Tallman
Almost Self-Reliant
Someplace on the forum there are some root cellar threads, but I have decided to open up this one because it is a very unorthodox idea.
Here in Kansas we have a lot of hedge trees. Some call this an Osage Orange and others call it Bodark, but to us locals it is just plain hedge. This is an extremely hard wood, and I am considering building a root cellar out of it. I am hoping that I can explain this so it can be understood by all, and maybe some of you can give me ideas.
First of all this cellar can be any size so lets just say that it is going to be 10 X 10.
I would have a back hoe come and dig a 10 X 10 trench around the area leaving the square dirt formation in the center which will be the actual room of the cellar. This trench would have to be about 7 foot deep.
I would build 4 walls out of hedge posts about 10 in diameter and about 9 foot tall. These walls would be build with the post in a vertical position. I would then lift each wall with the tractor and lower it into the trench. Since these posts would not fit tightly together, I am thinking that I would need something on that part of each wall that would end up being the outside of the cellar wall to help seal the dirt out. Something like a heavy plastic or some vinyl siding.
At this point, I would have four hedge post walls in each trench with about 2 foot of each post sticking out of the ground. attached at the corners.
Now I would have the back hoe dig out the center down 5 feet from the top of the ground. As you may recall, the trench that the posts walls were dropped into were 7 foot deep. With the center dug out at five feet, that would leave the post walls in the ground 2 feet deep.
I would have to dig a spot where I want the steps to be, and take the chain saw and cut a hole were I want the door and such as that.
The roof with a vent would be flat using hedge posts with some tin or something on them so that the dirt that I would cover the whole thing with could not get in. The problem with tin is that it would rust. Any ideas here?
I would have the back hoe dig a hole in the center for a drain. I would fill the drain hole with rock and put a cement floor in the whole thing with the drain over the rock hole in the center. I could set the whole floor on rock so the drain would have more capacity.
As far as I can tell water and snakes would be the biggest consideration.
I think that the hedge post would last about 15 to 20 years. I just dont know if I would have too much moisture or not. In my opinion, it would not be very dry.
I thought about doing this same type of thing, but fill the trench with cement; however, I would have to form up about 4 feet all the way around and with the cost of forming material and cement Im not too keen on spending the money.
Is there any hope for this idea or should I scrap it? Am I nuts or what?
Here in Kansas we have a lot of hedge trees. Some call this an Osage Orange and others call it Bodark, but to us locals it is just plain hedge. This is an extremely hard wood, and I am considering building a root cellar out of it. I am hoping that I can explain this so it can be understood by all, and maybe some of you can give me ideas.
First of all this cellar can be any size so lets just say that it is going to be 10 X 10.
I would have a back hoe come and dig a 10 X 10 trench around the area leaving the square dirt formation in the center which will be the actual room of the cellar. This trench would have to be about 7 foot deep.
I would build 4 walls out of hedge posts about 10 in diameter and about 9 foot tall. These walls would be build with the post in a vertical position. I would then lift each wall with the tractor and lower it into the trench. Since these posts would not fit tightly together, I am thinking that I would need something on that part of each wall that would end up being the outside of the cellar wall to help seal the dirt out. Something like a heavy plastic or some vinyl siding.
At this point, I would have four hedge post walls in each trench with about 2 foot of each post sticking out of the ground. attached at the corners.
Now I would have the back hoe dig out the center down 5 feet from the top of the ground. As you may recall, the trench that the posts walls were dropped into were 7 foot deep. With the center dug out at five feet, that would leave the post walls in the ground 2 feet deep.
I would have to dig a spot where I want the steps to be, and take the chain saw and cut a hole were I want the door and such as that.
The roof with a vent would be flat using hedge posts with some tin or something on them so that the dirt that I would cover the whole thing with could not get in. The problem with tin is that it would rust. Any ideas here?
I would have the back hoe dig a hole in the center for a drain. I would fill the drain hole with rock and put a cement floor in the whole thing with the drain over the rock hole in the center. I could set the whole floor on rock so the drain would have more capacity.
As far as I can tell water and snakes would be the biggest consideration.
I think that the hedge post would last about 15 to 20 years. I just dont know if I would have too much moisture or not. In my opinion, it would not be very dry.
I thought about doing this same type of thing, but fill the trench with cement; however, I would have to form up about 4 feet all the way around and with the cost of forming material and cement Im not too keen on spending the money.
Is there any hope for this idea or should I scrap it? Am I nuts or what?
