Cellar for a summer residence - from classic to modern, review of designs and materials for construction

Every summer resident or owner of a country house can make a mini-cellar out of a barrel with his own hands. There is nothing complicated about this, since creating such a cellar does not require special skills or complex tools. Before carrying out work, it is necessary to prepare the following materials:

• Metal barrel (can be of any size). It must be taken into account that the larger it is, the more supplies it can fit.
• A waterproofing coating that will extend the life of the barrel. As such a coating, you can use bitumen mastic or paint. It allows you to protect the metal surface of the barrel from constant exposure to moisture, which can ultimately lead to corrosion and damage to the integrity of the cellar.
• Water-based paint (for painting the inside of the barrel).
• The boards needed to create the lid. A mini-cellar must have a good lid, insulated and sealed, so special attention is paid to this issue.
• Wooden blocks or metal pipes. They are used as a base when installing a barrel.

What kind of cellar to build at the dacha

A modern cellar is a complex engineering structure, which is easy to see by looking at the vegetable storage facilities of users of our portal.

At FORUMHOUSE, such structures are made using nanotechnology, heavy equipment, many cubic meters of reinforced concrete, counting and laying bricks, and concrete rings. Popular are monolithic structures that resemble a bomb shelter and beautiful “hobbit holes” with a convenient entrance.

You can build a cellar at your dacha, as in the photographs above, with your own hands - but it is expensive and will take time.

It is not necessary to build such complex structures; if the task is simply to preserve the grown products until spring, an ordinary vegetable pit with earthen walls or finishing with material that every homeowner has on hand may be sufficient.

All cellars are divided into:

• underground (buried),
• semi-recessed
• ground. They are made if groundwater already lies half a meter from the surface of the earth.

The deeper the pit, the less likely it is to freeze, so in practice, owners of dachas and country houses always try to make recessed or semi-recessed structures. Let's look at these options in detail.

Selecting a location

The safety of products and the durability of the structure itself largely depend on the location chosen for construction.

You should not build a cellar on:

• in an open area illuminated by the sun - it is better to choose a place in the shade
• near large trees that can damage the structure with their roots

The highest possible location for the building is selected. In this case, the likelihood of flooding by groundwater when it rises in the spring is reduced. Plus, rainwater or melt water will not accumulate on such a site.

The vegetable storage facility is located on an elevated area

To avoid the collapse of buildings, the cellar pit should be located no closer than 0.5 m from the foundation of the buildings.

When building a vegetable storage facility under an unheated room, you will not only save space on the site, but also ensure ease of use - you will no longer have to clear snow every time you go for food supplies.

The walls and roof of the building will create additional protection from cold winds and scorching heat.

When building a ground cellar, the exit is located on the shady side. If this is not possible, you will need more thorough thermal insulation of the vestibule and the entrance door.

When do you need an underground cellar?

In-depth cellars are located entirely underground, so the composition of the soil (only clayey ones are suitable here) and the groundwater level (permissible depth - at least 2-2.5 meters) are of great importance for their construction. In a damp area with a close groundwater level and high water with a buried pit, you won’t have any troubles and will be exhausted in pumping out water - it will be right to choose above-ground structures.

ChapelenForumHouse Member

I have a cellar in the Moscow region under the kitchen floor 80 cm deep. It floods halfway during long rains and melting snow in winters with little snow. No amount of sealing helps.

The simplest option for a buried cellar is a structure with earthen walls and an adobe floor. The height from the base to the ceiling should be 1.8 m. It is allowed to add soil to raise the bottom.

The walls of the pit should not be strictly vertical, but inclined at a slight angle, then they will not crumble.

To protect against capillary moisture, it is recommended to pour a five-centimeter layer of crushed stone impregnated with hot bitumen on the bottom, and then make an adobe floor on top (about 10 cm) with the addition of small crushed stone.

Andrey506FORUMHOUSE user

Moist air always comes from the ground; moisture condenses on the cold parts of the underground. With all the ensuing consequences (dampness, mold, mildew, etc.).

How such a structure is made can be seen in the diagram.

The cellar is covered with a ceiling, insulated and covered with earth. Previously, a cellar was always placed on the pit - a building in the form of an insulated gable roof. There you can organize temporary summer storage of supplies and keep gardening tools, materials, etc. there.

In hard soils, earthen walls are sufficient for long-term use without any problems. This is a great option for a summer residence. If the soil is weak, then the walls need to be strengthened - in the Russian burial tradition, logs were used for this, now the walls are increasingly reinforced with concrete or red brick. An excellent cheap option for strengthening the walls of a cellar in a country house is sheets of used slate.

Drainage

At the excavation stage, it is recommended to install a ring drainage:

1. Dig a groove 30-50 cm deep around the perimeter of the foundation (outside)
2. Lay perforated pipes with a slight slope at one point.
3. Connect them to a vertical collector.
4. Fill the drainage with crushed stone.

Based on the presence of water in the well, it will be possible to judge the rise of groundwater and take timely measures. Pumping is done with a submersible drainage pump. The liquid is discharged into a drainage ditch or onto the ground in a lower part of the site.

Making an underground cellar step by step

It is right to start the construction of an underground cellar with geological surveys, as our user with the nickname Evgeniy G. did. Before starting to dig a pit, he ordered a study and found out that the groundwater is very far away, there is no high water, the soil is 2 meters of loam, then sand . In these conditions, you can get by with earthen walls, but Evgeniy decided to “make waterproofing, like in a swamp,” designed the formwork and filled the monolithic cellar.

You can get by with much less effort and financial costs: a FORUMHOUSE user with the nickname Zagrebin built the structure from materials that were at hand.

It is worth considering this technology step by step. To make such a storage, you need:

• Dig a pit 2x2 m (but this depends on the depth of soil freezing; if it is large, you will have to dig with an excavator;
• Weld a frame from metal pipes (these were purchased at a scrap metal collection point). In this case, the vertical pipes are not dug in and no foundation is made for them - the lower perimeter of the pipes protects them from subsidence. The pipe, which is made in the middle for fastening the shelves, stands on a metal plate 12x12 cm.

• Protect the hole by lining the inside with old sheets of slate;
• Weld the shelves. For safety, it is important to do this immediately, in an open space;

• Cover the hole with a sheet of iron, insulate it with polystyrene foam (layer thickness 50 mm), cover it with earth;
• Be sure to cover the pipes and metal ceiling with mastic to protect against rust.
• In such a cellar it is easy to arrange supply and exhaust ventilation. To do this, it is necessary to drill holes in the opposite pipes of the frame: in one near the ceiling, in the other at ceiling level. Take the ventilation outside the pit and insulate it outside - in winter this will save you from the formation of frost in the cellar.
• At the stage of backfilling the cellar, lay a corrugated cable duct for lighting wiring.
• Make a hole: weld the box and weld it to the sheet to create additional rigidity. But here you need to remember that the metal box and hatch are an excellent bridge of cold, so for the winter the hatch is insulated from above with hay or warm trash. It is better to make the box and hole out of wood.

To keep such a cellar always dry, you need to properly insulate it.

EfhFORUMHOUSE user

Either the hole had to be made deeper, or the thickness of the insulation layer had to be increased, not only in the ceiling, but also in the upper part of the side walls.

The optimal shelf sizes were determined experimentally.

• Width 50 cm (or a multiple of three-liter jars)
• The height of the first tier is such that plastic boxes of vegetables can easily fit in; the next tier is the height of a three-liter jar + 10 cm.
• The shelves are made either from boards, pre-dried and treated with antiseptics and sauna varnish, or you buy ready-made plastic modules. Life hack - hardware stores often have discounts on them.

If you need a very small cellar in the country, you can simply dig a cast-iron bathtub into the floor in the garage and insulate it well with polystyrene foam. This is what a user of our portal with the nickname ami did.

Popular manufacturers

Buying a ready-made cellar made of plastic today will not be difficult. Which manufacturer should you prefer? In the Russian market, 3 companies have established themselves as the highest quality and most convenient:

• Titanium.
• Triton.
• Tingrad.

The manufacturing method, characteristics and design are similar, but there are significant differences.

Plastic cellars "Titan"

The plastic cellar for the “Titan” dacha is made of reliable plastic. The manufacturer offers a large range of models with the possibility of above-ground, semi-recessed and fully recessed installation.

Before going on retail sale, the design undergoes a 3-stage quality check.

Ready-made Titan cellars are distinguished from competitors by smart technical solutions. This includes the presence of reinforced stiffeners and two continuous reinforcement contours.

The walls of the housing are up to 1.5 cm thick and have powerful ribbing, which makes it easy to withstand the load of the soil layer.

For a safe descent, a staircase with gentle steps, made of well-dried wood, is provided. The hatch for each model has its own dimensions.

The basic set includes 3 rows of shelves, the size of which the buyer chooses himself.

To maintain an optimal microclimate and the desired temperature, two ventilation pipes are provided. The control device is a hygrometer with a pipe for entering electrical wiring, also available in the basic configuration. Volume 2 cu. m, up to large ones - 16 cubic meters. m

The company offers a large selection of models of various shapes and volumes, 16 types.
Price from 72,000 to 399,000 rubles.

Video review

Plastic cellar "Triton"

This design has also proven itself well in the modern market.
The material for the Triton plastic cellar is sheet polyethylene. Tests for tightness and quality of seams are carried out in production conditions using modern technologies.

The strength of the tank is achieved not only by external reinforcement, but also by special reinforcement of the bottom.

Shelves and spacious drawers for storing food are mounted directly into the housing.

The entire internal structure, including brackets and shelves, can be changed at the request of the client.

A manhole cover, air duct, cable entry, and perimeter racks are included in the basic package.

As additional parts, a wooden ladder, additional reinforcement of the walls of the container, a hygrometer and a lantern for lighting are offered.

The company offers 16 different types.
Price from 65,000 to 193,000 rubles.

Plastic cellar "Tingard"

Today the manufacturer offers 3 models of cellars.

These models are the most popular among domestic buyers. The case is made using rotational molding technology, which significantly increases its reliability, but it also costs a little more. Seamless technology also frees you from the hassle of installing additional waterproofing. Along with the highest quality, a wide range of sizes is available.

The basic package includes a folding metal ladder for descending, shelves made of wood, a hatch, simple or with insulation, and a lantern for lighting.

The price range of such structures starts from 100 thousand rubles and, depending on the volume, can reach 250 thousand. When ordering additional work in the form of installation, its cost will increase by an order of magnitude.

The guaranteed service life of such products is 50 years.

Cellar made of reinforced concrete rings

An option often used is a buried cellar made of reinforced concrete rings. Usually, two meter-long rings are lowered into the prepared pit, several rows of bricks are laid on top, and the bottom is filled. Sometimes one ring is enough.

This is what our user with the nickname slavontin did.

Slavontin FORUMHOUSE user

The ring is 1.5 meters, with formwork on top, the height is 2 meters.

The photo below shows a small cellar made of reinforced concrete rings with a diameter of two meters from our user with the nickname Mastr DV.

Here's how to make such a structure:

• Dig a hole 2.5 m deep;
• Lower the two rings;

• You can buy a ready-made lid, or you can pour it yourself (you need a thickness of 10-12 cm);

• Lay the ventilation pipe and wire under the light;
• Use a brick to raise the hole to the required height;
• Cover with soil.

Characteristics

The modern market for such products is represented by different models, each of which has its own characteristics. But if we take average values, then the finished cellar has the following parameters:

• Usual geometric dimensions without taking into account the model: 1.5x1.5x1.5 or 2x2x2 m.
• Dimensions of the entrance hatch: 800/700/500 m.
• Structure weight: from 300 to 800 kg.
• Sealing: 100%.
• Wall thickness: 15mm.
• Body material: high quality food grade polyethylene.
• Service life: more than 50 years.
• Temperature in winter: from +3 to +8 °C.

There is always the opportunity to order a plastic cellar in your own size, taking into account your personal needs.

Design from the inside

Depending on the manufacturer, the cellar may have different interior finishing options.

1. Economy option - mills without additional coating.
2. Standard - the cellar walls are lined with wood, a more comfortable staircase with railings.
3. Premium - the walls are covered with wood and covered with 2-3 layers of varnish. Comfortable staircase with railings.

What it is

A plastic cellar is a sealed container made of food-grade polyethylene or propylene that maintains a comfortable microclimate inside at any time of the year.

Designed for long-term storage:

• food and beverages;
• homemade preparations, pickles and canned food;
• vegetables and fruits;
• tools or technical equipment.

The principle of operation is similar to an airtight tray in the refrigerator for storing food.

Walling

For the construction of the cellar, red brick, concrete blocks, rubble stone, and monolithic concrete are used. You can dig in large diameter sewer rings. It is not recommended to lay sand-lime bricks or large-porous cellular blocks in the ground. They have high water absorption, so they freeze and quickly collapse. If the cellar is above ground, the same materials are used as for the construction of buildings, but with enhanced insulation.

Masonry of walls made of bricks or blocks is carried out in bandaging seams with reinforcement every 3-4 rows. This will allow you to withstand the lateral pressure of the soil without the formation of cracks and eliminate the risk of collapse.

For the installation of monolithic walls, formwork made of plank panels is installed. Reinforcing cages are placed inside, concrete M250-M300 is poured. The solution must be compacted along its entire height with a metal pin to release air bubbles. It is advisable to carry out the pouring as quickly as possible, before the formation of seams between the set and fresh concrete.

You need to worry about a hole for ventilation in advance, so that later you don’t have to work with a hammer drill and break through the hardened wall. At a height of 50 cm from the floor, a sleeve is installed in the brickwork or in the formwork for concreting - a piece of pipe with a larger diameter than the future channel. The hole can be temporarily plugged with paper or a rag.

Interior decoration, racks and shelves

The most common method of finishing cellar walls is whitewashing with slaked lime. It dries the surface well, destroys fungal spores and insect larvae.

You can line the walls with waterproof plaster, ceramic tiles, and plastic panels. It is necessary to carefully ensure that the surface is as smooth as possible, without pores, since it is very difficult to fight mold on loose coatings.

Racks and shelves in the cellar are used in conditions of high humidity. Materials for manufacturing must be resistant to rot, moisture and fungi. This:

• impregnated timber and boards;
• metal with anti-corrosion coating;
• durable plastic;
• brick, stone, concrete.

Before storing supplies, the racks are dried, disinfected and, if necessary, the protective coating is repaired.