Before every person who grows various vegetable crops and harvests, the question arises of its storage and conservation prepared for the winter. Most often, cellars have always been used for this, but unlike modern options, they previously resorted to the help of ordinary pits lined with bricks. And today, more convenient and profitable solutions to such problems have appeared, and they have become caissons for the cellar. What kind of device is this, and why is it more profitable than an ordinary pit? What are caissons, and how to make them yourself?
Caisson. What is this?
Storage of pickles, vegetables, root crops and fruits is usually carried out in cellars, cellars, sheds and storages. Still, preference is given to cellars, the construction options for which have always been quite a lot, but each of them has its drawbacks. Whether it is a pit made of brick, wood or concrete, the durability and tightness of these materials leaves much to be desired. Over time, brick and concrete lose their properties and deteriorate, and wood is exposed tomold and fungus. Yes, and often there is a problem of groundwater, which can penetrate into the cellar and ruin stocks.
But the modern world does not stand still, and today an excellent solution has been invented and a worthy alternative to old structures - a caisson for a cellar. It is a fully sealed dry chamber that creates an air pocket when in or under water.
The caisson for the cellar can be round or rectangular with a neck and a hatch. To withstand groundwater and soil action, the thickness of the walls of the caisson can reach sixteen millimeters. Ventilation is arranged inside the structures, protecting from excess moisture and dampness.
Caisson advantages
Caissons have a number of advantages:
- full tightness, which allows you to install the device even in places with high groundwater, without fear for the safety of products;
- does not get moldy, which happens all the time with normal cellars;
- does not impart any odor to food stored inside.
The caisson for the cellar can be equipped anywhere, both under the house, shed and garage, and in the open air. Properly carried out waterproofing will guarantee protection from rain, sewer or water supply accidents and groundwater. And also the caisson has a more reliable level of protection against theft than a conventional cellar.
Varieties of caissons
So, there are several types of caissons:
- The most expensive and time-consuming is considered to be a caisson made of reinforced concrete rings. To install such a structure, you need a good foundation. Next, the rings are placed and the top cover is installed. Excellent waterproofing must be carried out. The main disadvantage is the large weight, which makes installation and waterproofing difficult, and a considerable price.
- The metal caisson has become the most popular option. Such structures are made of steel sheets, welded into a sealed device with a ladder and a hatch. Such caissons must be treated with an anti-corrosion coating and equipped with a bypass valve, in case groundwater enters the pit. This design always maintains the optimal temperature for storing pickles and crops.
- The plastic caisson for the cellar does not need an anti-corrosion treatment. Due to the fact that the design is lightweight, the involvement of equipment for installation is not required. Models of plastic caissons are distinguished by exceptional tightness and do not require the establishment of waterproofing protection. A plastic caisson for a cellar will serve its owners for more than fifty years.
Caisson for the cellar with your own hands
Gaining popularity and fame, the caisson is increasingly used by summer residents. Since the groundwater level can periodically rise and threaten the safety of the crop, the owners build caissons for reliable protection from water. And thenproper storage of the crop will allow it to remain in its original form until the next season, and pickles will be stored for more than one year. The caisson can be purchased as a finished product along with the installation service, or you can make and install it yourself. For those who are inclined towards an independent solution, we will tell you how to make a caisson for a cellar.
Caisson location
When choosing a place for the location of the caisson, it should be remembered that for constant blowing of the walls with fresh air, it is desirable to place the device in the middle of the underground. A more common option is underground under the kitchen, with an entrance through the floor. It should be noted in advance that the caisson hatch must be closed with a tight lid placed flush with the floor.
The most successful equipment of the caisson on the site before the construction of the main building. It is necessary to carefully study the place where it is planned to install the caisson with your own hands. If the area on which the site is located is elevated and dry, there should be no problems with the arrangement. If the soil of the site is swampy, you will have to make an effort and work hard. The recommendations of experts tend to install metal caissons due to their greater reliability. But a large number of owners choose a plastic caisson for the cellar, which also has good user reviews.
Production of metal cellar caissons
To own a good crop storage caisson, there are two solutions. In specialized stores you can buy ready-mademetal caisson. You can also order a model according to your size. But if certain skills and abilities are available, it is quite possible to independently make a metal caisson for the cellar. There are many options for the shape of the future caisson. The main thing is to remember that all seams must be welded inside and out to exclude the possibility of water ingress. Poorly welded seams threaten rapid corrosion damage and time-consuming repairs. The walls and floor of the caisson must be made of metal, while the top can be made of concrete or wood.
Caisson pit
After the caisson is ready, you need to calculate the dimensions of the pit and make markings on the territory. The metal caisson is installed to a depth of at least 2.5 meters. When marking, it should be borne in mind that between the walls of the caisson and the pit there should be a distance of 0.5 meters along the entire perimeter.
In order to avoid shedding of the walls of the pit, when digging, you should try to keep the turf. During the work, after removing the top layer, there may be problems with groundwater in the clay. If this happens, in the middle of the pit they dig a hole as deep as the bayonet of a shovel to collect water. After digging is completed, the bottom of the pit is covered with sand with a layer of 10 centimeters. The tar smeared on the walls and bottom of the pit will serve as additional protection.
Waterproofing of the caisson
Since the metal is subject to corrosion, before installing the caisson in the pit, it must be treated with an anti-corrosion coating. Or,having acquired a special composition, use paint waterproofing. After that, it is necessary to cover the caisson with bitumen. To do this, you can cook bituminous mastic in the boiler yourself. Taking an amount of bitumen equal to one third of the volume of the boiler, set it on fire. After the bitumen has stopped foaming, it is poured into a prepared container with gasoline in a thin stream and mixed. For the treatment of external walls, the proportions of one part of bitumen to three parts of gasoline must be observed. For primary painting - in equal parts, for re-painting - three parts of bitumen to one gasoline. The coating of the caisson with such a composition should be continuous, with an emphasis on sharp places.
Caisson thermal insulation
So, the caisson is protected from water penetration, but now it has a high temperature, which means that water will drain from its walls, because of which the crops in the caisson will rot. To overcome this problem, the installation of thermal insulation is necessary. It is necessary to isolate the walls and the bottom of the cellar as best as possible.
To make the device of the caisson for the cellar as ideal as possible, it is recommended to make its insulating layer of clay at least 20 centimeters thick. The outer sides should be insulated with the same layer of clay. To achieve better reliability, with the help of cement mortar, the floor and the inner walls of the cellar are plastered with a layer of 2 centimeters. To do this, a steel mesh with cells is installed on a steel wire frame with a diameter of 0.06 cm, fixed and plastered. Next, cover the floor with a layer of 3.5 centimeters and allow the composition to dry. Interior walls can be insulatedglass wool or warm blankets.
Installation of the caisson
After completion of the preparation, you can lower the caisson for the cellar into the pit. To install the caisson in the center of the pit, logs are first lowered vertically into it from both sides, which will act as limiters and guides for the caisson. Installation can be carried out using a winch, the cable of which must be constantly loosened and controlled by one person. The rest of the process guides the caisson and keeps it from swinging.
If the installation takes place in an area with constantly flowing water, the caisson will float. To overcome this problem, a water seal is installed. Fill the distance from the walls of the caisson to the cellar with clay, ramming it well. The water seal device must be below the freezing level of the soil. But even installing it does not give a full guarantee.
Arrangement of the caisson
After the caisson is installed, it must be equipped for ease of use. The modern market is replete with a variety of all kinds of boxes and shelves for storing food. Installation locations will depend only on the preferences and imagination of the owners. You can also make wood racks yourself, which are installed on racks made of timber.
In addition to equipping the caisson with various shelves and drawers, you need to take care of its ventilation. Therefore, ventilation pipes must be installed in each metal caisson, whichprevent dampness in the device.
To make access to the caisson convenient, you must use a ladder. It can be made of metal or wood, the main thing is its good reinforcement on both sides, protecting it from movement and staggering.
Of course, for the convenience of using the caisson, it should have lighting. It can be electric or with the help of candles, a lantern or a kerosene lamp. The main thing is not to forget about fire safety, and if a kerosene lamp is chosen as the lighting method, it is advisable to remove it from the caisson after use in order to avoid the specific smell of products.
After filling the caisson with crops and pickles, it is recommended to cover the top of the caisson with material intended for thermal insulation, for example, slag or expanded clay. If moss, peat or sawdust is chosen for this purpose, they should be covered with a layer of earth or sand from above, as they have an increased flammability.
