As David Cavagnaro and Nancy Bubel described in two previous articles, cabbages, carrots, and all other crops are great because they just need to be stored in a cool, well-ventilated area. A spare refrigerator works fine, but a real cellar is even better and more spacious. The cellar in the basement is comfortable and functional.
Traditionally, this cold room is an underground room built under or next to the house, insulated with a floor and ventilated in such a way that cool air enters in autumn and warm air leaves. Then, when winter temperatures hit, the vents close and the basement stays cold but not freezing.
Most modern basements are too warm for extended winter storage, but you can create an indoor version of the basements that have served settlers well for a long time by walling off a corner of the basement and adding ventilation, as shown in Figure 2. Two vents create a siphon effect that allows you to regulate the flow of cold outside air into the insulated basement, keeping the temperature near freezing throughout the winter.
Fred Matlack of Vera Cruz, Pennsylvania came up with this beautiful design and the basement cellar he built in the basement worked according to his plan. “You just have to watch the temperature and close the vents before it drops below freezing, which can damage some crops,” Matlack said.
While every basement situation is unique, there are some general truths that will help you create the best possible basement. The first is location. Since you need to get out into the fresh air, choose a location in the basement with windows. It is possible to drill holes in the basement wall and install a 3″ or 4″ vent pipe, but it’s much easier to just remove the glass from the window, replace it with plywood, and run the pipe through the hole in the wood. In colder regions, insulating panels can be made instead of window glass. A sheet of 1/2 inch thick extruded polystyrene foam laminated with half inch exterior plywood on each side is a great way to make a ventilation insulation board. Polyurethane structural adhesives are great for sticking foam and wood sandwiches together.
As with any basement, the outer walls create the ideal indoor temperature. This is what provides cooling, the more masonry surfaces you have the better. This is why you should choose a corner installation location whenever possible. This maximizes the impact on exterior walls and minimizes the need to build and insulate interior walls. If you have a choice, choose a site with the highest soil elevation outdoors. Does one of your options include a northern exposure? marvelous! If you can get it, great.
Once you’ve chosen a location in the basement and replaced the window panes with solid panels that house the ventilation ducts, take a look at the walls. Grab a helping hand, grab a sheet or two of plywood or waffle board, and get ready to let your imagination run wild. It’s amazing how temporary plank support can help you visualize the floor plan of your new room, giving you the best finish. How long should your cellar be? How wide is it? Is a large door 3 feet wide enough? Such questions are easier to answer when you have something to take, look at, move and adjust.
Once you have determined the area of the basement and the location of the door, mark the corresponding contours on the floor with a large felt-tip pen. While you need to build some sort of wood frame for the walls and doorways, it doesn’t have to be as strong as a regular house load-bearing wall. If you need to save money, you can increase the stud spacing to 24 inches at the center, but you’ll have to secure it top and bottom regardless of wall construction. There are several tricks to achieve this.
When you adjust the length of the wall studs, make them short enough that between the top of the wall and the joists above it is between an eighth and a quarter of an inch, combined with the top and bottom slabs. This way you can tilt the wall into place with little effort (be sure to use a level to check for verticality), but you can still hold it in place with #10 3.5″ screws going through the top plate and bottom edge of the joists . Insert a cork wedge dipped in glue into the gap before screwing the screws into place.
Basement floors are often wet, so consider using composite decking instead of wood for the baseboard. Choose a grade that is consistently strong and cut and nail it like regular lumber. Composite materials are rot-resistant and won’t give your basements a musty smell, even when wet. Attach the bottom of the basement wall to the concrete floor in the pre-drilled holes with construction adhesive and concrete nails or screws.
Insulation is your next challenge and there are good reasons to use rigid foam boards instead of traditional fiberglass boards. The most important thing is moisture resistance. Any basement can get damp from time to time, and fiberglass has little resistance to mold growth and decay in the presence of water. Foam, on the other hand, is much better at transporting moisture. It is also easier to work with than fiberglass and does not cause irritation. Extruded polystyrene foam is especially good at this. It is also an effective heat insulator. Please note that some jurisdictions require the foam to be covered with fire resistant panels in order to comply with code requirements. When planning your insulation strategy, be sure to include the basement ceiling. The heat coming from the heated area above can raise the temperature in the basement to temperatures that are too high for food.
The key feature of basement cellars is the double vent design. For best performance, separate the inner ends of the intake and exhaust pipes as far apart as possible. In addition, you need to plan your shelves so that there is as much air flow from top to bottom as possible. Ceiling shelves will help with this. It’s best to use hanging wire frames to support shelves made from 2 x 12″ lumber that you cut yourself. Cover the vents with a mesh to keep insects and mice out, and if you really want to cool the room quickly, add a small exhaust fan to add cool air that naturally enters the room.
Contributing editor Steve Maxwell has been helping people renovate, build and maintain their homes for over two decades. Canada’s Smartest is an award-winning home improvement body and woodworking expert. Contact him by visiting his website and blog Maxwell’s House. You can also follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, and find him on Google+.
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Post time: Dec-06-2022