# Texas Root Cellar



## DCLyle (Oct 22, 2013)

Hello All,

I have been trying to find info on building a root cellar in the Texas Hill Country. The water table isn't low, so that isn't the issue. It just seems that people don't build them here. Also, we are going to be build a Cob/Hobbit house and I was wondering if there was another way of doing refrigeration without electricity. 

Thanks
Danielle


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

One of the big reasons people here dont dig root cellars is because of the heat!

Ever go into a storm cellar in the summer? It gets pretty hot unless you dig it down to about 10 or 12 feet and thats pretty deep to be digging especially in the rocky Hill Country.

If you can make it work, go for it but expect some difficulties, worst case scenario is that you would have a good tornado shelter.

The refrigeration without electricity is another problem in this area because of the triple digit heat but gas/propane refrigerators could be an option. I'm pretty sure someone on the forum has experience with them and maybe they will post something.


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## DCLyle (Oct 22, 2013)

It seems like 12 foot is the best for digging. Temperature still fluctuates, but will not reach above 65 degrees F. Lowest temperature is about 59 degrees. anything higher then that you defeat the purpose. Wow, that is quite deep.


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## Blackjack1 (Jun 17, 2015)

Temperature at 8' should be the average temperature of your area. Lower you go, the cooler. 

I joined this forum because I get so tired of hearing the "water table to high" or "clay soil" remarks from people that don't have a clue really. It is amazing what people will say without knowledge or being challenged. 

Here is why there are few cellars/basements in Texas - $'s. 

When you put in a foundation in northern and/or colder climates, you must get below the frost line. The frost line in many of those places is 4 feet - well if you must pay to dig 4 feet, it is not that much more to go another 4 feet to double your square footage. In Texas the frost line is like 18" or less, you have to dig another 6 1/2 feet to have a basement - makes no sense here - makes tons of sense in those colder climates.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Blackjack1 said:


> Temperature at 8' should be the average temperature of your area. Lower you go, the cooler.
> 
> I joined this forum because I get so tired of hearing the "water table to high" or "clay soil" remarks from people that don't have a clue really. It is amazing what people will say without knowledge or being challenged.
> 
> ...


Hi jack, welcome to the forum.

You bring up a good point about cost. I would suggest there are multiple reasons for not having a cellar. Older or infirm people that don't do well with stairs for one. The press has been full of Texas flooding recently. There are certain areas where the water table is too high for some period of the year. The OP was talking about a hillside so you are probably correct. Cost is a major factor in many construction decisions.


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

One of the things the Germans did around Fredericksburg when it was settled was to construct their houses out of rock with the walls 18" or so thick. It kept the house cooler and protected them from the Comanches.

As far as root cellars, I don't ever recall seeing any around that area. There's usually not much top soil (6" or less) except in valleys which are prone to flash flooding.
First choice, I'd look for is a cave that I could block off that is elevated a good ways. There are a lot of caves throughout the area since limestone is easily eroded.
Second choice, I'd build a structure and either run water over it (requires a free flowing source) or cover it with enough soil to keep the temperature steady. It would be a very substantial structure to support all that weight.
Third choice, I'd buy/rent a backhoe with a rock hammer attachment and dig. My preference would be to dig into the side of a hill so I could slope the floor for drainage. This is a serious project and would probably require the use of a jackhammer for finishing work.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

*Building a root cellar.............*

We had a root cellar at our country home in the mountains in Cuba it was an above ground cellar a shed type build of adobe material and the roof was nothing more than palm leaves, it had a rack for sacks of food and other things but my point here is that we had no electricity no power at all and we also applied ancient means of food preservation. How much do you plan to store? Building a root cellar today sounds out of place and probably expensive, proper food storage requires ventilation/ temperature/humidity control and rotation of food items, if you have the money solar power cooling systems can be had but that is only if you have the money, why not try canning and dehydrating or a small room with a humidity control set-up with a small air condition (http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-1UHG3-Humidifier-Control-Plug/dp/B001OLVNUK) just plug the air condition to it adjust humidity and you have a nice food storage set-up ,any way I hope this helps some.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

In certain areas of Alaska we have permafrost. In recent decades they have taken to placing a layer of closed cell foam over a building site then bringing in a substantial layer of sand to build the house on. This insulation is to keep the heat from melting the permafrost and the house from settling into the ground.

You could do the same in a warm area also to help keep it cool. The insulation would need to extend several feet in each direction around the cellar.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Frostline of 4 feet, we got that beat, try 6-8 

Poor Texas with their cute little frostlines. 


eep:

:jk:


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

cowboyhermit said:


> Frostline of 4 feet, we got that beat, try 6-8
> 
> Poor Texas with their cute little frostlines.
> 
> ...


We have 18 inch frost lines, much of Texas isn't even that deep.


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## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

I have one root cellar above ground or mostly. I buried a 6,000 gallon--10 ft X 16 ft long-- gas tank 2 ft down--cut a door and scooped in enough sand to make a flat floor. Then as I dug the pond out I covered it a couple ft deep.

Two foot is the deepest we can dig one this property as rock underneath.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

tsrwivey said:


> We have 18 inch frost lines, much of Texas isn't even that deep.


Yep, situations vary incredibly.


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## oldasrocks (Jun 30, 2012)

Here in southern Mo most water lines are only 12 inches deep. I guess that's what they consider the frost line. Except last yr when everybody was getting froze up.


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## jimLE (Feb 25, 2015)

*i know of one guy,in which he picked a hill side on his property.in which the location is well shaded with trees..then dug out what he needed to for the root cellar.then he went to work on it.he's posted pic's of it.in which he not only built it..he also water proofed it with water proofing tar paper,or what ever.and then back filled the 2 sides and across the back side,and covered the roof with the dirt he dug up to begin with.then he worked on the entrance way.it turned out great.but with one exception.he didnt include ventlation.and mold started growing.i forget how he went about it.but he did endedd up adding ventalation,in which that fixed the mold issue..and it stays at the temp in which he was aiming for.i think that be in mid 60's range.*


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