Do-it-yourself vegetable pit can be done by any home master, the main thing is to choose materials, as well as determine the technology of work.
Preparatory stage
Before the construction of the described construction, it is necessary to make sure that engineering communications are not laid in the ground, such as electric cables, pipes and gas pipelines. Builders should investigate the soil to determine the level of groundwater. The latter should be below the bottom of the cellar. Otherwise, the structure may be flooded. As practice shows, you should not create too wide vegetable pits. It is necessary to keep within 2.5 meters. Depth is usually 1.7 meters.
It is advisable that such a cellar is located at a certain distance from the wall. Approximately 0.6 meters should be retreated from the surface, this will subsequently enable reliable waterproofing of the pit. When a vegetable pit is made with your own hands, it is insulated. Mandatory is the procedure for arranging the ventilation system and conducting work to protect against moisture.
You can develop the technology for internal arrangement yourself, everything will depend on individual requirements. The descent into the structure should be made in the form of a wooden staircase with strong crossbeams. It should be covered with a hatch that will serve as the entrance to the cellar.
Construction of a vegetable store
Do-it-yourself vegetable pit begins to line up by digging a foundation pit, which should be sized according to the project. Crushed stone is laid on its bottom with a 10-centimeter layer. This pillow needs to be tamped, and then pour 15 centimeters of sand. The resulting preparation is compacted, and at the next stage, bitumen or a similar composition is poured. If necessary, the arrangement of a capital vegetable storehouse on the sand is a waterproofing material like roofing material. At the next stage, in this case, reinforcement and concrete pouring are performed. However, the arrangement of such a foundation will be accompanied by additional labor and financial costs. The walls of the pit are made of bricks. When a vegetable pit is done with one's own hands, the laying of walls must be carried out in one and a half products. The bricks are treated with bituminous mortar, which guarantees the reliability of the floors. The ceiling is laid out in the form of a vault. Bricks are mounted on templates that should be pre-made from wooden boards. You can additionally make a concrete floor. The main rule in this case is that the ceiling should have the required power, since it may have a car on it (if we are talking about a hole under the garage).
For reference
An entry area should be provided on the surface of the ceiling. The most suitable option is the location of the manhole in the central part. In this case, shelves and racks for cans can easily fit in the storage. In the place where it is supposed to place the hole, it is necessary to establish an emphasis for the cover. The ceiling is insulated with foam or expanded clay. The ceiling surface is coated with hot bitumen, and then the selected material is installed.
Recommendations for work
If you wondered how to make a vegetable pit with your own hands, it is important to think about the thermal insulation of the upper part of the cellar. The insulation layer should have a thickness of 20 centimeters or more. You can take advantage of the experience of rural residents who insulate the ceiling of such storages with a mixture of cement and sawdust. Glass wool can be used as an alternative solution. If the garage is built in an area with a mild climate, then thermal insulation may not be performed. If you want to give the ceiling surface of the pit an attractive appearance, you can use the method of installing modern facing materials according to the type of lining or slate. These products are fixed to the ceiling surface according to the technology recommended by the manufacturer. Walls need to be insulated with expanded polystyrene. Do-it-yourself vegetable pit in the garage in such a way that the insulation is carried out on a previously plastered surface.
Arrangement of a vegetable store
The pit must be waterproofed. Perhaps, it is necessary to carry out work on the formation of a circular drainage system. Such activities are carried out when groundwater is too close to the bottom. The most simple method of protecting the floor surface from the effects of water is considered to be a bitumen solution. For reliability, it is best to apply the material in two layers. Roofing material is covered with bitumen, and then the solution is again laid. At the final stage, a filling is made on roofing material, where coarse sand should be used. If you do not want to treat the walls of the storehouse with traditional bitumen, then you can resort to more expensive waterproofing by buying a penetrating compound. Before you build a vegetable pit with your own hands, you should design a ventilation system, which is installed at the final stage. The easiest way will be to install a natural supply and exhaust system, for which you need to prepare two pipes. One of them will be used for drawing, while the other - for the influx of fresh air. If you are not afraid of additional financial costs, you can equip a forced ventilation system, but for this you have to purchase an electric fan, which is installed in a pipe with two leaves. On this, we can assume that the vegetable pit made of bricks with their own hands is made and ready for operation.
Construction of a metal cellar
Such a design is made even before the construction of the garage, as it will be quite difficult to introduce it into the finished building. The shape of the product can be any, everything will depend on your preferences and requirements. It is possible to weld such a vegetable storehouse independently, in the places of welding there should be no holes and cracks, since water can penetrate through them. The walls are made of metal, but for the upper part you can use different materials, such as wood, slabs or boards. Such a cellar can have two manholes, one of which will have more impressive dimensions and is intended for lowering and lifting products, while the other will be used by people. When a vegetable iron pit is made with your own hands, it is recommended to protect the floors, walls and ceiling with insulation material to prevent condensation.
Installation of the structure in the pit
The metal box must first be coated with an anti-corrosion compound, as well as waterproofing materials, for which you can use mastic or bitumen. The dimensions of the prepared pit should be larger than the box itself by 50 centimeters on each side. The bottom of the dug hole is leveled and compacted, then a waterproofing clay pillow of 25 centimeters thick is laid on it. An additional layer of concrete of insignificant thickness is poured on top. DIY construction of the vegetable pit is accompanied by the installation of a wooden formwork between the metal cellar and the pit wall. Clay is laid between the box and the boards, which is pre-cut into plates. After filling the hollow space and tamping the material, you can begin to backfill the excavated earth.
Cellar Caisson
If you need a vegetable pit, a coffer with your own hands can be installed by you. On sale today you can find similar designs from different materials. This can be a prefabricated reinforced concrete structure, a metal caisson or a product made of plastic. In the latter case, additional processing of the cellar is not required. The design has a small weight, and its installation can be carried out independently, while attracting construction equipment is not necessary. For several decades, the plastic caisson will persistently undergo a negative impact.
Installation Features
Before installing a plastic caisson, it is necessary to carry out external thermal insulation, since the temperature difference inside and out can be impressive, which will certainly cause condensation to form on the walls. The installation of such a product is carried out on a clay pillow, the thickness of which should be approximately 20 centimeters. It is important to prevent water from entering the pit before installing the caisson, otherwise the product will begin to float. If a similar problem still arises, it is necessary to equip the hydraulic lock, for this the gaps between the walls and the edges of the pit are filled with clay, as in the case described above. Waterproofing is performed below the depth of freezing of the soil.