The Building of Our Root Cellar

So many of you asked to see a video of our root cellar build that my husband put one together!
If you've wanted to know what it looks like to build a root cellar or maybe just why on earth it took us 18 months to do it, check out this video. :)
See the pictures and get all the details on our root cellar build here: www.littlehous...
For more simple living visit: www.littlehouse...
Little House Living
PO Box 637
Hot Springs, SD 57747

[@randalllaue4042]

My grandmother added a “Root cellar” underneath an addition to her kitchen... handy and close!

[@Orikix]

Handy grandy

[@tonipidsadnick5149]

YAY!! Thanks so much Merissa and Dave for putting this together. Your tour of the place was wonderful, but seeing how it was constructed was even better! (told ya so!). The stone work was particularly nice! I'm sure you'll be using it for many-many years and I think that others will be inspired/motivated to make their own root cellar. Best wishes and many blessings!

[@hillbillyfranks]

Nice job on that root seller Enjoy the video Stay safe my friend have a good day

[@darlenethompson9325]

This was really interesting to see how it all came together. Thanks for sharing.

[@donaldwallace5177]

I wanted to say that I'm proud of you and your Family and it looks Picture Perfect. Thank You For Showing It To Us. 🇺🇸 🌎 .

[@venturahwy76]

Very nice I like the idea of using a precast concrete for a root cellar. Looks fantastic with the door and rocks stacked

[@jusjukinallen8845]

Love the way it looks. Wish we had rocks like that around us. Also love the Blue Heeler, we have 3 right now and have had them for years.

[@teresamexico309]

What a beautiful work with the stones!

[@kuzadupa185]

Now THAT is a root cellar!!!! Great job.. reminds me of the ones id help stock as a kid in eatern Europe before winter

[@jimmackey2909]

Nice build, great use of available resources, aka, preformed cistern. Only thing I would add is what the old timers used to do for temperature control. Between the inner and outer doors they would lay a foot or so of manure under the gravel. As it decays it gives off heat so the winter temps don't affect the storage area as much. Doesn't smell either because it's buried.

[@heyeverybody5616]

That my friend is a thing of beauty and joy.. Sound like a young fellow, I’m thinking you’re a good man. Happy journeys!

[@joesmith7427]

How much $$was the cistern delivered?? How cold does it get inside at what temperture outside?? How about the humidity?? How much was the total cost?? Tell us on your new video!!

[@Oringi]

Super cool. Great job family✨

[@hardnackfarms1736]

Love this and the beautiful sunset awesome! Wendy🐞🌺🌷🙏🦋🌸

[@chantal3172]

Very interesting. Thank you so much for sharing with us.

[@ssxxiii]

the door brace is at the wrong angle...

[@ttention]

Yes, needs to be directed to the lower hinge not the upper one.

[@kimkerley4218]

Beautiful 😊

[@shineyrocks390]

Custer South Dakota that sawmill sits on 385 between Custer and Pringle. Been there many times. Howdy neighbor 🖐️

[@Redhackle]

Thanks very much. Great job !

[@COWELLGIRL]

So awesome

[@tufankilinc636]

New sub, Outstanding work, man. Keep it up!!

[@enjoyingthejourneycanceras2355]

That looks fine just fine job

[@SCOTTBULGRIN]

Well done.

[@2shay337]

If you hadn't the metal siding to preserve the wood used to build the cellar, could you have tried Shou Sugi Ban the Japanese technique for water proofing wood by burning?

[@douggief1367]

Great! Thanks! Love your energy! (Hint: The diagonal brace on your door runs the wrong way; I'm an old carpenter and I've been doing this all my life).

[@mikeratkowski3506]

I agree, brace should start at bottom hinge and run up 45degrees to outside corner

[@joesmith7427]

I see u have snow, so where are u located at more or less??

[@lindaneyer4523]

Hi, we also are thinking of putting a cistern in the side of our hill for a root cellar and would like to make a hallway (for want of a better word) and have 2 doors to help with insulation. Question for you -- did you attach the first wooden, hallway frame to the concrete cistern, and if so, how (didn't see that in the video)? Or did you just push the wooden frame up against the cistern and trust to gravity? Any problems with that, and if so, what would you do differently? Thanks!

[@LittleHouseLiving]

I don't believe that it is attached to the cistern, it's just built right up next to it. We covered the entryway and part of the top of the cistern with steel (screwed into the wood and then buried) so that prevents any gaps. No problems with that so far.

[@exploringyesterday4352]

Hey, David here… I did run a lag bolt with large washers on both sides of the wood frame through the concrete to make sure it didn’t pull away over time.

[@americatruecrime]

@@LittleHouseLiving why does it need a hallway? Thank you for your great videos🙂

[@LittleHouseLiving]

@@americatruecrime It's to be able to get further back underground instead of having no covering of earth by the front door (otherwise things would freeze).

[@americatruecrime]

@@LittleHouseLiving I see. It is beautiful with the large rocks on top too. Thank you.

[@bartbley1269]

Had a friend that built one 20+ years ago he had three doors in his and the one hundred watt light bulb heated it

[@capthappy345]

Nice work! Where's yur location. Nice property

[@devriescustomleather1109]

Nice!

[@moki888]

Really looks like an amazing job! Is the walk in necessary in southern states? Also you mentioned wanting to keep warm....was thinking the point was to have a cool cellar.

[@LittleHouseLiving]

I would still do the entrance no matter what. It helps keep it under the ground further so the temp doesn't fluctuate as much. It does need to be kept above freezing so it needs to be "warm" to a certain degree. Ours stays between 34 and 38 degrees in the winter.

[@redcloud870]

Nice

[@audramckinney]

What is the size of the cistern?

[@EdwinPage-l5z]

why didnt you burn the lumber where it will be in contact with the ground to help keep from rotting

[@gagelabarber3224]

very nice

[@lastchancehomestead6813]

Nice.

[@peterlawrence738]

Under floor drainage and a wall waterproof membrane seems to be missing?

[@LittleHouseLiving]

This is a cistern and it's meant to be waterproof to hold water in. It's been sealed so water seepage is not an issue.

[@kaylapitts9665]

Where do you get one of those at ?

[@jonothandoeser]

Why was putting a hallway in front of the root cellar so important to its functionality?

[@davidalink]

It keeps it much cooler by allowing dirt to be on all sides.

[@jonothandoeser]

e@@davidalink Well, couldn't you put dirt on every side of the root cellar without a hallway?

[@davidalink]

@@jonothandoeser Because if the wall with the door was in the direct sunlight it would warm the entire root cellar. With the hallway, it keeps any exterior heat away from the main chamber.

[@jonothandoeser]

@@davidalink Ah! Ok that makes sense. Thank you.

[@JamieE76]

It turned out really nice! :)

[@claraelliott1334]

This is how folks stored their crops ,back then.

[@dragonssynbyington1516]

Happy for you and it’s great you are able to do this, but you are no help to those that can’t afford it, we need some way to put a root cellar in that’s affordable,

[@tommyb.6064]

I don't know wht we never see videos of people showing off their illegal setup on canadian crown's land... Oh, I know, it's because it's illegal!

[@aarontravieso7784]

Curious texan here... Why is it illegal? Is it illegal throughout all of Canada?

[@ronc7743]

Might end up being a bomb shelter.

[@StarrGod696]

You are a no building individual…. Thanks for documenting that fact…. Lol.

[@carmel833]

What is your average humidity level in the winter & summer seasons? Asking as everything I have read states that dirt or gravel floors allow more humidity for a cooler moist environment that allows the root crops to thrive. I was curious as maybe your setup works well for your needs. Thanks

[@davidalink]

Generally 80-90%

[@dragonssynbyington1516]

Happy for you and it’s great you are able to do this, but you are no help to those that can’t afford it, we need some way to put a root cellar in that’s affordable,

[@herbertpoland6321]

very nice job. Thanks for great video

[@vivette2512]

I live in the Caribbean I don't know if this would work for me with all this heat 😩 Inside would be like 🔥🔥

[@qaweeorltuys]

How much earth covers the storage area and what temp is it inside during winter? Any special considerations for humidity/airflow? I live in Maine and need to make one of these

[@mountainguyed67]

I’ve been visualizing the “hallway” extending out from the root cellar for several years now, still haven’t built one. I had thought I’d never find plans or pictures of one built that way, until today. I found another earlier, now yours. Thank you so much for posting for us to see. I have done the groundwork to where we want the cellar, in the spring I’ll start digging the actual spot. Ours will go into a hill, it won’t be an artificial mound.

[@PrimarchEldarAutarch]

How will you keep it dry or are cisterns made with 'lock' product in the walls?

[@denisewilson8367]

Awesome job! You have made a great place for a shelter for bad weather and a place to store your harvest from your homestead.

[@TarmanTheChampion]

Looks like your daughter and dog did most of the work... ;)

[@the_g9456]

Root Celler or Root Seller?

[@kathleenmiller67]

This is beautiful! I am curious why the entry is so deep? Is it for temperature control somehow?

[@LittleHouseLiving]

Yes, for temp control so that it can be as far buried as possible.

[@mikeveine]

The untreated lumber below grade is a bad idea. It will rot and mold.

[@davidalink]

It will someday- but not in my lifetime! It stays nice and dry, and I put gravel around it to drain away anything that might happen to get in there.

[@G57840]

Kool

[@davlun]

where did you find the concrete cistern? that is a great idea

[@LittleHouseLiving]

At a local concrete forms supplier.

[@joecnc3341]

Nice addition to the ranch! Please let us know how it is holding up and typical temperatures and humidity inside

[@LittleHouseLiving]

It's holding up very well! We didn't have much to put in it this year but it's still holding at the 34-38 degree temp all winter and between 80-90% humidity.

[@jeremiah1528]

​@Little House Living what about the summer time? What are the temps in the summer? Aren't you supposed to build a root cellar underground where it's cooler?

[@LittleHouseLiving]

@@jeremiah1528 I'm not sure what your question is? The root cellar is underground where it's cooler. We do not use it in the summer time, it's for wintertime storage.

[@jeremiah1528]

@Little House Living I didn't realize that. I saw a video of Yakut people and they had this underground cellar similar to yours. It was underground underground though. They brought in huge blocks of ice in the winter. In the middle of the summer the guy went down to get some fish and stuff and the ice was fine. It was still freezing cold in there. The fish and meat and veggies were still frozen. It was amazing to me. I thought yours was like that. I didn't realize you don't use it in the summer. I was asking what the temps were in yours in the summah lol....