How to make a glacier cellar with your own hands?

Making an icehouse, or glacier cellar, is a great way to preserve food and drinks in an environmentally responsible way. For centuries, people have stored ice in these age-old buildings to keep perishables cool without using electricity. You can build your own glacier cellar in your backyard with a few simple supplies and some labor.

The key to an effective glacier cellar is insulation. By using natural materials like earth, straw, and concrete, you can create a space that maintains a consistently cool temperature year-round. This type of storage is perfect for those who enjoy gardening, farming, or simply want to reduce their energy consumption.

We’ll take you step-by-step through the process of creating a glacier cellar using this guide. You’ll discover how to build the cellar, acquire the required supplies, and choose the ideal location to guarantee ideal cooling. Whether you’re a novice or an expert do-it-yourselfer, this project is a fun way to add a little vintage inventiveness to your house.

Feasibility of construction – in what cases is a glacier needed??

A popular building feature that can be built in a private home, farmstead, or dacha is an ice cellar. Large amounts of food are stored for a long time in the cellar.

Multitool for repair and construction work Makita LXT DTM52Z

What can be stored in a glacier like this:

• fresh vegetables and fruits;
• canned food;
• blanks;
• jam;
• compotes;
• meat.

Because the temperatures are just below zero, frozen goods are also kept in excellent condition.

Furthermore, a cellar of this kind is a great way to store supplies in locations without electricity.

Where is it best to build?

The ice cellar’s roof needs to have adequate thermal insulation in order to keep the cold out in the summer.

According to where they are made:

• under buildings;
• free-standing.

It’s convenient to have everything you need on hand and not have to go far from home to get it. However, this choice necessitates a substantial layer of thermal insulation. It will remain chilly on the floors.

Even in the city, you can create a do-it-yourself ice cellar in the garage. Because of the building’s dimensions, you can make a roomy cold storage area underneath it for goods. At the dacha, a shed suitable for storing inventory would be ideal.

Free-standing buildings are constructed in close proximity to flooded groundwater. They can be originally decorated and then used as decor on a large site. The cellar floor should be at least half the height of the groundwater. The building occupies a large amount of the property. The layered arch is covered with a thick layer of soil to provide thermal insulation.

Construction bucket with a metal handle, 20 l

Creating your own glacier cellar is a worthwhile endeavor that enables you to store food in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. This guide will take you through all the necessary steps, from choosing the right spot and supplies to actually excavating and building the cellar. You can build a functional and efficient subterranean storage space that utilizes the earth’s natural insulation to keep your perishables cool all year long by following these instructions. Making your own glacier cellar is a useful and environmentally responsible way to save electricity, whether you’re going for a rustic look or just trying to cut back on your usage.

Tools needed to build a glacier

Any style of cellar-glacier needs to be set down in a pit, below ground.

To construct a glacier using your hands, you will require the following equipment:

• shovel;
• saw;
• axe;
• hammer;
• screwdriver.

You’ll need the following building supplies to construct the cellar’s formwork and walls and create waterproofing:

• concrete mortar (cement, sand);
• bricks;
• roofing material;
• bitumen.

You will also need to use steel pipes, gravel, and a welding machine to build a thick-walled, kerosene glacier.

Marking cord, Cheglok, 14-37-050, for construction work on a 50m reel

What requirements must the structure meet?

Whatever its design, the cellar-glacier needs to be user-friendly and fulfill the following specifications:

• area from 4 m sq;
• width and length of the manhole 60 × 80 cm, or a little more;
• ceiling height 180 – 200 cm;
• The walls should be equipped with shelves, with boxes at the bottom;
• the temperature below – 2⁰С should be maintained all summer.

The temperature beneath the ceiling will rise with the cellar’s elevation. A low glacier will be challenging to enter, particularly for tall individuals.

The glacier is divided into two sections: an ice storage area and a food cellar. The area of the food storage chamber directly correlates with the quantity of ice and refrigerant needed.

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Calculating the dimensions and making drawings

Prior to beginning construction, you should determine the cellar’s dimensions, sketch it out, and figure out how much material you’ll need. Should the structure be located in a garage, its length and width ought to be roughly one meter shorter than the building’s foundation. The dimensions of a detached cellar-glacier are 4 by 6 meters, and the distance from the top of the slope to the bottom of the ice storage is 10 meters.

About one-third of the cellar space is taken up by the ice storage chamber. 140–120 cm of depth. Water from melted ice is drained by creating a 20–25 cm depression in the bottom. It is 15 centimeters smaller all around.

Brick or concrete are used to build the walls of the cellar and ice storage. Cement mortar is poured onto the floor. Especially in regions with flooding or marshy soil, it is advisable to place a layer of roofing felt between the walls and the ground to provide waterproofing. The finished drawing shows how much material is needed based on how much is used per square meter for the walls and floor.

An illustration of the positioning of pipes around the outside and their outflow is part of the calculation for the plan for the cellar glacier, which will cool kerosene. There is no ice storage.

A manual sprinkler for building mixtures 2.5 l

How to build a cellar-glacier with your own hands – step-by-step instructions

Prior to beginning construction on a glacier, you must gather all required supplies and determine how much work will be involved. The pit ought to be bigger than the basement’s actual volume. An excavator can be used to drill a hole for a freestanding structure. Such machinery cannot be driven into a prefabricated garage. Using only winches, all of the dirt will need to be manually dug up and removed.

Ventilation is always required to prevent the air from becoming stagnant and leaving the building. An exhaust pipe is installed for this purpose. It rises one meter from the floor in the basement room and descends one meter outside.

Ice glacier

A traditional product’s cold basement is an ice cellar glacier. It is constructed in the order listed below:

1. Dig a pit 20 cm deeper than the lowest point of drainage for water and 40 – 50 cm wider.
2. Pour a cushion of a mixture of sand and fine gravel. Put formwork on it according to the size of the drainage pit.
3. Make formwork and fill the walls of the ice storage with concrete. They should be 10 – 12 cm thick. Before pouring, install a grate on the bottom. Water should drain, and the ice should remain in place.
4. After 3 days, remove the outer formwork and fill all free space with a mixture of sand and gravel to the floor level.
5. Install formwork under the cellar. The gap between the boards and the walls of the pit should be 20 – 25 cm. The walls can be made of brick or natural stone.
6. Fill the walls with a mixture of cement, sand and small crushed stone or granulated slag.
7. After the concrete walls have hardened, after about 72 hours at temperatures above +15⁰, remove the formwork.
8. Lay roofing felt or other waterproofing material and fill the floor.
9. Now you can remove the internal formwork from the ice storage and install a grid with large holes at floor level.

You now need to wait 30 to 40 days for the cement mortar to crystallize. Ice is then poured into the cellar. Large blocks should be arranged with small pieces filling in the spaces between them. It is best to do this in the winter, when there is frost, after the cellar’s rooms have all cooled. After that, the ice will merely hold the temperature and endure until the following winter.

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Glacier with a kerosene cooler

How to create a glacier without having to fill a pit with cold blocks, which is a labor-intensive process, and with a constant temperature. For this, a design that uses kerosene cooling is appropriate. It absorbs a great deal of heat during evaporation, causing the temperature to drop dramatically. It’s easier to construct a glacier like this in a garage. Although there isn’t as much excavation work involved, you still need to be a skilled welder or bring in an outside expert.

The glacier’s apparatus is as follows:

1. Dig a hole for the future cellar 50 cm longer and wider, 20 cm deeper.
2. Dig a trench 20 cm wide and 100 cm deep around the perimeter.
3. A steel pipe should be laid in the trench, welding it with a closed loop.
4. Cut holes in the center of the long walls in the laid structure and weld the same pipes into them vertically. They should rise above the ground surface by 30 – 40 cm.
5. Make a formwork – a box with dimensions 50 cm smaller in length and width (25 cm on each side). Install it in the basement pit. The pipes should remain in the gap between the boards and the walls of the pit.
6. Fill the free space around the perimeter with cement mortar with medium-sized crushed stone.

Kerosene should then be poured into the pipes and added on a yearly basis. In the spring, install waterproof covers on the pipes that block heat.

A glacier with thick walls

For colder northern climates, a thick-walled glacier is appropriate. It’s a concrete box with 50 cm or thicker walls and ceiling. It is where ventilation ducts exit. Two doors that can withstand heat. A thin layer of plaster mixed with cement and sand can be used to finish the interior.

During prolonged periods of severe frost in the winter, the cellar remains fully open. Its walls need to be frozen solid. After that, everything is shut down for the duration of the summer.

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Step	Description
1. Select a Location	Choose a shaded spot away from direct sunlight and near a natural water source if possible.
2. Dig the Hole	Excavate a hole at least 6-8 feet deep and 4-6 feet wide, ensuring it is larger than the cellar you plan to build.
3. Build the Walls	Construct the walls with concrete blocks or stones, ensuring they are sturdy and well-insulated.
4. Install Drainage	Lay a gravel bed at the bottom and install a drainage pipe to prevent water accumulation.
5. Add a Roof	Cover the top with wooden beams and a layer of concrete or soil to insulate the cellar.
6. Insulate the Interior	Line the walls and floor with insulating materials like straw or foam boards to maintain a cool temperature.
7. Install Shelving	Build sturdy wooden shelves inside to store your food and drinks efficiently.
8. Create a Ventilation System	Install vents at the top and bottom to ensure proper air circulation and prevent mold growth.
9. Seal the Entrance	Ensure the door is well-insulated and sealed to keep the cold air inside and pests out.
10. Maintain the Cellar	Regularly check for leaks, clean the interior, and ensure the ventilation system is working properly.

Using insulation and the power of ice to create a natural refrigeration system, building a glacier cellar by hand is a satisfying project. This eco-friendly and economical method, which has its roots in traditional practices, offers a novel way to store perishable goods without using electricity.

The procedure is first choosing a good spot, ideally one that is shaded and has good drainage, and then excavating a sizable hole to contain the structure. It’s important to properly insulate the cellar; materials that can help maintain the low temperatures needed to keep your goods fresh include sawdust, straw, and foam insulation.

The cellar’s walls and roof were built with long-lasting materials like concrete, which offers superior insulation and longevity. Make sure the building is solid and tightly sealed to keep warm air out. The basic structure can be completed by adding an air vent for circulation and a door with a tight seal.

After building your glacier cellar, keeping the ice supply constant and adding more ice will keep the cellar cool during the warmer months. Your glacier cellar will continue to work properly for many years to come with routine inspections and maintenance, such as replacing melted ice and making sure the insulation is still in place.

To sum up, building a glacier cellar at home is a doable do-it-yourself project that provides a sustainable method of food preservation. You can take advantage of the advantages of a natural refrigeration system, saving energy and lessening your environmental impact, with careful planning, the right materials, and routine maintenance.

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