DIY Homesteading: Building a Root Cellar | Part 2

Witness the $400 Facebook Marketplace tank's incredible journey into a functional root cellar on our homestead! This DIY project combines cost efficiency with purpose, repurposing the tank for food storage, self-sufficiency, and potentially as an emergency shelter. In this sequel, we unveil the burial process, interior transformation, and a stunning, natural front entrance crafted with boulders.
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Part 1 can be found here: • DIY Homesteading: Root...
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[@charlenequinilty7252]

Very nice

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

Thank you!

[@JR-xw5dk]

To be an effective fallout shelter the entry should have an L shape, along with any vents. They should also be covered in sight from the inside of the shelter. It is better than nothing as far as fallout. I hope we never need one. Good job.

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

Thank you. Yes unfortunately due to the rocky terrain on our property an L shape was not possible. We intend to do some more modification and upgrades to increase the effectiveness as a fallout shelter. Like you said something is better then nothing.

[@JohnsonsSmallEngines]

The entire job was great! Loved the large stone work. Nice!

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

Thank you! The stone work is one of our favorite features of this build out.

[@captainfury19]

Can probably add a bench on the right side as extra storage or if you ever need to shelter in there during a storm. Nice work.

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

Thank you! Yes, we are leaving the one side open for the time being, until we figure out how the space best suits our needs. We are considering putting cots in there for the event of a shelter in place.

[@steffybael1245]

i have a 53 foot long reefer trailer. i used 15 inch wide 2x2 free standing shelving frames run down the length of the floor so 5 gallon buckets will fit under the raised floor and also stand vertical at the end (to store my medical supplies ). 3 rows of 5 gallon buckets down the floor in the center, with 2 rows, one on each side , that are 27 inches wide that hold 18 gallon storage totes under the floor. down one side are the same shelving brackets except they are 27 inches wide to fit 24 inch wide plywood for the shelves, same on the other side except for 2 -8 foot long shelves with 30 inches at each end and in the middle between them (3 30 inch spaces total of 21 foot including the shelves). these 2 i put 8 shelves (on each one) with a 1 1/2 inch drop from 8 foot end to end with plastic corner bead to hold 5 rows of can goods on each shelf. this trailer is completely full and so are 2 camping trailers i gutted out. i been a survivalist since the early 1970's, so i been at this awhile. you said the tank you purchased was about 7 foot diameter, just how long was it?? how long was it empty? and how did you get rid of any gas smell? and how well if the paint holding up? can you smell any hint of the fuel? im needing to get more storage and have been thinking of buying a used grain tank and laying it on its side, also thinking of digging a concrete silage bunk and putting a concrete roof over it, then putting silage over the top. just trying to figure out my next move when i found this video!

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

Thanks for you comment, love to hear how others are creating storage spaces. The tank is 8' wide by 8' tall exterior dimensions, the interior dimensions are 7' 6''. The length is 18ft long. There was no smell of gas residing. Tank was cleaned after it was decommissioned and sat for awhile in a storage yard before we purchased it. First I used a degreaser to prep the inside for paint. The paint has held up very well thus far, I used an enamel. I would purchase a tank like this and cut the end off and burry it into a bank, these are much more steadier than a grain tank in my opinion. There was a farmer who bought the other tanks that were for sale from the same guy. He was going to burry into a bank to store his hay bales in them.

[@h2kfabrication192]

Very nice video! Cheers!

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!

[@careditsfy]

Awesome video ❤

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

Thanks! Hope you stick around!

[@macn4837]

Awesome video! Great content!

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@MiddleEastMilli]

What an impressive install and build! Thanks for sharing this!

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you stick around for more!

[@MiddleEastMilli]

@@NorleyFamilyFarms I subbed. :)

[@1979augistine]

Do you need to have humidifier running to prevent moisture ? If you do are you gona plumb the line outside to drain or do you think you will have no issues with moisture ? Thanks for this awesome video , very cool my man wishing you the best fella

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed the video. The small solar fan we installed at the top of tank does a great job at moving air inside the tank. For a root cellar you do want it to be 85-95% humidity. The high humidity level prevents loss of moisture through evaporation-and the withering look that goes along with it.

[@markforrestsm]

Really enjoyed the build and creativity in coming up with idea and design. Looking forward to you sharing your journey and various projects as you move forward if you don't mind me asking, how many of you live on the homestead. Is it just you and your immediate family? Regards Mark (South Africa)

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

Hi Mark! So glad to hear you like our channel. This is why we started it in the first place. As of now it’s just the 3 of us. Building it out to eventually be able to accommodate more family.

[@DannyCreech]

What about the cost of renting the mini excavator? What about the cost of the diesel to run it. Those were not free. Still.... Good job. I like it.

[@NorleyFamilyFarms]

That is an excellent question, thanks for asking. We own the mini excavator. We bought it new last year to help with our farm operations. It has an 18 gal tank, we used 3/4 of a tank for the entire project. At the time off road diesel was $3.80/galllon. So we would have spent around $46 in fuel. I should have added that to the cost break down, thank you for pointing that out. We hope you follow us along on our other projects down the road!

[@jamessullivan6985]

A very intelligent, thoughtful answer to a snotty question.