Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

homestead - Re: [Homestead] Storm cellars, was Unpreparedness

homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Homestead mailing list

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Gloria Morris" <gloriamorris59 AT gmail.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Storm cellars, was Unpreparedness
  • Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 16:49:46 -0600

I'd been thinking about the storm shelter/root cellar we had when I
was a small child in Oklahoma. It was in our garage. Problem was, it
was leaky and always had water standing in it - I think we had a high
ground water table. I was actually afraid of it as a child - it was
creepy. But the idea, minus the water, is very appealing to me, as one
could access the shelter during a nasty storm without going outside
into the storm. And, the space could do double duty for food storage.
Of course, that would mean jack-hammering out some of the concrete
floor in my garage, and excavating INSIDE a pre-existing building.
I've never attempted anything like that, but I expect that the cost of
doing it would be pretty high. Since putting the shelter in my garage
is likely not an option, placing it as close to the house as possible
would be my next choice.

My ground is pretty flat, Gene. But I suppose that if one dug into the
ground a ways, the dirt from the hole could be used to cover the top
of a shelter and create a little hill of sorts. I guess that would cut
down, a little, on the depth of the needed excavation?

Gloria

On 2/1/07, Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com> wrote:
> I've not had the time to really research storm cellar options,
> so I'm not sure how I will build it (or how much of the project I will
> try to contract out). Since its construction is a complete unknown to
> me at present, so is its cost, and I've no idea when it will be in the
> budget. ***hint to list members: if you have some great ideas on storm
> cellars, I'd love to hear them!!!!***

Gloria, consider building a root cellar that doubles as a storm
cellar. Do you have a hillside close to your house? Even a slight
slope can be augmented with fill and excavation.




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page