Vegetable pit, more often called a cellar, is very convenient for storing crops: it has sufficient volume and does not require electricity. Such a storage facility is a must-have for any homestead. It is often installed in a garage: this allows residents of city high-rise buildings to enjoy the benefits of a cellar. But safe storage of supplies requires compliance with a number of conditions, the main one of which is high-quality waterproofing of the vegetable pit. However, first things first.

Before you begin building an underground vegetable storage facility, you need to find out the following:

• is there any planned earthworks utilities such as power electrical cables, communications, gas pipelines, sewerage and water supply;
• what is the soil structure and groundwater level (this will require geological work, otherwise the cellar will be flooded from time to time);
• make at least a rough design.

After this, you can begin land work. Waterproofing is carried out immediately after the walls are erected.

After completion of excavation and installation horizontal waterproofing you can start building the walls of the vegetable storage

Features of waterproofing underground structures

Any underground building construction Concrete is capable of permeating water. Namely, the walls of underground vegetable storage are most often built from concrete. The exception is special concrete, but it is expensive and therefore its use is not always advisable. Utility buildings are built from regular concrete. Therefore, without proper protection from moisture, the vegetable storage facility will not be suitable for its intended use: groundwater will ooze out from almost all cracks and joints. all year round.

It is impossible to correct the situation using roofing felt or any other means. The reason is that the treatment from the inside cannot last long, since the material, when pressure is applied to it, is not pressed against concrete walls, but on the contrary, it breaks away from them. Therefore, isolation must be carried out in advance.

Vertical waterproofing of a vegetable pit can also be done with rolled weld-on material

But not all methods are good for this. For example, pasted and coating waterproofing(using rolled materials and mastics) has the following disadvantages:

• Firstly, with even minor damage, all the work done may be in vain.
• Secondly, it is almost impossible to repair such protection: the location of the leak may be completely different from the place where it appears from the inside. IN winter time this is out of the question: frozen soil can allow water to pass through, but will not allow the outside of the concrete wall to be cleaned and sealed. It will also not be possible to eliminate the leak from the inside: most special means Can only be used on dry surfaces.

How to protect a vegetable pit from groundwater

Dry ones are best suited for waterproofing a cellar. building mixtures, with the help of which penetrating insulation is arranged. They are not intended to create an impermeable coating on the surface; they enter into its structure, forming monolithic wall. It is impossible to damage such material: its service life is equal in duration to the service life of the entire structure.

Also, the advantage of these mixtures is their good resistance to water pressure both from the inside and outside. Dry building mixtures can be used internally and external sides. In this case, the surface to be treated should not be dry: on the contrary, it must be moistened before treatment. The mixture must be diluted with water and applied to the concrete with a brush.

The penetrating insulation compound is applied with a wide brush.

The layer should be thin: no more than 1-2 mm. Components special staff react with the material being processed, penetrating through capillaries to a depth of just under a meter. The resulting insoluble crystals tightly “seal” all voids, blocking all paths for moisture penetration. In this case, steam can easily pass through the wall and the vegetable storage will have natural ventilation.

It is important that the concrete has sufficient moisture before processing: this necessary condition for a faster reaction of the interaction of active substances. Thin layer crystals formed on the surface of concrete can be cleaned off: it is necessary only at the initial stage of crystallization of the substance for its temporary retention on the surface.

This is important to know: only right choice material and method of waterproofing will give the desired result. Mistakes can lead to a waste of money, and most importantly, the vegetable pit will turn out to be a useless structure. For correct execution It is recommended to invite professionals with the necessary experience.

Penetrating insulation serves reliable protection concrete walls

This method It is highly reliable: concrete treated in this way can withstand water pressure of up to 20 atmospheres. The use of penetrating waterproofing is beneficial from an economic point of view. To work with penetrating mixtures there is no need to use gas or gasoline burners. You don't need many helpers either: even one person can easily cope with this task. The main advantage of the method is that the vegetable pit will be protected for long term: concrete structure can last at least several decades.

The vegetable pit is a practical storage facility in which food can be stored for a long time. It’s easy to install such a “refrigerator” with your own hands in any garage.

The structure we are interested in, which is essentially a small cellar (basement) located in a motorhome, can be considered an ideal storage for fruits, various pickles, and vegetables. The freshness of the products stored in it is ensured naturally. You don't need to spend money on electricity to maintain the required temperature in your cellar. This fact is considered the main advantage of vegetable storage in the garage.

Before you build a vegetable pit, you need:

1. Make sure there are no engineering communications– gas and pipelines, electrical cables and so on.
2. Explore the soil. It is necessary to clarify the level at which groundwater occurs. They should flow below the bottom of the cellar. Otherwise, your garage food storage pit could be flooded at any time.
3. Create a vegetable storage project. Draw up a drawing of the cellar, decide on its geometric dimensions and location in the garage. A do-it-yourself project will significantly simplify the process of building a basement and eliminate the likelihood of various shortcomings.

Vegetable storage project in the garage

Experts advise not to make the vegetable pit too wide in width (try to keep it within 2–2.5 m). The storage depth is usually taken to be about 1.7 m. It is advisable to place the cellar at some distance from the wall (about 0.5–0.6 m), so that later you can easily carry out high-quality and reliable waterproofing of the pit. In most cases, it is recommended to insulate the vegetable storage. A mandatory operation is the procedure for arranging a ventilation system in the cellar, as well as carrying out work to protect it from moisture.

You can come up with the internal arrangement of the storage facility yourself - it all depends on your individual requirements. But the descent into such a small structure is best done in the form of an ordinary wooden ladder with several strong rungs. You will cover the stairs with a hatch, which will serve as a convenient entrance to the cellar.

The first step is to dig a hole (pit) according to the dimensions you designed. Everything is simple here. Then you need to add crushed stone to the bottom of the pit (layer thickness - 10 cm), compact it, and pour it on top (15 cm) and also tamp it thoroughly.

The next stage is filling the bottom of the pit with bitumen or a similar composition. If you want to get a permanent vegetable storage, place a waterproofing material (for example, roofing felt) on the sand and fill it using reinforced concrete, stove. But remember that arranging such a foundation will require additional financial and labor costs. The walls of a vegetable pit are usually built of brick. Anyone can make such masonry with their own hands.

The thickness of the walls is one and a half bricks. This is quite enough. When laying bricks, they must be coated with bitumen mortar to ensure the reliability of the walls. It is recommended to lay out the ceiling in the form of a vault. In this case, the bricks are laid on templates made from wooden boards. You can also do concrete floor. The main thing is that the ceiling has the required strength. After all, don’t forget, your car will be parked on it.

Brick basement walls

On ceiling surface it is necessary to provide a place to enter the vegetable pit. It is optimal if you place the hole in the middle of the cellar ceiling.

Then your storage can easily accommodate racks and shelves for jars of jam, fruit and other products. At the place where the hole will be located, you need to mount a stop for the lid. It is advisable to insulate the ceiling of the vegetable pit. This is done using expanded clay or polystyrene foam. You will need to coat the ceiling surface with hot bitumen, and then install the selected material.

Insulating the top of a cellar in a garage with your own hands usually does not cause problems for DIYers. Such activities are easy to implement. The main thing is to ensure that the heat-insulating layer is at least 20 cm thick. rural areas Insulation of the ceilings of garage vegetable stores is often done the old fashioned way - using a mixture of ordinary sawdust and cement. You can also use glass wool. It is possible not to insulate the ceiling in a vegetable pit if you live in an area with a fairly mild climate.

Attractive appearance The ceiling surface is most often given such popular facing materials as lining and slate. These products are attached to the ceiling using the technology recommended by the cladding manufacturer. The walls of an underground building are most often thermally insulated with PSB-S-25 - modern polystyrene foam. We would like to add that professionals recommend insulating a storage facility on a pre-plastered surface.

A pit for storing crops in a garage, as we said, must be waterproofed. You may even have to make a circular drainage system in the cellar. Such measures are carried out in cases where groundwater is close to the bottom of the vegetable storage facility.

Waterproofing pits for harvest storage

The easiest way to protect yourself floor surface vegetable pit from moisture is as follows:

• treat the floor with bitumen solution (twice to be safe);
• lay sheets of roofing felt on the bitumen;
• reapply the solution;
• make a filling on the roofing material using coarse sand.

The walls of the storage facility can also be coated with bitumen or more expensive penetrating waterproofing can be used.

The final touch is installation. The easiest way is to make it natural supply and exhaust system. To do this, you will need to place two pipes (for exhaust and inflow fresh air) at a certain height from the floor. Installation will require more costs forced ventilation. You will need to buy a special electric fan and place it in a pipe with two doors. Your cellar for storing vegetables is ready!

Waterproofing includes a whole range of works, the implementation of which is necessary to prevent the penetration of water into the room. Waterproofing a vegetable pit allows you to ensure long-term storage products throughout the year, as well as protect floor, wall and ceiling materials from destruction due to exposure to moisture (especially important in winter, when water that has penetrated into the structure of the material begins to freeze).

Any structures buried in the ground require the installation of an effective and high-quality waterproofing layer. - a very specific structure that requires a special approach.

It is important to pay attention not only to high-quality and effective materials to protect the vegetable pit from water penetration, but also to the design drainage system Location on. After all, if there is no drainage system on the site, then the walls will experience constant loads caused by the influence of water. The drainage system will remove most of the water from the structure, thereby reducing the likelihood of moisture penetrating into the room.

Features of waterproofing a vegetable pit

Before you begin work on installing waterproofing in a vegetable pit, you need to take into account the fact that this structure is used for storing provisions. When choosing a material for insulation, this circumstance must be taken into account. In addition, the material from which the pit is built matters.

An example is the construction of a concrete vegetable pit. Even if it is done with the highest quality, concrete layer without additional insulation it will still allow moisture to pass through, because the structure of the material contains microcracks and invisible pores.

Pores in concrete with magnification.

Vegetable pits are often located in lowlands. Thus, owners strive to ensure a minimum temperature indoors, however, this approach is fraught with serious problems associated with groundwater, as well as flowing sediments.

If your building will be located on such an area, then it is most logical to choose a caisson for constructing a vegetable pit, which is hermetically welded in all places, after which it is placed in a pit prepared in advance and filled up. This tank will be completely sealed, so there will be no need to add a waterproofing layer. Metal caisson must be treated with a corrosion inhibitor.

If your building is made of brick, concrete or stone, installing a waterproofing layer is a mandatory measure necessary for the normal operation of the storage facility.

Penetrating waterproofing for concrete buildings

To insulate a storage unit made of concrete, there are several methods to consider. IN last years penetrating waterproofing is becoming increasingly common, which allows you to provide high level protection from moisture.

Using penetrating waterproofing.

This type of insulation instantly penetrates the structure of the material (concrete or brick), after which it fills all invisible joints, cracks and pores. Before you begin waterproofing work in this way, the surface needs to be prepared:

• First of all, the wall is cleaned of dust, dirt and residues old decoration or isolation.
• After which it is necessary to widen all visible cracks by 1.5-2 cm.
• If elements of exposed reinforcing mesh appear, they need to be sealed with cement mortar.

As soon as preparatory work When completed, the insulation is applied to the wall surface using a wide brush. After this, the vegetable pit needs to be dried. When this is done, the structure can be operated as before, without worrying about moisture penetration inside the room.

Pasting with roll materials

The traditional method of installing a waterproofing layer in various structures is pasted insulators. Insulation layer created using any rolled material (classic roofing felt or more modern materials of similar properties).

Waterproofing material is laid on the floor of the vegetable pit in several layers, after which it is placed on top concrete screed. In addition, very often the concrete screed is additionally impregnated bitumen mastic(or analogues) to provide increased level protection against moisture penetration.

Laying roll insulation on the floor in front of the screed device.

Pit walls can be treated modern materials based on polymers and synthetic resins, as well as bitumen mastic. In addition, you can use membrane materials and films, on which an additional thermal insulation layer is installed (in any case, it will not be superfluous).

If the walls of the pit are brick, then they can be plastered using cement mortars, to which special modifiers are additionally added to ensure the composition has good waterproofing characteristics after application and hardening.

In general, any waterproofing materials suitable for these purposes can be used to treat the walls of a vegetable pit. For a small storage facility, you should not choose expensive insulators that are designed for use in large basements.

Ventilation to combat humidity

So, you have made high-quality combined insulation and insulation, but condensation still accumulates on the walls of the structure, and inside the room high humidity? This means that you have no or ineffective ventilation system. No matter how good the waterproofing is, a vegetable pit cannot be operated without ventilation, even though it is small in size.

Ideally, you need to install two pipes, one of which will be an exhaust pipe (responses to the removal of stagnant and humid air from the pit), and the second - supply (responsible for the flow of fresh air into the room). The exhaust pipe must be installed under the ceiling of the vegetable pit, because the damp and warm air will accumulate there. On the other hand, at the opposite end of the pit, a supply pipe must be mounted near the floor so that fresh air enters the lower part of the room, thereby displacing warm and humid air.

If the size of your vegetable pit is large enough, then it is recommended to think about the device compulsory system ventilation, which would provide a constant flow of fresh air into the room. In addition, it will be possible to independently regulate the temperature inside the storage facility, which will allow you to preserve food in its original form for a long time, as well as store more provisions without worrying about condensation and mold.

Before starting work

Waterproofing a vegetable pit will not require any special expenses from you. All work can be done with your own hands and without the involvement of specialists. But it is very important to choose the right waterproofing material. Sales consultants in the store can help you with this. Besides, Special attention Pay attention to the material of the walls and floors, because not all insulators are universal. For example, if the walls are wooden, then the use of penetrating waterproofing will be useless.

Before creating a new waterproofing layer in a vegetable pit, it must be dried and also treated with antiseptic compounds that prevent the occurrence of mold and mildew. When creating a waterproofing layer, we must not forget about covering the pit. It can be finished on the outside roll materials, as well as any modern insulator (like polyurethane foam).

Vegetable pit made of caisson.

If you have the opportunity and free space on your site, it is recommended to purchase a one-piece caisson, which is ideal for storing vegetables and provisions, and also does not require additional waterproofing work. Of course, one-time expenses will be more significant.

A vegetable pit with your own hands can be made by any home craftsman, the main thing is to choose the materials, as well as decide on the technology for carrying out the work.

Preparatory stage

Before constructing the structure described, it is necessary to make sure that electrical cables, pipes and gas pipelines are not laid in the ground. Builders must examine 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 vegetable pits that are too wide. It is necessary to keep within 2.5 meters. The depth is usually 1.7 meters.

It is desirable that such a cellar be located at some distance from the wall. It is necessary to retreat approximately 0.6 meters from the surface; this will subsequently allow reliable waterproofing of the pit. When you make a vegetable pit with your own hands, it is insulated. The procedure for arranging a ventilation system and carrying out work to protect against moisture is mandatory.

Technology by interior design you can develop it yourself, everything will depend on individual requirements. The descent into the structure must be made in the form wooden stairs with strong crossbars. It should be covered with a hatch, which will act as an entrance to the cellar.

Construction of vegetable storage

A vegetable pit with your own hands begins to be built by digging a pit, which should have dimensions according to the project. A 10-centimeter layer of crushed stone is laid at its bottom. This pillow must be compacted, and then pour 15 centimeters of sand. The resulting preparation is compacted, and next stage Bitumen or a similar composition is poured. If it is necessary to arrange a capital vegetable storage facility on the sand, it is located like roofing material. In this case, the next stage is reinforcement and pouring of concrete. However, the arrangement of such a foundation will be accompanied by additional labor and financial costs. The walls of the pit are made of brick. When making a vegetable pit with your own hands, you need to make one and a half pieces. The bricks are treated with bitumen mortar, which guarantees the reliability of the floors. The ceiling is laid out in the form of a vault. The bricks are mounted on templates, which must first be made from wooden boards. You can additionally make a concrete floor. The main rule is that the ceiling has the required power, since a car will probably stand on it (if we are talking about a pit under a garage).

For reference

A place for entry should be provided on the ceiling surface. Most suitable option is the location of the hole in the central part. In this case, shelves and racks for cans can easily fit into the storage area. In the place where the hole is supposed to be located, it is necessary to install a stop for the lid. The ceiling is thermally insulated using foam plastic or expanded clay. The ceiling surface is coated with hot bitumen, and then the selected material is installed.

If you are wondering how to make a vegetable pit with your own hands, then it is important to think about thermal insulation of the upper part of the cellar. The insulation layer should be 20 centimeters or more thick. You can take advantage of the experience of rural residents who insulate the ceiling of such storage facilities using a mixture of cement and sawdust. As alternative solution You can use glass wool. If the garage is built in an area with a mild climate, then thermal insulation may not be provided. If you need to give the ceiling surface of the pit an attractive appearance, you can use the method of installing modern facing materials by type of lining or slate. These products are fixed to the ceiling surface using the technology recommended by the manufacturer. The walls need to be thermally insulated with polystyrene foam. The vegetable pit is made in such a way that the insulation is carried out over a pre-plastered surface.

Arrangement of vegetable storage

The pit must be waterproofed. It may be necessary to carry out work to form a circular drainage system. Such measures are carried out when groundwater is located too close to the bottom. Maximum simple method Protection of the floor surface from the effects of water is considered to be treatment with a bitumen solution. For reliability, it is best to apply the material in two layers. Roofing felt is laid on the bitumen, and then the solution is laid again. On final stage It is poured onto roofing felt, where coarse sand should be used. If you do not want to treat the walls of the storage facility with traditional bitumen, then you can resort to more expensive waterproofing by purchasing a penetrating compound. Before you build a vegetable pit with your own hands, you must design a ventilation system, which is installed at the final stage. The easiest way would be to install a natural supply and exhaust system, for which you need to prepare two pipes. One of them will serve for exhaust, while the other will serve for the supply of fresh air. If you are not afraid of additional financial costs, then you can install a forced ventilation system, but for this you will have to purchase an electric fan, which is installed in a pipe with two doors. At this point, we can assume that the brick vegetable pit has been made with your own hands and is ready for use.

Construction of a metal cellar

This design is made even before the construction of the garage, since it can be implemented into finished building it will be quite difficult. The shape of the product can be any, everything will depend on your preferences and requirements. You can weld such a vegetable storage facility yourself; there should be no holes or cracks in the welding areas, as water can penetrate through them. The walls are made of metal, but for the top you can use different materials, such as wood, slabs or slabs. Such a cellar may have two manholes, one of which will be more impressive in size and intended for lowering and lifting products, while the other will be used by humans. When making a vegetable iron pit with your own hands, it is recommended to protect the floors, walls and ceiling with insulating material to prevent the formation of 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 50 centimeters larger than the box itself on each side. The bottom of the dug hole is leveled and compacted, then a waterproofing clay cushion 25 centimeters thick is laid on it. An additional layer of concrete of insignificant thickness is poured on top. Construction of a vegetable pit with your own hands is accompanied by installation wooden formwork between the metal cellar and the wall of the pit. Clay is placed between the box and the boards, which is pre-cut into plates. After filling the hollow space and compacting the material, you can begin to backfill the excavated soil.

Caisson for cellar

If you need a vegetable pit, you can install a caisson with your own hands. On sale today you can find similar designs from different materials. This can be a prefabricated reinforced concrete caisson or a product made of plastic. In the latter case, carry out additional processing no cellar required. The structure is lightweight, and its installation can be done independently, without the need to involve construction equipment. For several decades, the plastic caisson will endure negative impacts.

Installation Features

Before installing the plastic caisson, it is necessary to carry out external thermal insulation, since the temperature difference between outside and inside can be impressive, which will certainly cause condensation to form on the walls. 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 getting into the hole before installing the caisson, otherwise the product will begin to float. If such a problem does arise, you will need to additionally install a hydraulic lock; for this, the gaps between the walls and edges of the pit are filled with clay, as in the case described above. Waterproofing is performed below the soil freezing depth.

Waterproofing vegetable pit

Waterproofing a vegetable pit is a way to preserve the harvest during winter and spring without throwing away half of the vegetables as unusable. Substances that come into contact with any products must be environmentally friendly and have minimal impact on organic matter. Products under the brand name KT Tron are precisely such substances, and therefore waterproofing a vegetable pit with the help of these products is not only acceptable, but even necessary.
Water can penetrate into unprotected pits in different ways: rise from the ground through cracks in damaged areas concrete base storage facilities, leak along technological seams, ooze through the pores of the material itself.
KT throne systems, consisting of materials for several purposes, are capable of complex waterproofing of a vegetable pit.
Let us list the main advantages of this system: high-level coating quality and good adhesion parameters, the ability to apply products with maximum speed without the use of specific tools, the possibility of application to insufficiently dried surfaces (which means that work can be carried out in any weather), the speed of drying and hardening of the compositions, the durability of the finished coatings.

Waterproofing a vegetable pit is carried out in several stages, the number of which may vary depending on the complexity of the object, the requirements for the protective characteristics of the storage and the climatic standards of the region. The main stages can be listed as follows:
Stage 1. Preliminary preparation object and material: all necessary construction works(in case of repair of an object, damaged areas and loosened, thinned concrete are removed), surfaces are cleaned of mechanical impurities, dust, rust, etc. Metal parts of the structure are coated with appropriate anti-corrosion compounds.
Stage 2. Waterproofing individual elements pit design: liquidation of detected active leaks is carried out; seams, joints, cracks are filled with mixtures and grooves are moistened, which are later filled with a self-expanding mixture of KT tron-2 (it is not necessary to pre-treat the surface of the groove with penetrating solutions, since the specified mixture itself has the ability to penetrate into the small pores of the building material).
Stage 3. Application of the main waterproofing coating for the vegetable pit: the concrete surface is thoroughly moistened, after which the application of the KT tron-1 composition begins. It is applied without smearing in two layers, perpendicular to one another. detailed instructions on surface treatment with this material and instructions on its consumption are attached to the purchased packages of the mixture.
Stage 4. Correct completion of the work on waterproofing the vegetable pit: the applied compositions of the KT Tron brand will last a long time and reliably, performing their functions 100%, if they are dried correctly: the treated surfaces must remain wet for three days. It is unacceptable to knock down sharply temperature regime, leave untreated areas or areas with cracked or peeling coating.

Following all the instructions will ensure the creation of high-quality waterproofing for the vegetable pit, which will delight the owners with the reliable storage of any products.