What we will do for wine

[65fl]

This is an old root cellar that the wife and I have been using as a wine cellar for our wine making hobby. Last fall we noticed that the roof was collapsing so we shored it up as best we could and deemed it a high priority project for this summer. Well I got the dirt off the roof now and need to start thinking about how to rebuild this. The cellar is 10' x 16' with the interior divided into two rooms. The current roof is 6"x12" beams laid flat with a few layers of roofing felt, tar and roll roofing providing the water proofing. The soil depth on the roof was 18"

I was thing of using 2" x 10" x 10' joists on 12" centers along with 2 layers of 3/4" plywood sheathing, all wood will be ground contact pressure treated, think that will work?

I haven't given too much thought on the roofing membrane, so any guidance will be welcome.

 

[M5farms]

The system you had is probably the cheapest and will work . I would go back with a single ply tpo or epdm after you rebuild the roof a single ply will only need to be attached around the perimeter walls because the soil will hold the membrane down.

 

[Budweiser John]

For what it’s worth, my neighbor built a root cellar some years ago using treated wood.
It was an exercise in futility as the chemicals from the treated lumber leached into the vegetables rendering them inedible.
From your last picture it appears as if a concrete cap was poured? I agree, a torch down EDM membrane would be a good waterproofing choice.
My one and only attempt at making wine resulted in a concoction that tasted like after shave lotion so now the problem is what to do with all the green glass no one wants. You can only make so many ‘bottle trees’ for the flower garden.

B. John

 

[deanocraft]

If you go with your idea of 2 x 10’s and plywood sheeting, I would use Advantec sheeting. It will hold up much better than plywood. That is a cool looking root cellar...

 

[jmc]

Great project!

Did you consider using a single 3/4" sheet each, above and below the joists? The resulting dead air space would provide more insulation. The joists couldn't splay under load. The question would be how much dirt 3/4" spanning 10 1/2 inches would support without sagging.

 

[Fuddy1952]

This I'm sure is a stupid idea since I know very little about construction, but what if you removed the roof entirely. You would have the walls left. Then uphill level out a spot maybe a foot or so wider and longer than that. Form it up, put in reinforcing rod then pour concrete the thickness you want, (10"?). Once hardened, take forms down and slide this over top of walls. Now you have a solid concrete roof.
Of course it's a bit of engineering feat, forming properly, sliding something that heavy into place, but seems feasible.

 

[MossRoad]

This I'm sure is a stupid idea since I know very little about construction, but what if you removed the roof entirely. You would have the walls left. Then uphill level out a spot maybe a foot or so wider and longer than that. Form it up, put in reinforcing rod then pour concrete the thickness you want, (10"?). Once hardened, take forms down and slide this over top of walls. Now you have a solid concrete roof.
Of course it's a bit of engineering feat, forming properly, sliding something that heavy into place, but seems feasible.

Or, you could just put in plywood with cribbing under it, a moisture barrier, rebar, and pour it directly in place, then remove the cribbing when it dries.

 

[GLyford]

Or cribbing, metal roofing, and rebar, and leave the metal roofing in place to be the ceiling?

Depending on how good a scrounge you are, you may even be able to find proper "form deck" they use for pouring slab floors in commercial buildings...

 

[hawkeye08]

x2 on the concrete.. we did a root cellar roof years ago at great uncles place, still there 40 years later.

 

[Stimw]

I made wine for a couple years back in the 70's.
NEVER could stand drinking it or any wine!
I heard it said that they need to put it back in the horse it came out of!!!