Earthbag Root Cellar Build | Off Grid Food Storage (Part 2)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 29 авг 2024
- We complete the underground earthbag root cellar and review the cost to build an invaluable structure on our Alaskan homestead as well as head down to show you the inside.
Our Amazon affiliate link if you wish to support our channel: amzn.to/2Xi9CvE
Sandbags: amzn.to/2XQGP2w
Our Paypay if you wish to donate to us directly: www.paypal.me/...
You can subscribe to our channel here if you enjoy our videos!
/ simplelivingalaska
Simple Living Alaska Blog: www.simplelivi...
Follow us on Facebook: / simplelivingalaska
Contact us by Email: simplelivingalaska@gmail.com
As someone who has had a root cellar for years, I have one tip.
When your jars have sealed, remove the rings and dip the tops 2-3 times in wax. It will prevent the lids from rusting in the high humidity and then having the seal fail.
I recently thought of the rust on the lids . That’s a good idea thanks
How do you get the wax off later?
Just scrape it off
can you not use lids that dont rust?
If you can find stainless steel lids, they would not rust as quickly. I don’t believe the expense would be worth it, if you could find them.
I built a root cellar in northern Minnesota. To battle the cold I built a greenhouse over it. Use the greehouse to regulate temperature and pump out your incoming water directly into a holding tank to water from. This also helps prevent accidently driving over your roof.
Smart.
It does my old heart good to see a young couple working together like this nowadays. Best of luck to both of y'all.
Altus Gaspard thank you very much we appreciate your support :)
also, bend the corners of that tin lid, cause at night or walking past you will bump into it and slice your legs in a instant, i work with the stuff every day and is razor sharp
True, and foam is a much better thing to use as it is lightweight and insulates.
It should be hinged without an overhang at the hinged end and add a large rubber weatherproof seal to prevent any water running back under the metal.
Or, you can let it rust first, then the cut will get infected etc . .
I love watching young people work! Great job! And the young lady is a true blessing to you young man. Don’t ever take her for granted. It’s hard to make it through life without a good partner. I’m happy for you both.
Amen to that!
And the young man is a true blessing to you young woman. Don’t ever take him for granted.
Why him why not both ?
Son I think you got a keeper there treat her nice !
Indeed he does. She is a hardworking woman.
Suggestion 567,231: An overhead bar above entrance to use pullies, rope and bucket to safely raise and lower goods with.
Them bags don't hold up to the elements that well they will Rot out probably within a year or 2 I've been in the construction business for over 30 years
@@robertsantiago4329 without SUNLIGHT, those bags will last a lifetime. hehe
but as the bags gets weaker, the stampd earth will harden,, ONLY an earthquake ore the roof beams rotting would destroy that structure
@@robertsantiago4329 We have a 25 year old 5' high sand bag retaining wall that was stuccoed to keep the UV off them. We're in Michigan.
Great idea - something on the side opposite the ladder top to avoid passing jars up/down one at a time, or trying to carry crates-fulls up and don the ladder.
Add two more elbows to vent and no worries about rain getting in, just screen for pests and a cap for temp.
Earthquakes will vibrate the soil into a paste-like liquid which will push inwards on the sandbags. A flood can do the same. This problem can be reduced by sloping every sandbag and the entire sandbag walls at the natural angle of repose \__/! Readers, please also consider building your cellar in a round (and conical) or at least polygonal shape to strengthen the walls into tangential compression.
I have seen hundreds of retaining walls made of concrete, block, or ties that have *tilted out* after construction because they were _not built _*_tilting into_*_ the earth!_ Of course, frost heave has some to do with that as well...
You two should be really proud of yourselves. Not everyone can do this stuff
There are a lot that is able! They think they are disable because of a disability! We let our disabilities define us. Where some ppl won’t let their disability define them.
When I have seen this style of build in the past the walls were internally braced or built slanting outward (like this: \_/ ) rather than vertical to prevent the wall from collapsing in on you over time. Especially in Alaska where you have a major freeze and thaw every year which causes lots of soil/ground movement. Stay safe.
This is the only thing I could think of watching the video...
"they're doing the bracing.... next... right...?"
I'm surprised they don't use the tires as a stabilizer.
This is FAMILY! Peace to your home! 👍
I've been building earthbag root cellars for 37 years and one thing you really should have considered is to have a shot of whiskey when you finished
Hahahah I'm just watching this today. I was gonna get mad, then just started laughing. Good joke!
Take the bark off to slow down bugs from eating the logs
@@lindanwfirefighter4973 hardwood is different than birch/pine. Any birch/pine should be debarked. Pine especially.
Yeah a bit late but you are right
They left the bark on fence posts on other videos also. I was a bit shocked.
Yes in that high humidity mold will form between bark and logs.
Fungus
Neat build, but just a couple of ideas. First, you should have peeled the bark off the trees for the roof. Insects love bark and it will rot. Second, the seams on several of the bags line up vertically. You would get more strength by staggering the bags so that the seams do not line up. To late to do anything about that now, but for future use, there you go. One more thing. That you guys built that in a week and a half with just the two of you says a lot about how hard you work. Great job and I hope it serves you well for a long time. Thanks for sharing your journey!! Peace.
Also, tape the seams around your house wrap. Tar works wonders for weather proofing as well.
Agreed. Peeled logs repel bugs and rot. Sandbagging dirt is hard work. A 90 degree elbow on the vent will serve as a rain cap. stuff the vent with a bit of mesh screen to deter bugs.
They also make longer bags you can fill on top of the row once established. They did a great job in my opinion though.
Watch “My Self Reliance” channel to see technics for preserving logs from rot and insects. He burns/torch’s the log for earth contact. Also, secure your shelves and jars from earthquake damage. We enjoy your channel and amaze ourselves at how much you know.
For someone that lives in urban environment all my life, the build is obviously very impressive. What strike me more is the true partnership between the two of you, it's much more impressive than any of the projects I've watched you guys took on over the last 2 years. Hats off.
It's not much different than the urban life. It's a little more physical but you have to work to get anything.. You have to work to get anything.
1. Bend at the knees, not the butt & back if you want your spine to last, I'm old, I know. 2. Aspen isn't the worst wood for rot resistance, but it's close, especially if it's in contact with earth, so you'll likely be replacing the roof regularly. 3. The barbed wire imo is useless. If there is enough sidewall pressure to push the bags you'll see the wall bulge. 4. Your best protection against a lot of moisture is excellent surface drainage control sending runoff well away from where it will infiltrate near the cellar (one reason a root cellar works well under a house w/roof on it). Best of good luck, you two are tough!
Yes I seen another video using barb wire n I could see how it wood help
Put "hinges" on the access roof so can just lift one end and prop-up easily.
And possible a simple inexpensive i guess they are hydrolic arm like for a hood lift and hold usually $20 or less online! Lol!
that's a good idea. the ones for the tailgate of a full sized truck would work. best part is you can just drop it and it can be set up to automatically close slowly and careful.
and a door, so you dont have to climb over that wall all the time
It’s SO refreshing to see both of you working so hard! So many channels I watch, has only the men doing the work. Y’all rock as a team. I’m female, by the way.
You'd like the "My Little Homestead" channel then. The 4 women (mom, 2 daughters, and a daughter in-law) definitely do their fare share of the heavy work. (except the very complicated carpentry like roofing, cabinetry, and so-on) So far the family has built something like 4 or 5 earthbag structures on their property... Plus a remodel on the main house was done with earthbags. They also built an earthbag cabin on another property they own in the mountains near their main property. All the children have their own individual earthbag building for a bedroom... I liken the entire desert property to the summer getaway for Santa's elves... You'll see what I mean if you check out the channel. They are pretty creative people (the bedrooms are top quality) they have the earthbag system of home building almost down to a science. Take care. sincerely, Dean O. :-I
alison webster And methinks you took it out of context. I’m talking about partnerships, don’t pull your feminazi junk on me; I don’t believe in that.
Dean O. I will definitely check them out! Thank you.
You'd like the "My Little Homestead" channel then. The 4 women (mom, 2 daughters, and a daughter in-law) definitely do their fare share of the heavy work. (except the very complicated carpentry like roofing, cabinetry, and so-on) So far the family has built something like 4 or 5 earthbag structures on their property... Plus a remodel on the main house was done with earthbags. They also built an earthbag cabin on another property they own in the mountains near their main property. All the children have their own individual earthbag building for a bedroom... I liken the entire desert property to the summer getaway for Santa's elves... You'll see what I mean if you check out the channel. They are pretty creative people (the bedrooms are top quality) they have the earthbag system of home building almost down to a science. Take care. sincerely, Dean O. :-I
Benaiah Ahmadinejad I hope this is a joke.
Great videos, both of them. As others have noted, you do want a bend in the air pipe so that the opening is facing down, and you will want to put 1/4 inch mesh over it to deter rodents.
You may want to fit this for a storm/fallout shelter also (hammocks, water, waste control and hygiene, air pump, fallout meter), just in case. You could have all that ready to be taken into the space in one go. Sheltering from fallout for two weeks after an event halfway around the world could mean the difference between life and death. Small farmers and subsistence should also consider having covered topsoil reserves in case of contamination.
The sump is a wise idea.
Good work, you two. This is how we do it.
Informative video, great job!!
One thing I urge you to do is invest in some protective gear when using a chainsaw!!
I spent over a decade in SE Alaska with the USFS doing trail work and tree thinning and a chainsaw will mess you up in a blink of the eye!!
Chaps, hard hat with protective screen n muffs, leather boots and leather gloves are a must operating a chainsaw!!
We are all on a budget, but I guarantee you one visit to the ER will cost you 10 times the cost of protective gear!!!
The pros use it for a reason👍
Ronald Petetsen Oh chill out!
You’re just a wimp! 🤓
Gearjammer sooner a wimp with all parts present and correct than a he-man missing a leg, deaf, or blinded.
My friend had to save her dad's life when he had an accident with a chainsaw. She was 12, now she's a nurse, which is pretty cool.
Better safe and hot than bleeding to death in a matter of seconds. Because ACCIDENTS HAPPEN.
Her dad lost part of one of his arms. It was a serious accident...and they lived 15 min from a hospital.
Yay for girlscouts! Saved his life.
I watched a guy using a Chainsaw to trim tree branches. He was standing on a ladder reaching up with the chainsaw! The branch broke and came down on him, he dropped the chainsaw. The chainsaw hit his arm on the way down! Chewed his arm up good! I was 18. I learned many lessons that day about chainsaws.
1. Don’t do dumb stuff with a chainsaw.
2. Protective gear!
Very cool build!
Great vid, I was raised in Alaska from 1945 (still a territory). We built our cabin{s} over a root cellar, witch also doubled as a safety room should a bear get in. The part with power tools....... My GOD! Saftey, Safety, safety, even the smallest injury could fester, infect and become life threatening. But, thanks for the memories!
Realy like your videos. As I was a carpenter I just wanted to let you know that if you put small blicks under each tred they will be more sturdy. Especialy the the ones you plop down on. If they go from bottum of tred to top of the next one down they will WAY stronger than you will need for some time. as they are, I,ve seen those fail easily so i had to mention. Wish yous the best in filling the celler. Jon
Great Job!!! You are not NEARLY afraid enough of a chainsaw!!!! Eyes, Ears, feet, and legs are hard to grow back!
I noticed the foot pushing down on the log she was cutting, and I was waiting for the chainsaw to bind. Then there was a video jump cut. :-) I learned the same lesson about binding the hard way. Experience is a good teacher.
Watching the teamwork between the 2 of you makes my heart happy, reminds me of good times with my ex. NEVER let go of that, ALWAYS remain a team.
Yeah, my ex too. What ever happened..
I have a small farm in Utah I know what kind of work this is and I have to say you all are just amazing
Joseph Mars thanks! It is hard but we couldn't imagine it any other way :)
I agree with Ron. The saw can't tell the difference between bone and wood.
I do appreciate the work you have done.
Thank you for sharing this project. Lots of ideas, lots of work etc.
Two things though:
1) House wrap = waste of your time and money. The house wrap is not water tight : it has small holes and water will pass through. It is designed to shed water if sufficient drainage and open space is provided. It will not work against a backfill of earth or in direct contact with wet/humid substrate. Breathability is not at all under discussion because there is nothing to breath into. Thick plastic is a better choice in this case. Combined with a good vent it should help with humidity control.
2) Humidity control is a real issue in these types of builds. Metal shelving may or may not be a great idea: it can rust really fast. Hunt for plastic shelving and replace when you can.
3) Raise a vent higher and put a glue-in(not threaded) P-Trap on a vent with a mesh: prevents rodents from entering the vent and avoids the elements, including snow from getting in and blocking the vent.
the snow load on top will help insulate the cellar, i have the same metal racks need rubber mat on shelves and a edge to keep jars from sliding of during shakers, we had a 5.5 where my jars hit the floor , i built the shelve boarder and it saved all my stuff from that last 7.1, nice job on the build, the $50 solar motion light from lowes would work awesome in cellar, i have 5 of them on my property.. again awesome job..
I was thinking the same thing about earthquake safe shelves.
Maybe add a pipe that runs to the floor and out to the same hight as the other vent pipe. Convection in the cellar will keep fresh, cooler air, going down this pipe as the warmer air escapes from the pipe you have already installed. That may also lower the humidity
Please do this. In addition it will pump out the gasses that your potatoes and such will produce. I remember reading of a family that died because they were overcome as they went in to their cellar, one by one, by the gasses. They kept going to check on the previous family member and none of them made it out.
The other pipe really needs to be in the corner where your shelves are. Putting them in the same area does you no good. The ventilation pipes really should be galvanized as PVC is easily breakable in cold weather.
Great job guys.
I think their trying to keep the cold air from pouring in!
I respect your opinion. This is wake up call.. all i ever wanted in this life is peace... good luck and be safe...
Two things I have not seen mentioned in the comments already,
1) earthquake strap those shelves ASAP. Y'all get some whoppers up there, and losing all your hard work would be a crying shame.
2) make yourself some charcoal & keep a basket down there as a mold inhibitor.
3) find if you can wax the jars as a rust inhibitor. I live in 70s% humidity and my lids rust like crazy. I am switching to taddler lids with mixed success.
Okay, that was three things not two.
The sand bags got the straps built in👍
I hear you. I live in near 100% humidity (tropics) and I have gone over to stainless steel. Nothing else works.
Ulfgarius Hello, who do u get stainless steel rings from? I never knew they existed. Thank u
@@joybickerstaff194 Walmart, Amazon, etc. Google 'ball jar stainless rings'
@@Ulfgarius yep, Im in florida, plenty humid. Basic cans rust.
Just a few tips from a old guy that I learned from my grandmother when I started out.
Don't wash root vegetables before you store them.
Store root vegetables in sand to prevent rot.
Store last years ice and you will never need a refrigerator again.
Hope these tips help you with your storage.
Robert Z thank you!
1.5 weeks! Wow! You guys are awesome! Oh to be young again! It really looks good and I'm sure you;'ll learn alot as you use it and you can teach us something. Thanks so much for sharing!
It's so great to see a husband and wife working so well together! I loved watching you two work.
That being said, you really didn't have to dig into the ground like that. Using earth bags, you easily could have build it above ground or just gone in 4 feet and built it closer to the house and away from your greenhouse. So long as, you make the walls a good 2-3 feet thick you will gain that same constant temperature and you could then have a much larger space to store food with. You would also not have to worry about flooding from it either. Lastly with it being above ground you don't need stairs to get in with potential ice slips as you can just go in through a door. Just build your sandbag structure, use the same machine to just bury it and make a mound. Then once it's done plaster or cob against the bags for a better looking finish with less risk of tear on the bags. I mean I would hate to have to go down those stairs when you get older...
Still I wish you guys great luck and success!
You guys seem to be a positive and energetic couple. Its great how you share the responsibilities of the project. Don't ever stop doing that, if you can help it. It will keep your relationship bundled up in positive energy. I'm normally a loner, but now I'm envious of your dynamics.
You're living the life i wish i could of had. At least it makes me happy knowing other people lived well.
Herbs can be dried and sealed in Mason jars with Boveda packs.
Or recycled glass jars that are dipped in wax after the lid is on. The wax, jars and lids can be used over and over.
It works for Maker's Mark.
Now why would you waste a perfectly good jar, lid and wax on dry herbs when it could be holding Makers Mark? 😉
Plant grass seed and build up a thick turf or put thick wood chips. Build a couple of steps on the slope.
Should put some angle iron in the corners of the steps (underneath) and bolt them. The shear strength of those screws are next to nothing. They are not meant for that type of work. Just a thought
Even 2X4's nailed flat to the stringer below the steps would help provide strength.
Or cut a notch with the circular saw and hog out the waste with a chisel. Anything but what they did
My dad was in construction and braces everthing.
So many comments on what people think should be done different... wow. Seriously guys, I just stumbled across your channel and I think you did a really great job! Never seen a built like that before. I think your general approach is very straight forward and effective. If you ever feel the walls might start to bend inwards you can still reinforce from the inside. Same goes for the roof.
Keep going and greetings from Austria!
A good meant advice for your next shovel session from a guy who dug a big amount of holes preparing foundations (Garages mostly). Put the handle of the shovel on your thigh to use your bodyweight thrusting it in the dirt. I am getting serious elbowpain looking at the way you fill those bags :D. It is as well better for your lower back because you can use your thigh as a lever to pick up the full shovel. Hope the explanation made sense. Greetings and keep up the good work.
Used some 1/2" hardware cloth as shelf liners so the jars set even.
Oooo! I love this Idea!!! I also have some shelves that need a stronger and smaller grid shelving! Can attach with magnets if worried about it needing to come off regularly, otherwise wire it down or use the little clips one gets to build rabbit cages or traps out of the hardware cloth to attach!!
@@theducklinghomesteadandgar6639 Just the weight of your goods will keep it down. Without fastening the hardware cloth down it can easily be repurposed when needed.
You guys need to insulate the hatch walls more. That 1.5” of wood only has an R valve of 1.88. Incase the hatch in at least 2” of foam that you can buy anywhere in 4x8 sheets, then incase that with plywood or OSB drilled through the OSB, through the foam and secured to the 2x4’s. That’ll give your hatch along with the way you did your roof an R valve of about 13 which is like any 2x4 home. Last add some siding to the OSB like a house to protect it.
No insulation will help. Root cellars should be built below the level of freezing in the ground (in Alaska it can be as deep as 2-2.5 meters, i don't think they live in the permafrost area), otherwise it is just a basement. Root cellars need to maintain constant temperature and humidity, which is what helps to keep root veggies from sprouting. I can keep one in mine for almost the next harvest (just to clarify, i live in a pretty cold area, so i have only one harvest per year). In a cellar like this one they will probably start sprouting by the spring.
Nonono with no insulation it’s no different than digging a basement and not putting a house up. The hole you just dug has assess to the ambient temperature which will make the hole the same temp. The sides of the walls will heat up and will not be ground temp anymore. Throw ice into a cooler and leave the lid open. Same affect. Ice will melt a lot fast. Put an insulated lid on and the ice stays ice for 4-5 days. In the summer that cellars gonna be a hot mess.
@@neckofthewoods24 i meant as in "no amount of insulation will help since it is built within the freezing zone of the soil". I live in a similar climate, so i had experience with stuff like this.
You can see in their new video that the walls have frost on them too, so insulation from above will not help noticeably, since the frost will spread from the sides as well. The only thing you can do is build below that level and since they have high water level in ground, tehy need to do some drainage or barriers for that if they want a good root cellar. Or build a mound.
So yes, like we both said, it's not much different from regular basement without the house. And yes, when the snow thaws, i am not sure this little pump will help much.
It is also pretty dangerous since ground in climate like this has habit of bulging and that cellar will eventually collapse, i just hope it will happen when they are not in it.
P
Good job, two 90 degree bends on the vent, don't forget to protect it against critters.
Right! A bent over piece of hardware cloth held with a large arrow seal ought to do it!
Right. A piece of hardware cloth bend over the hole, held down with an arrowseal ought to do it.
I'm loving your channel! You two are the perfect match and team and helping others with ideas! You mentioned it requires 2 people in order to fetch food. That's the one that got my attention because I'm planning to live off the grid with my wife and build our own cabin with a basement for food storage. I'd definitely make that lid something one person can open and close that is bear proof. Using a hinge or something should make it easier. If one of you gets sick or is out of town or something, you must be prepared to take care of each other or yourself.
One design item you may want to consider is another vent pipe open near the floor of the room. this will help circulate air.
Wow what a laborious process.
Lots of worthwhile ideas and suggestions from the comment section. I hope it works well for you and i look forward to the updates.
Best suggestion- reinforcing those steps, the screws wont last long enough.
I would attach fronts to the shelves, Incase of earthquakes and think of making the shelving more secure just in case
We use Bungee cords for Earthquake mitigation. Just string them over-half the way up the jars on that shelf!
i think they can just flip their shelves over for a lip.
@@cynthiahurry-asoulsearcher729 I have the shelves and turning the shelves over may not work due to how the shelf, plastic bushing thing, and the vertical leg connect, but hey since I never tried it it may just work!
@@MaximusCommodus the biggest was 9.2 on March 27, 1964.
@@MaximusCommodus so you are operating under the premise that it can never happen again?
I was looking forward to part 2 :) that was amazing.. I loved everything that you did.. Wondering about the chute and how much cold that will bring in.. but I guess time will tell. I thought the metal shelving was a good decision. Cinder block takes up a lot of space. Many people have a "refrigerator" hole - sending stuff down by a pulley to keep food cold. I can imagine that your little cellar will be that same temperature. Fantastic job.. you two.. I admire people who aren't afraid of a little work.. You will be so happy for it, and you should be proud.. thanks for taking us along..
You two have to be awesome people to give dirt bagging some respectability. Hope this endeavor gives many good returns. Thank you for sharing your story.
Super Job! For others considering this construction, I have a thought. While building the sandbag layers, At waist height or shoulder height, put in a 2x4, on all walls. Then when you want to hang something, you can drill/nail into something.
You should also put screen over the air vent to keep mice out. Nice job.
Wow you two, wow! Bless your hearts, that was the hardest thing I've seen Y'all do so far. No wonder you said what you did. But! Your hard work and dedication has paid off. This is a great build and looks amazing and yes, a true earthen root cellar, totally off-grid. I so hope it continues to do what you want it to do, it looks to do exactly that even if you have to do a few nip tucks along the way. Can't you put LED battery lights down there? I have a few of those that you press as needed to turn it on or off, you can attach them to the stairs and put one on each shelf. So proud of Y'all!
Sojourner we do have a few extra battery powered light switches for down there ☺
I'm so impressed and can't wait to see how it does during the winter and spring thaw.
That is bloody awesome ... I really want a root cellar ... but we hit fossilized coral at about 2 feet down here ... you should be so proud of your work ... $1300 for that is peanuts ... your hard work paid off!
Everyone else :helpful advice
Me : Did you find any arrowheads or cool stuff? Fossils??
🤣🤣🙌🙌 same
Congrats on the completion of your fabulous root cellar. I think the summer temperature of the root cellar will probably go down a bit in future. You've built it with warm dirt in the summer heat which is stored in the mass now until the winter will cool it down. Then the natural flywheel effect will settle in.
I think the root cellar was a wise decision. Thumbs up!
This makes our hearts so happy! It is awesome to see you two work so well together. It's the most beautiful thing to flow with your partner and create something together.
Awesome food cellar, when some people hear off the grid they haven't a clue the work involved, it's all about the quality of life, great job, and you gotcha yourself a awesome hard working lady there.
A few comments on this nice build:
1. 2 X 3 opening is great for kids, many I know are "larger" so entering and exiting will be dificult in the coming years
2. make a way to raise and lower a basket so you don't need to carry the food in or out
3. You insulated the door but not the shaft of the opening, why not add a 2nd layer with poly between to stop air flow
Love the idea and you did a nice job, the sump pump idea is a standard, glad you discovered it. cheers.
My back hurts just watching you. I guess when you are young and healthy, you can do things like that. It looks great and I hope that it works out the way that you plan.
All the hard work is paying off
Widen the hatch wall and insulate it or cold air will pour off the wood and displace the warmer air, pushing it out the vent.
I was scrolling through the comments hoping to this suggestion. Now I'll depart, bye.
I love that you really talked about how much time this project took and how tedious it was. It is such a functional and straightforward type of build, but I have often found those to be the most time consuming and somehow exhausting. We just finished a huge plaster project in our cabin and it was also similar, mix the plaster and apply to the wall, not too complex but repetitive and at times seemed never-ending. Really enjoying your videos, thanks for sharing!
You folks are beyond awesome. I am a bachelor in Minnesota and people tease me on my 823 so ft home. Love the chickens.
Put some blocks of wood under the ends of each step to strengthen them.
What an awesome root caller. I've just stumbled onto your videos, and am so amazed at what the two of you are accomplishing togeather. And talk about interesting! I love watching. You must have such good energy from all the healthy food you eat and the good clean air you breathe. Thanks for letting me in.Karen from Canada.
a solar-powered fan will do great to reduce the moisture. A small computer fan will fit into the vent and it will drag air out!
Construction mesh on your air vent- keep critters out 😉 Great Job!
Wow you guys work so hard, much respect to you. I try to do the same but I've gone too far and overused the muscles in my back and shoulders. 1 month recovery! Look after yourself
urbanrat84 thank you, wishing you a speedy recovery 😀
Put a screen over the vent as well to keep out rodents
that's an extra potential food source!
Yep just skin it gut it and salt it then hang it...🤔🤣😂🤣
@@ambertracks kook alert
honestly, most rodents are quite capable of digging tunnels through earth and indeed (in my experience) seem quite happy to chew through 1/16th inch plastic bins to get to food, so a couple of plastic bags aren't going to stop them getting into this thing anyway.
Here's the plans to build that root cellar www.trackdok.com
very cool. no suggestion, I live in Houston and I've (edit-never really) worked w my hands. U guys r Awesome
Ladder steps only held by screws, need blocking under each step or in time will loosen...Ouch!
I could give you a thousand opinions about how I would have done this and that to make it better (in my opinion of course) but I won’t, because this is your project and you did it the way you felt best after doing all your research, and that is what makes it perfect. People used to dig a hole In the ground under the house with a dirt floor and walls and it worked just fine. I suspect yours will be great.
I've got a root cellar under my framed cabin outside of squarebanks.Been there 15 years now.The three foot space between the cabin floor and 5 ft deep hand dug hole about 8ftx8ft was made up by plywood with strongbacks and large contractor bags full of wood shavings piles against the outside of plywood.Never had a problem with mice.Never had a problem.Yours is going to work fine and your hard labor will be well rewarded.Nice job!!!Don,t forget they are good for cooling down moosemeat.Free refrigerator .I,m going to quess yours will stay 40-33degrees year round once it adjust to normal temp.Great job!!!Whew!!My potatoes grew well this year!!!
bob frost thank you, helpful info for us ☺
Hmm, interesting on the humidity and very important, thanks!
For topping off the top of the dirt mound in order to keep a snow load off of it, maybe think about a slant-roofed "dried" foods storage "shed" Make it 4 to 6 feet high on one side (away from sun side) and Zero feet on the opposite side. This would give the roof a very severe angle (4-6 foot drop over 8-10 foot length) to keep snow off of it (or at least making it easy to sweep clean). Bonus is to put barn doors on the 4 to 6 foot side wall...that opens up to hanging racks inside for herbs and other things that will freeze dry from the cold but will be out of the extreme drying wind). Since you never store anything on the floor of this "shed" it will weigh next to nothing on the cellar roof but will have walls and a roof over it to store things hanging from wall-to-wall rods, etc...
Keeps moisture off if the cellar roof, is easy/fast/cheap to build out of framing and cladding, and serves a second purpose...more storage of a different type/need.
Thoughts?
Matt P that really is a great idea, we lined the edge with rock and will be putting a liner or tarp on top to help with erosion for the time being. I considered clover next year to help with that and moisture absorption but we are concerned we may be replacing the logs we used in the roof in the near future (a few years), also there has been a recent development in the water table rising. We will do an update soon, I think your idea is great and we do need extra room to store dry goods, what we have also considered is coming up a few more feet with the build and building it half under and half above type deal. So far it is working well for our canned goods and potatoes ☺
@@SimpleLivingAlaska Don't forget to put a thick plastic between the earth bags and the earth when filling in around the earth bags, so water don't come thru...
@@SimpleLivingAlaska Boiled linseed oil is beast and works well...
@@SimpleLivingAlaska AND ,, I would hope to think you have pounded re-bar down thru bags to keep walls stable when the EARTH MOVES... Just thinking ya know...hope you thought too...
@@SimpleLivingAlaska think about a root cellar under the cabin floor for easy access thru door in cabin floor, when the weather is not so pleasant...or if you got snowed in one winter night. That way if you were inside for let say a week, you would have food and your compost toilet with you...just thinking....
Have you thought about a railing around each shelf to help save the jars from earthquake tremors? Maybe even bungee cords in the short-term. ❤️
I've been on bouts that use bungee cords.
I now have a plan . Thank you very much . I’m not looking forward to the labour but what you guys did is amazing.!!
Great idea!!!! If you decide to double stack those jars please include a barrier between the jar lid and the jar bottoms. Main reason is to prevent a false seal!!! If the jar goes bad, you dont want the jar to reseal. Same reason we remove our canning rings. Looks great and wish you well!!!
I mean just a killer effort guys rootin’ fer ya!;)
You did awesome job !!! You my want to add ridged insulation to the outside of the hatch walls 2 x 4 is not good insulation at all.
I was thinking the same thing---didn't know what to suggest that would be durable enough but you might have just nailed it!
Thank you we definitely might need to add some in that area.
Welcome to the combat engineers! You guys just built a bunker! A "root cellar" is a much better name and use of such a structure! I like the house wrap on the outside. Nice touch!
Absolutely mind blown with your strength and stamina!
You guys are awesome. If you start getting mold down there, you can install a cheap bathroom fan on a timer, on that vent, to circulate fresh air in a few minutes a day.
Awesome earth bag project. Just found your channel and I am loving what I see.
I would have put a wall plate around the top for the timbers to rest on instead of putting them directly onto the sand bags.
Great job, teamwork really pays off ! I don`t think you have to worry much about things freezing down there....once you get below the frost line (probably around 42-46 inches in your area), the earth`s temperature usually remains pretty constant, somewhere between 45 and 55 degrees F, which should suit your needs quite well. Temps will probably be a little higher on the lower shelves, so you can arrange things according to the food product`s requirements. History shows that wine stored under similar conditions has lasted for a LONG time ! :-)
I talked to an old buddy of mine he's 97 years old they built root seller's very similar to yours in the 40s and 50s he said to get u a 5 gallon bucket of water and add 3 cups of Borax power and paint brush the hole inside of your seller once a year and u will never have any harmful mold even on the timbers. hope this is helpful.
Brandon Wilson appreciate that tip ☺
I wanted to add I love this video.
So much helpful advice might be taken as criticism, but I really hope you look at the big picture you got our attention and kept it.
The hell with a gym workout move to Alaska
The exhaust vent should be even with the ceiling, and the intake vent near the floor, if you choose that method
It is good that you are not afraid of work, because you will be digging that cottonwood out in fewer than ten years. IF it lasts that long.
Also, as you will soon find out, a root cellar needs a walk in door not a ladder so you can enter and leave it under burden. Wait until you have to keep that hatch cleared of snow.
Mean you nothing but the best.
Forty years in the country.
I've seen dugouts with cottonwood beams 100 years old. Stuff does rot quick though in high moisture.
I just learned from Little Mountain Ranch that you DON'T want to double stack your cans because it can cause your seal to break. Chelsea suggested, if you MUST double stack, to put a layer of cardboard between the stacks. But best practice would be to not do it.
This was so awesome to watch you two build this! Made me realize: you are young! So much effort went into this! You should be very proud! Thanks for showing us how to do it!
I just adore you Ariel!! I look up to you and respect what you do! I'd be proud if I were Eric. He's got him a good woman!! Love you both from Florida!! ❤
NOW YOU KNOW WHY HOMESTEADERS HAD BIG FAMILIES TO WORK THE FARM.
Also they only had their wife for fun and games . Bet a lot of wives wish they had it so good now.
Off-grid living doesn’t allow for anyone to be kept around for fun and games. Who do you think was incubating, birthing, feeding, and raising those large families? (shudder)
I know some women who would love to have many children, and some that would love to live a difficult but fulfilling off-grid life... But I doubt a lot of women would consider that an easy life, or “having it so good”.
Maybe it’s just you and I have been talking to extremely different groups of women. 😐
What an amazing job! Just think of the awesome upper body strength you’ve built up tamping your soul out! Has the comfrey come up yet?
Jackie Martin that is a sad story, I planted 10 little plants that we started from seed and Eric mistook them for weeds so we now only have 2 but they are doing well, I'd like to take care of them so they will overwinter, I have been wanting to get a patch going for awhile. Thanks for asking 😀
For your PVC air ventilating tube just put 2 90-degree elbows so that Inlet faces down
Ya some ppl are clueless
Ha-ha! Please remember not to forget to show us around this installation some years later. Would be interesting how well it would last.
Через пару лет погреба не станет. Ибо мешки сгниют. Если не раньше.
You guys are living the dream. I want this so bad.