Cold Room Construction

[Durgan]

Cold Room in Basement.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ADLKS 30 August 2009 Cold Room Construction

Cold room construction in the utility room in the basement. Purpose is for storing garden produce. Potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, beets, etc.

This is the cold room built in my basement. Space was at a premium so I did the the best with what was available.

The floor space is 18 square feet, and 80 inches in height. A four inch outside air vent was installed. The hole was cut with a rental tool. The one plug in the room is split and the light is switched from outside. Paneling was construction grade spruce 5/8 plywood. Insulation of the inside wall is R14, and a vapor barrier was installed on top of this insulation, then covered with5/8 plywood. The roof was insulated in the same manner.

Tables are plastic, the same as I use in my greenhouse. Vegetables will be stored in the common plastic milk containers. The air inlet will be controlled by stuffing a rag in the inlet if it get too cold. The exhaust went is four inches diameter, and is in the roof of the structure. Humidity will be controlled with a pan of water, if necessary.

Time to build about 48 man hours. Started 25 August and finished on 30 August 2009.Cost $565.42 I had some help for about 16 hours.

31 August 2009. Outdoor temperature 10C, House temperature 20C, Cold room 15C. This is the first temperature measurement.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZBIDP 1 September 2009 Cold Room Organized
Some milk carrier container were obtained today, and vegetables stored in the cold room. These containers are ideal for the home gardener; in that, the containers are a manageable size and they are well ventilated.

 

[baymule]

That looks really great. I know you will certainly make use of that storage room! Like always, the pictures you post tell the story and give explicit detail. Anyone would be able to follow your example and build a cold storage room for themselves!

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Good job! I hope you get plenty of good use in it. Aren't you concerned that the room will be warm in the winter with all the insulation on the exterior walls? I would think you would welcome the 55F basement wall temperature throughout the winter. The insulation in the interior walls will help keep the warmth of the basement out of the little room. Here's wishing you complete success. Show us your bumper crop next fall.

 

[Durgan]

The basement was not 55F but almost the same temperature as the main house more like 70F. The insulation isolates the room from the house. The pipe brings in outside air which in the Winter is around 5 to 10 C. The room is not perfect, but it does tend to keep potatoes, onions and garlic. Almost every thing else is preserved by pressure canning and dehydrating and storing at room temperature.