Rootcellars have always been a hot topic among earthbaggers and homesteaders and other self-sufficient folks, so when Luke, who has been very helpful running the Earthbag Building Blog Facebook fan page asked for input on a rootcellar design I was happy to help.
Earthbag rootcellar features:
– Standard 15” earthbag walls with lower courses filled with gravel (18”x30” bags or tubes)
– Optional insulated room with 12” walls for a freezer
– Superinsulated shed roof
– White metal roofing to reflect sunlight
– Earthbag steps covered with cement plaster
– Cellar door to keep rain and snow off the stairs (and prevent flooding)
Stay tuned for more details as Luke documents the building of his earthbag rootcellar. If you would like to help Luke and learn the process first-hand, and are in the Northeast Charlotte, North Carolina area, please contact Luke at: lukeanthonymailATgmailDOTcom or at Facebook. Or you can call him directly at 980-322-9330 and he will give people directions that are interested. You can also follow his project on his blog at I Dream of Dirt.
Related:
Karl’s Earthbag Rootcellar
Owen’s Earthbag Dome Rootcellar
Country Boy Will Survive Earthbag Rootcellar
Hi Owen and Luke!
I’m wondering, is it possible to “attach” one of these root cellars directly to a straw bale house so that it may be accessed directly through a kitchen? Please let me know if this is possible and if so what safety measures should be taken when building.
Sure, just plan accordingly. It’s best to keep the rootcellar surrounded by cool earth as much as possible. One option is to access the rootcellar from the basement so you don’t have to go outside. Or the stairs could go directly down from the kitchen.
Perfect! Thank you!
Thanks so much for you input, and your expertise, Owen. It’s an honor to run the facebook page for you. So many enjoy your blog, so it’s natural that when they bring that joy to facebook that I have fun running that page.
I’ll start digging today! Ahh!