Will an In-Ground Storm Shelter Work as a Root Cellar?

[@Garden-dj9dj]

Would love to see an update on how this performed as a root cellar

[@dollyperry3020]

I think you are concentrating on the temperatures as root cellar criteria. A root cellar is supposed to be a dirt floor to have appropriate humidity for carrots, potatoes and apples. If I had that situation, I would store potatoes and carrots in barrels of dirt or damp sand. Apples in boxes with damp newspaper or paper towels over the top. Onions and squash will do well since it is cool and dry.

[@chuckhughes8725]

This video post was EXACTLY what I was looking for! We live in Texas where a storm shelter is a wise thing to have on the homestead. I’ve often wondered if a storm shelter could double as a root celler. Thanks!

[@50shadesofgreen]

It's great you can uses your storm shelter as a root cellar !! thanks for sharing

[@kevchard5214]

Kevin I agree there is no info on the web on converting a storm shelter to a root cellar. One thing you can do if it gets too hot is put a trellis on the south side of the shelter to block the sun. I have used mine here in Tornado Allie (Oklahoma) for about 5 years and one summer it did get to hot (85)in the shelter but the trellis did help. Insulating the door will help also.

[@bikerider76058]

I live in Texas just south of Fort Worth and I was trying to figure out how to keep it cooler in my storm shelter. I thought about spray foam and Perilight, but your idea sounds like a great solution. Thank you

[@MaryBritt2014]

Thank you very much for doing the additional research and sharing your experience. Sitting here in The Natural state trying to grow as much veggies as possible to share with our neighbors and put a little of our favorites away. Thank you again and God’s blessings for you and your family.

[@brendapettus9208]

If there's space under the stairs, you could free-up floor space for people by building some of your shelves in there. This is something you see tiny home builders do.

[@paulaedens3463]

I've been wondering if they work as both. I live in Arkansas so I need a storm shelter/root cellar.

[@MaryBritt2014]

We’ve been In the Natural State since 2008, I Should have read your comment first..: stuck at home this summer my Hubs (with help from our dogs) dug up lots of Boulders and made into a pathway to the shed and a border for his garden spot Tried lots of gave Okra to our neighbors and since my Grumpy vet got a double crop of figs. our family & friends are eagerly awaiting homemade preserves.God Bless

[@mandiegarrett1706]

@@MaryBritt2014 Hello, we have moved to AR in 2020. How far are you from Logan County?

[@mandiegarrett1706]

We need storm shelter/root celler too. We are in Logan County and trying to get homestead going but we do need place to store our food while being safe.

[@tomwells1054]

Thanks for sharing. Like here in IN. it is good to have a place to go in case of a tornado.

[@gingerreid8569]

We as well, live in Tornado Alley in N.E. Texas bordering OK and close to AR...living in a mobile home, we need to have a storm shelter...we are getting one that looks just like yours...guy coming out today to tell us best place to put it...and yes, we too, wanted to double it for a root cellar - we weren't sure and no, there isn't much information. So very happy to hear that it does work! Hubby thought not far enough under ground but from what you are saying, should work fine! Biggest bang for the bucks! will go and watch the other videos on doing the shelves and updates! Thanks again!

[@rvingreenactors504]

I'm so glad to find this video! I'm in Missouri too and we just moved to a house built on a slab and I'd love a storm shelter. I'd wondered if we could store some veg in it and, like you, I couldn't find info. This totally answered my question!

[@dandelionfields6955]

I was wondering if you should get your food boxes off the floor. Moisture might build up. I always get some air space around containers.

[@jerryprewett5294]

Suggest, making a insulation plug that hangs on the inside of door seal. Like a screen door , made of insulation.

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

+jerry prewett Never thought of that but sounds like a great idea!

[@frogman6887]

My Grandfather was a serious gardener. With three gardens and family of ten combined. He dug up some earth and built his own shelter that was primarily a Root Cellar. When I build ours I'll do a how to video.

[@dennisst.germaine3497]

Great job on this topic! The storm shelter is a great idea for root cellaring, unless your get tornados/microburst, etc. on a regular basis (weekly/monthly?) that unit is really great root cellar for a continuous usage basis. I would install one in my region just for root cellaring! I haven't seen anything like that here in the Northeast except for some fiberglass bunkers/tanks for doomsday prepping, very expensive and very difficult to get transported. Conex boxes are more common for this kind of application.

[@camperjack2620]

Nice banjo lick for the intro!

[@bettysams8559]

We have a storm shelter that we put our can goods and sweet potatoes in in the winter. Did great this winter so far. Ours is not concrete

[@RiverRadioDigital]

Would like an update on this. Great video but we would all like to know how this turned out long term for you. Do you still use it as a root cellar?

[@swianecki]

I'm glad it's working out so well. It looks cold there with the wind and snow.

[@aintskairtolskol9520]

hey bro,use the steps for shelves,build the side were they keep air flow moving,each step boxed in is a shelf if you get what im saying,im from north texas and the storm celler we have was also a concrete install,we put dirt over whole thing leaving the air vents easy to get too and with snow on the ground it never gets under 60 down there,i got to figure a way to alter mine were i can get my mom wheel chair down there,maybe a lift,,as far as root celler goes,no ,no one even know what they are these days,your vent up top is grand,but you have to get a cross flow of air going in there and storage of your harvest wont be anymore problems,just keep in mind altering the door may void your warranty,so a quick tip,just hang a sleeping bag in front of it during winter months were you can flip it up and out door when you need to get in

[@uddercharmsfarm8159]

We have that same one! I put a bunch of potatoes down there to see how long they will last. I've got shelves too with lots of other things like water, snacks, blankets for an actual emergency. I can't wait to see your insulation as we may have to copy that!

[@SMOkINREVZ]

I’d like to build one to where it have enough for to stay warm and survive in 😊

[@ziegenvinehomestead]

Love this! We really need a root cellar! Nice video!

[@permanentkick]

Great vdo..writing from Estonia,was wondering if our 150 year old root cellar would also serve as a Tornado Shelter...I guess they are nearly the same things

[@chrisbrown9243]

good info on storm shelter root cellar. we live in east texas where it can get triple digits in summer and occasionally single digits in winter. any more good ideas to help? thanks

[@dennisst.germaine3497]

Here in the Northeast most homes are built over a cellar space, with utilities (water systems, electrical panels, house and water heating, etc., in their cellar/basements. The idea of a root cellar/cold pantry being built in that space comes from the need to access that food source in blizzards, hurricanes, ice storms, etc., so as to not have to go out into those elements to access your food stores. Old farms in the northeast in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, almost always had connected structures (pantries, firewood storage, barns, milking parlors, chicken coops, water systems, privies, all silage-hay, etc.) to keep easy access to essentials, livestock and feed, and not do farm activities in the harshest of weather and the elements. One of "White House on the Hill's" top ten's is 'Lumnah Acres' they have built a cold pantry (cave as they call it) in their wood furnace heated basement and are currently working out the control of the temperature for their meat curing, root and squash vegetables, kombucha, etc.

[@rockcreekoutdoors5965]

i had a similar shelter installed in Alabama and mine has already gotten up to 85 so im currently looking for ways to cool it i noticed my wind turbine doesn’t spin so am going to look into that and possibly a solar vent.

[@vermontrockymeadowfarm8164]

Great idea, I haven't looked into it but I wonder if a conex would work?

[@dennisst.germaine3497]

They work great if you can have good drainage around and under the unit. They are metal shelled, and coating them with a type of sealant would help also. Consider installing a small door on the big trucking 'barn' doors to help with maintaining better temperature control. Like your refrigerator at home the temperature can really change fast with a simple quick opening, except the refrigerator is powered to bring the temperature back to the setting quickly. Open and close doors quickly and and rarely, using portable lighting, will help with temperature maintenance.

[@vermontrockymeadowfarm8164]

Thank you Dennis, this sounds like something I would like to look into more.

[@jpspen]

Your cellar works because the lower part,where stuff is now, Doesn’t freeze. The upper portion that is ABOVE ground level, is a completely different environment. Test accordingly.

[@WendyK656]

Kevin, how much was your storm shelter? We are looking for something when we move to have one of these.

[@dannychandler7390]

Mine was 5700 for 7x10x6 high intx

[@grammyspieface1]

I looked up that company 5300 for their top one

[@ChickaWoofRanch]

Excellent info! We've got to get a storm shelter installed also... sometime. We also are looking into putting in a well on the property... what are your thoughts on combining the pump house/storm shelter/root cellar. Too much?

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

I think space might be an issue.

[@ieri_creations]

Do you think that a storm shelter that has dirt over the top would also help prevent that dip in temp?

[@dannychandler7390]

Humidity in mine is 84 to 86.hows the best way to reduce when room temp is 80 f....put fan in intake or exhaust or both.wanting only dc power.

[@grammyspieface1]

Probably need to spray foam insulate the floor...and they do make a plate wall heater , just a plug in , a white plastic like square and you set temp, we had in our laundry slash powder room added on a farmhouse we lived in

[@christiebetts4970]

I was just wonderi g tbe other day how a storm shelter would work as a root cellar.I'm curious how it does in tbe heat

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

Over the summer, it stayed in the 50's.

[@gonzalezpandura]

Hey Kevin, Just a suggestion try using the board with holes so you can have shelves or just hang a basket. That way if you need to you can change up if needed. Look like a small place. May have to make room when bad weather hits. Good luck and good bless

[@caroljones8326]

Hi I was wondering if someone could tell me why there was saw dust on top of the root vegetables. Thanks so much

[@kflan3342]

Can you give a ball park figure on how much the storm shelter costs? I know this may vary state to state, just starting the 'thinking' process. Thanks

[@uddercharmsfarm8159]

Kim Flanery we have the same one .....ours I believe is 6x8 or 8x8 and it was around $3400 total.

[@culdesacgrocerygarden]

Udder Charms Farm thank you.

[@colleenrodamer6230]

We have under ground water so here in Texas it might b a problem the underground water isn’t a problem for me I garden

[@wczimmerman1995]

I have a storm shelter that I want to use a root celler as well. I have a question. Do you plug the air vents in the ceiling to lower the humidity and water or leave them open (I have 2 vents roughly 4in diamter) in the top? Thanks

[@ldlewis]

How did you get rid of the chemical smell from your storm shelter installation. Ours has been installed since the summer after the Joplin tornado and it still smells horrible inside.

[@nancyschmied2440]

We have the same shelter. Ours has a terrible smell to it. It smells like the concrete adhesive. Ive used damp rid and baking soda but cant seem to get rid of the smell and i dont want to ruin our food by putting them diwn there. How did you get rid of that smell

[@kmarie122084]

Could you store canned goods down there?

[@kathycombs3844]

Did it work for you? I live in Joplin. Where are you?

[@anthonyjared9284]

Did you ever build shelving in your storm cellar, and if so what did you learn? Thanks!

[@davidalley7270]

I have the same storm shelter in east Texas, just installed. I'm getting a lot of condensation around and on the metal door. The door is facing south, got down to 40 last night. Any suggestions?

[@mljudd123]

Nice video! Have you noticed efflorescence?

[@nancyschmied2440]

I’m trying to use my storm shelter as a root cellar but the adhesive oder in it is awful. what do i need to do to get rid of that to be able to use mine as a food storage( and it not trigger my asthma as well)

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

It goes away in time. Other than that I am not sure.

[@Ruiawalker]

Do you have an update? Are you guys still doing this?

[@nomadsadventures]

Cool

[@billherrick3569]

what size is your storm cellar?

[@LivingTraditionsHomestead]

+Bill Herrick It is 6x8.

[@linettecosper9695]

I tried mine as a root cellar and everything mildewed. The condensation pools up so bad that if I don’t check it regularly it builds up to around 10 gallons of water. I’ve got to figure out how to insulate it with more dirt 🤷‍♀️

[@lisaleisher8779]

Is there a link for the storm cellar you purchased?

[@essemsween818]

I think you might find a link on the 'Keeping It Dutch' channel Lisa. He has a shelter that if not identical is pretty darn near to it, and he has videos of the company coming to install the thing, as well as his family needing to use it in the middle of a rotten, stormy night. If you can't find a link, leave him a comment. Dutch is REALLY good at answering all comments on his KID Channel. Great guy. Hope I could be of help.

[@devinepickins984]

What about bugs

[@wheelmanjosh1982]

Where do you live? If your stay below 50° during the summer, that's good, but I live in Texas. Our summers are something else entirely more severe than most places in the US.

[@dannychandler7390]

Mine is 80 f and coverd w 12 inch of dirt

[@dannychandler7390]

In tx

[@littlewhitedory1]

Hmmm, I don't recall any of you Missouri homesteaders mentioning the great fun times that can be had in the storm cellar on the "Why we love Missouri colaboration"! We get hurricanes here on Long Island but we don't go running into a storm cellar! It's not that we aren't safety conscious, we just can't pass up the chance to watch a good natural disaster up close! New Yorkers love a good train wreck!

[@dennisst.germaine3497]

Little White Dory~LOL! Love your wit!

[@littlewhitedory1]

Dennis St.Germaine Thanks Dennis, I don't mean to be mean in my comments but dang it.... I'm a New Yorker! My take on all the different kinds of natural disasters is that we don't have too many unexpected natural disasters here in NY and especially on Long Island but we live through it every day, and while we don't have too many expensive natural disasters we sure do pay taxes as if to make up for them!

[@ellymae2006]

How about an update? Or did I miss it🤣

[@nancaraway8413]

Years ago they did use root cellars for tornado shelters or storm shelters you never did straight stairs on a tornado shelter. You did curve stairs. That way you would not be sucked out of the shelter the doors that went on these shelters they were so heavy that it took two men or more to lift the doors, and those doors were locked by huge chains and locked nut by these easily bendable locks that they’ve got on them now also the vent for air you would never see vents like that on top of the shelter, have a rich shelter like that they were flat to the root cellar sides, and they had created through welding screens that could withstand a tree trunk been blown into them. That’s the kind of shelter that I had growing up because I am an old woman and the shelters that I see nowadays I laugh at because so many people spend a lot of money on these things that they will be tossed around in the end. Please learn these things look up old peoples shelters the root shelters that are underneath our homes or just outside of their home by the tunnel dug due to it through their home.

[@maranda3764]

:)