on opposite side walls of the barrel and maintain optimal humidity conditions indoors.

The floors, shelf system and stairs are made of well-dried, varnished wood, which creates a favorable atmosphere for storing workpieces, fruits or vegetables.

In addition, inside the cellar there is a lighting system that uses a reduced voltage of 12 V, which is safe for working at depth and in wet conditions.

Installation of the cellar barrel is quite simple. Considering the size of the structure, a pit is dug under it. A reliable base is arranged in it, on which the container is lowered, and then buried with soil. If the cellar is made in street conditions, then it is recommended to build a shed or at least a canopy with a roof over the hatch, which in winter will not allow the entrance to be covered with snow.

The installation of such a cellar is usually carried out by a manufacturing company, whose specialists during this process take into account all the available nuances of the technology, so the owner of the site is tasked with only the simplest work.

Video: installation of a finished insulated cellar

Which of the presented cellars located on the street should be chosen by the owner of the site depends on the available capabilities and characteristics of the territory. Some people prefer to do everything themselves from start to finish in order to be confident in every stage of the work done. Others trust the construction of the cellar to qualified craftsmen who know all the intricacies technological process. Still others opt for ready-made designs, which will cause a minimum of hassle during installation.

Read interesting information on how to do it in our new article.

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In the territory suburban area It wouldn’t hurt to build a cool room for storing pickles, fruits, vegetables and other food products. In this regard, it is worth considering how to make a cellar in the country with your own hands. By completing all the steps step by step, you can create reliable and durable storage.

Even small design allows you to store many products

The cellar is usually located in a separate place on the street or under residential building. Its main purpose is to store food supplies. Due to the device, shelves and other devices, it is possible to increase the functionality of the room.

Classification of cellars by depth level:

• underground structures are installed in dry places;
• semi-underground structures are erected in damp places with average groundwater levels;
• above-ground buildings are made when groundwater is too close.

Note! In an area with too high humidity, a special cushion made of sand and gravel mixture. It will separate the structure from groundwater.

The construction of a cellar does not require obtaining permission from any regulatory authorities, however, the developer must in any case decide on its location, taking into account some nuances. You should choose a site that is as dry as possible, away from trees.

DIY cellar at the dacha step by step: basic work

After choosing a suitable location for the country storage, you can begin basic work. The listed stages are relevant for underground and semi-buried structures. As for above-ground structures, they have a slightly different construction technology.

Pit preparation

When digging a pit, the following points must be taken into account without fail:

• the depth of the pit is determined by the design of the building;
• the area of ​​the dug pit should be somewhat larger, since a certain part of the space will be occupied by walls and floor;
• You can avoid shedding of earth from the side walls by installing formwork;
• the removed soil should be left for embankment and design of the structure.

Important! Setting up a cellar with your own hands under the house deserves special attention. In this case, the need for laying floors is completely eliminated, since this function is successfully performed by the floors of the first floor.

Base structure in the form of a floor

The most suitable option is to fill the lower plane with concrete mortar. To do this, all debris is removed from the pit. The surface is leveled and compacted, after which it is covered with a 15-20 cm layer of sand. waterproofing membrane and reinforcing mesh, then concrete is poured.

Thus, when asking the question of which floor in the cellar is best to install, first of all you should pay attention to the concrete base.

Construction of the walls of the structure

The side parts of the structure must withstand soil pressure. Mainly used in their construction are:

• concrete mixture;
• building blocks;
• brick;
• wood.

Laying floors

The first option for floors is wooden beams. Load-bearing elements they are laid with edges on opposite walls, after which they are sheathed with boards. A waterproofing membrane is spread on top. The second option is to use ready-made reinforced concrete slabs. They are durable, which is why they are popular. They are laid on the end parts of the walls, after which they are covered with earth.

Creating high-quality ventilation

Constant air exchange will make it possible to avoid the appearance of mold and rot in the room, and will also allow you to maintain optimal temperature conditions. For ventilation, two pipes must be installed. One of them will be a supply, and the other will be an exhaust.

For ventilation, plastic pipes of medium diameter are suitable. However, their sizes depend on the volume of the room. The supply elements are usually located on one side, 20 cm from the floor, and the exhaust elements on the other, 30-40 cm from the ceiling.

Problem with high groundwater levels: do-it-yourself cellar

A certain category of developers may have the following dilemma: if groundwater is close, how to make a cellar? It’s worth mentioning right away that this is quite possible. To do this, first of all, it is necessary to make a ring drainage of the site where construction is planned.

Perforated elements are located below the depth of the soil along the perimeter of the pit. Their slope should be approximately 2 cm per linear meter towards the well or waste pit. Pipes should be covered with crushed stone and wrapped with geotextile.

If the floor and walls are made of reinforced concrete, then high-quality waterproofing should be done from the inside and outside.

You can use a plastic container as a sealed room. large sizes. It is completely buried in the ground. By building a plastic cellar at your dacha with your own hands step by step, you can avoid mistakes associated with waterproofing the structure.

Related article:

Work after building a cellar with your own hands: photos + additional recommendations

Ensuring unhindered ascent and descent is carried out using. Its width should not be less than 40 cm, otherwise moving can be very difficult. It is allowed to make a slope of up to 75 degrees. The material can be wood, metal or concrete.

To store supplies, it is necessary to build special shelves or racks. Typically, 100x100 timber is used for their manufacture. The height of the structure depends on the height of the room itself.

How to build a cellar with your own hands: step-by-step instructions, video review. A cellar is an important element of any suburban area; it is indispensable for storing vegetables, fruits and canning. The article contains information on how to build a cellar in a country house 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 and electrical wiring. The external arrangement of the building is also of great importance, and the construction of shelving and drawers will help to effectively use the space.

The process of constructing red brick cellar walls

Types and features of cellars

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.

Arranging a cellar will allow you to preserve preserved food and other products for a long time

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 good option for this building is a storage unit with 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; it has its own design features and nuances that must be taken into account in order to implement correct construction cellar As a rule, in such storage you can store not only wine, but also various preserves.

A wine cellar has design features that must be taken into account at the construction planning stage

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

When choosing a location for storage, it is very important to take into account factors such as total soil moisture and groundwater level. 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 structure, then you should choose the highest 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 high soil moisture, it is worth using for better waterproofing of the cellar from groundwater. Construction 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.

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

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

• 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;

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

• special attention should also be paid to thermal insulation, then the 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;

The ideal material for building cellar walls is red brick.

• red brick is 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.

Diagram of a semi-buried brick cellar

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. The advantage of working with hand tools is that it allows you to maintain 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.

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

The dimensions of the cellar depend solely on your needs, but remember that the size of the pit should be 0.5 m larger than the size of the structure itself. In the process of building a cellar with your own hands, the excavated fertile 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 a 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.

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

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. The bricks of the next rows must be sunk into the mortar until the seam thickness is approximately 12 mm.

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

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 roofing material filled with a layer of thermal insulation.

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

Types and features of floor installation in the cellar

There are many 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.

Cellar with bulk sand floor

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 for the concrete base to be as strong 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.

The floor in the self-built cellar is made of concrete.

Brick covering– strong, durable and attractive in 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.

Example of a ventilation device: 1 - for a cellar under the house; 2 - for a free-standing cellar

Design and installation of a cellar 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.

The cellar is equipped with a metal staircase

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 hatch 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 it. 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;

Diagram of a cellar hatch

• a handle is attached. The best option would be a special hidden or folding design. If the cellar is in 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 is copper wires with a double layer of insulation. Light bulbs should be placed in the driest places and additionally equipped with protective caps. It is strictly forbidden to make sockets when building a cellar. How to properly make wiring as safe as possible can be seen in training videos from specialists.

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

Installation of waterproofing in the cellar

As already mentioned, 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 the design features of the building.

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;

Membrane type waterproofing material

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

Scheme of thermal and waterproofing of the cellar

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. Concrete walls Before installing penetrating waterproofing, they are treated with a wire brush.

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

To apply liquid rubber, the walls must be leveled and cleaned. After this, the surface is primed and applied to it using a brush, spatula or roller. waterproofing material. Finishing 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;

Installation dimensions of a wooden cellar rack

• Concrete shelving is a good option if you want to know how to make your cellar shelves as durable and moisture-resistant as possible. To create concrete shelves, you can use reinforced concrete slabs or niches in the walls 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 average weight cans and boxes that will be stored on racks. Concrete can easily withstand even very heavy loads, but plastic cannot boast of this.

There are wooden shelves along the walls of the cellar

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 the construction and interior arrangement of the cellar is 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.