Your prep lessons learned the hard way?

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Life is too short for me to have enough time to learn everything the hard way, so lets share some of our experience paying what oldtimers call "fool tax".

My contribution is this. Built a root cellar using 8' diameter culvert last summer. The location gets couple feet of snow in winter, but long dry summers. Dirt is 'hard pan', that is old volcanic based fine dirt, few rocks. It was a tough dig last summer, but this spring, it all got very soft. Unfortunately, the spring runoff went down the slight grade near the cellar. Instead of running over the top of the dirt, it ran down into the hole! (the re-filled dirt not nearly as dense as original surface!!) we now have 3' covered cold swimming pool. Fortunately, 98% of sealed buckets with oxygen adsorbers survived the 'swim'.

Lesson: Always look uphill! Make sure you grade runoff channels around your 'diggins'. don't assume water will run over the top.

The Lord was gracious to us by giving us a pracitice 'drill' season before we may really need it!!

Look forward to learning from you folks.

Embedhead

"Y2K - its the broken and embedded code stupid, not what managers and polliticians tell you!"

-- embedhead (embedhead@hardknocks.com), April 14, 1999

Answers

May I suggest that anyone putting or building anything underground larger than a garbage can, get a book on underground housing. It will tell you a lot about waterproofing and drainage among other things.

Old bargain books can often be found at ebay auction or if you prefer a new one, Barnes and Noble or Amazon can both be found on line.There are also some sites on line where you can download instructions and there is your local library too.

Believe me, when tracking new territory it's worth having an experienced teacher.

-- sue (deco100@aol.com), April 14, 1999.


I may have shared this before but I can't remember. It goes with this thread and I think it is a good idea if you have the space and are wanting a storm or root celler. A friend purchased a U Haul type truck bed from a salvage yard. He dug a hole and put the box bed in then covered it up. He now has a nice storage, storm and root celler.

-- Linda A. (adahi@muhlon.com), April 14, 1999.

And, if he's got 4 feet of soil on top it's a nice fallout shelter, though not a blast shelter.

CR

-- chuck, a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), April 14, 1999.


Embedded / Linda, depending on requirements and circumstance another open could be an 'earth bermed' cellar. Just put your container at ground level, add a few loads of fill, top with some topsoil, insulate the door, and plant a garden, prairie, or whatever on your "ski hill". Not exactly inconspicuous, but it depends on your requirements. Another option on the truck box is that straw bales could be stacked around it and secured to the box itself. Great insulation using the truck as 'framing' would be easier than freestanding straw bale wall. If you want to keep it around for years you'd need to insure drainager from the bottom bales and to stucco finish or some such. Just a couple thoughts

jh

jh

-- john hebert (jt_hebert@hotmail.com), April 15, 1999.


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