Root Cellar Door Raises Straight Up

Root Cellar Door Raises Straight Up BUILDINGS New Techniques 34-4-31 When Chris Juel built an earth-sheltered root cellar out away from his house, he designed the access door with two goals in mind: not having to bend over, and not having to shovel snow. He accomplished both goals by building a big plywood door that raises "guillotine-style" straight up and down. To build the root cellar he cut a big fuel tank in half lengthwise and removed the ends, then welded the two halves together end to end and set them on top of a floor made from railroad ties. Then he covered the entire structure with soil. The 6-ft. wide by 8-ft. high door rides up and down a tall metal frame, lifted by a shop drill attached to an electric winch. The plywood door is insulated with 2 layers of fiberglass. "The door is big enough that I can walk in without having to bend over. And because it raises straight up and down I never have to shovel snow," says Juel. "I built the cellar to store potatoes, piled 4 ft. wide, 20 ft. long and 8 ft. high inside the structure." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Chris Juel, P.O. Box 162, Scobey, Mont. 59263 (ph 406 487-5014).

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