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root cellars

Crawl space root cellar floor.

Jim Aldridge

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Location: Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee

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posted 1 year ago

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The crawl space for the addition we are building on our cabin will have about a 7’ clearance in the front part as it is north facing. The “floor” is uneven sandstone. What should I use to level the floor and floor it with? I was thinking about leveling it with sand and then putting crusher run gravel on top? Any suggestions?

What other advice would you give for a crawl space root cellar build? We live in Tennessee on the Cumberland plateau, zone 6 climate.

Thanks!

R Scott

pollinator

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Location: Kansas Zone 6a

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Sand and thin paving stones or even thick floor tiles are fairly easy and easy to clean.

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Douglas Alpenstock

pollinator

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Location: Canadian Prairies - Zone 3b

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Offhand, I think the key questions are what temperature and humidity differentials you are trying to manage. Those are the core elements, as far as I know.

What this boils down to is: do you need to insulate against heat from above, or cold from below? My 2c.

Timothy Norton

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Location: Upstate NY, Zone 5, 43 inch Avg. Rainfall

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Jim Aldridge

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Location: Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee

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We are in zone 6a and I am building an addition with a 6’4” crawl space head clearance at one end. I am planning on framing in a north facing corner on the east side to put in a 12x16 root cellar/storm shelter?

I am looking for any and all suggestions on the build. What to use for sheathing the walls? Moisture proofing ideas? Ventilation? Cardinal “do’s and don’t’s,” Other concerns I haven’t considered yet?

Thanks!

Anne Miller

steward

Posts: 17718

Location: USDA Zone 8a

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Jim Aldridge wrote:I am looking for any and all suggestions on the build. What to use for sheathing the walls? Moisture proofing ideas? Ventilation? Cardinal “do’s and don’t’s,” Other concerns I haven’t considered yet?

If I were putting a root cellar in my crawl space (I don't have one though if I did), I would use the waterproof cement backer boards.

I feel this board would be resistant to mold, mildew, and moisture.

Are you putting in a trap door something like this:

Source

You or others might get some ideas from these threads:

https://permies.com/t/203862/Modifying-underground-space-root-cellar

https://permies.com/t/153795/Crawl-space-root-cellars

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