We have been thinking about building a root cellar in our basement but I don't have a clue where to start with it. Its a dirt basement on half with brick walls and concrete floors with stone walls on the other. Do any of you have one in your basement with some pics? Really any advice..
Are you thinking of digging through the wall or just building an insulated room (cold storage) in the basement?
I'm not sure if you are thinking long or short term storage of perishables. In our basement we have a room for canned good storage which is about 65 degrees in the Summer and 50 in the Winter. There is a door leading out of it with 8 steps down to the cellar in the back yard. It is about 10' x 8' x 7' and was built in the late 20's composed of brick with a vent to 1' above ground level. I have been told that the vent is to keep the humidity at an acceptable level. The temp in the cellar stays at 50 degrees year round. I move the canned goods and potatoes to the storage room and load them into a dumbwaiter that takes them to the kitchen above, and to our other kitchen on the second floor which saves a lot of stair climbing. As far as pictures there is not much to see other than brick walls, wood shelves and a concrete floor. Our neighbor has a very deep cellar and is about 15' underground. Although deeper the temps are almost identical. If you have questions I'll try to help.
We just used a room in the basement that we insulated well and put shelving in and created a vent to the outside. It has concrete for two walls, insulated the other two walls and a concrete floor. I keep my canning, bulk groceries and potatoes in there. It is also the storage for other things that don't have smells. It stays about the same temperature all year round.