When buying a land plot for growing vegetables and fruits, you need to think about how to store them in the winter. Otherwise, a large harvest will not bring you joy, but will only be a burden. Therefore, the construction of the cellar should be your first priority when planning a site for residential and domestic buildings.
If you need a storehouse only for home-made preparations, fruits and vegetables, then you do not need to call specialists to perform this work. You can do the construction of the cellar with your own hands. The exception will be the storage for wine and cheese, since the parameters of the necessary premises and the special temperature regime require professional knowledge.
Where to start the construction of the cellar? From choosing the right place and design option. The best option is under the house or garage. You will need to order special equipment for digging a pit. Its dimensions should be fifty centimeters larger than the finished subfloor. We will consider the construction of a cellar made of reinforced concrete two meters high and with a size of 3x2 meters in finished form.
A swarm of foundation pit, after which we carefully ram the floor and walls. We fill the bottom with gravel, making a pillow about fifteen centimeters high. We cover with a five-centimeter layer of fine sand and carefully tamper several times, moving in different directions.
Along the entire perimeter of the pit, at a distance of 40-50 centimeters from the walls, we install metal rods that protrude above the ground to a height of 15 centimeters. We lay on them and fasten by welding reinforcing mesh. If necessary, add additional legs in the center of the floor. Fill the entire surface of the bottom of the pit, gradually filling the voids under the grid, and then above it, to a height of 15-20 centimeters. We leave the concrete to solidify for four days, during which periodically we wet the surface with water from a watering can.
After the floor has completely hardened, we continue the construction of the cellar. In the same way, we manufacture and fasten the reinforcing mesh to each wall. After that, we assemble the formwork from strong boards around the perimeter of the cellar to the required height. It should be located at a distance of fifteen centimeters from the reinforcing mesh. Fill the walls with concrete and leave to settle and dry. This process can take a lot of time. If the weather is dry and hot, then in order to avoid cracks, it is necessary to wet the walls with water. After complete solidification, you can remove the formwork and fill the voids with soil between the walls of the cellar and the pit.
The ceiling is made of reinforced concrete floor slabs , positioning them in such a way that there is space for installing a hatch and two ventilation pipes. We need pieces of asbestos pipe. We install one segment at a distance of thirty centimeters from the floor level, and the second - twenty centimeters below the level of the ceiling of the subfloor, thus creating good air circulation. If desired, you can supplement the system with several fans. They will help regulate the room temperature in the warm season.
The next step is waterproofing the walls, floor and ceiling. To do this, use specialized mastic, special concrete with microcrystals or bitumen. You can choose the most suitable method for you, taking into account the possibilities and availability of funds.
We install the manhole cover and adjust its tight fit. The absence of gaps will help maintain the desired temperature in the subfloor. After that we make a convenient staircase. If necessary, we make it from two spans with an intermediate platform and supplement it with a railing. We carry electric wires to the underground in sealed channels, install specialized lights for rooms with high humidity and a switch with a socket, supplemented by a lid.
We cover the slabs with a layer of soil. At this, the construction of the subfloor is completed, and you can proceed with the construction of a garage or a house over it.