Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Feb 06, 1999 09:48am | #1

   *
   I built a small 5'x10' cold room in one corner of my basement in eastern Ontario. The exterior foundation walls are poured concrete, the two interior partitions are 2x4 with 2" Styro (XPS R5/")cut to fit between the studs and joist ends on the interior.

   I left the masonry walls and the ceiling and door uninsulated. Depending on its intended use a passive vent system should be incorpoated (High and low grilled vents)to mitigate mould & mildew. Mine seems to maintain a 50F-55F temp in an otherwise heated basement, with a heated floor living space above.

2. 
   Ralph | Feb 19, 1999 10:19pm | #2

   *
   Thanks Pat,
   Three Questions;
   1. The floor doesn't get cold even in the winter.
   2. How hot does it get in the summer?
   3. What's a passive vent system i.e., high low grill?

3. 
   Guest_ | Feb 20, 1999 09:48pm | #3

   *
   Ralph

   1) the floor is always the coldest place in my entire basement, but the floor of my cold room is where I store my beer and it's always just right for my taste, summer or winter. . . but I don't like it "refrigerator" cold.

   2) like most basements, my unfinished basement is always quite cool in the summer, and while I can't remember exactly I think the cold room hovers around 60F, maybe more, still good for beer storage at floor level!(the beer storage is a very minor part of the cold room's purpose, but you can see where my head is at the moment)

   3)To promote 'some minimal' circulation a small vent high in a wall (but not at the ceiling level-probably too hot) and another low (in the door, or maybe cut the door an inch or so short which is what I did)will do. . . not being scientific here.

   -Patrick

4. 
   Tami_Bowser | Mar 04, 1999 07:09pm | #4

   *
   I am doing a similar project and have an additional question. You did not mention a vapor barrier. The area that I am building the cold room was left without a poured floor to increase the humidity level in that room. With an optimal humidity of 90%, being much too high for the rest of the house- I am wondering if I should put the vapor barrier on the studs on the inside of the cold room then put celotex ontop of it. This way the wood structure stays out of the moist enviroment. I also plan to use a window with an air intake and exit vent.

5. 
   Guest_ | Mar 07, 1999 09:14am | #5

   *
   Tami

   Correct me if I misunderstand but it sounds like you want a
   i Root Cellar
   in your basement. . . not a great idea. We were dealing here with
   i cold rooms,
   b dry
   storage for canned goods, beer & wine, fur coats etc., not
   i really damp cold rooms.
   If you introduce poly anywhere into the equation, your room will not be able to
   i breathe.
   If, for example, you were to completely shroud the walls and ceiling with poly to protect the framing,(and how would you deal with the door) you would have an ideal place for growing fungii. I don't think a window will give you nearly enough ventilation to obviate that. The best place for a root celar is outside in it's own enclosure!!! Or as a separate concrete room within the basement footprint, accesible only from the exterior, with lots of cross ventilation!!! Old style root cellars were not airtight. . . far from it!!!

   BTW, what do you mean by celotex? Foil faced polisocyanurate insulating board,(great stuff R7.3/") or pressed sawdust with tar facers (junk)

   -Patrick

6. 
   Tami_B | Mar 09, 1999 06:07pm | #6

   *
   Yes, a root cellar is what I am looking for. I am refering to the foil faced insulation brand name celotex. So you dont think that with a high/low vent that it would provide enough ventilation? I thought I would use an insulated steel exterior door,(going into the basement not to the outside. Two of the walls are concrete, two are framed. Unfortunately digging an exterior root cellar is pretty out of the question. The cost of a backhoe is prohibitive, and we are sitting on rock so its not an easy task. Thank you for your help, and if you have any other suggestion it would be appreciated.
   Tami

7. 
   Ralph_Scholz | Apr 19, 1999 06:52pm | #7

   *
   I wish to build a cold room in a below grade heated basement. It will be in the northeast corner of the basement, insulated from the rest of the house. What is the best wall (4 inch block?, barrier (air/vapour?), insulation type (DowSM?)and loaction(warm side cold side. The climate is cold (niagara falls ontario). Any construction hints or web sites would help. Thanks

8. 
   Guest_ | Apr 19, 1999 06:52pm | #8

   *
   You can do a cold room like you imagine it in your basement. A root cellar isnt supposed to be all that damp either. The old timers went to a lot of trouble to make sure it wasnt. For your vent, you need intake from the outside low in the room, and exhaust high. the temp. should be cool anywhere from 33 to 60 degreesF depending on what you want to store. I dont think you need to block moisture from the rest of the basement, and an adjustable vent will regulate humidity and temp so too insulated is not overly necessary. By the way, canned goods are stored almost anywhere, thats why theyare made. Cold rooms are for perfect condition, fresh garden produce. For more info on old-timey living, get Carla Emerys book on country life, "The encyclopedia of country living".