Considered using culverts for home construction underground?

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Moisture in underground buildings is due to a lack of air circulation. With proper circulation the air will be drier than in a typical above ground home.
In a typical home the air is constantly recirculated around the house and high humidity results. Every time you exhale you exhale moisture as well as air. That moisture get recirculated.
If you bring fresh air in from outside through a geo grid the moisture level will stay low. The constant replacement of the air will remove any possibility of radon gas buildup too.
 
I'd consider one for a root cellar or storm shelter, but I don't think I'd want to use one as any kind of permanent living situation. I'd have to weigh the pro's and con's of that versus block or poured construction.
My thought has long been that things happen beyond our ability to control or fix them. We never know when a fire, storm, tornado, hurricane, earthquake or some other disaster may happen and leave us homeless. If times are wrong, rebuilding may not be possible. I think having a "storm cellar" that is properly thought out may not be the best possible home at good times, but at other times, it could be a blessing.

I understand using a culvert to build a shelter, but it would not be my first choice of ways to build a shelter. Of course, it may be that there is a culvert that would work for a shelter when there is little or nothing else.

I think of a story of early settlers in Nebraska, who traveled in late November to their new land, where they only had a 12 x 12 sod shanty with no doors or windows. Other settlers had no shelter, so that winter, 18 people were packed into that sod shanty. A blanket was hung over the door opening. Shortly after they arrived, there was quite a blizzard, so people were not going to be going outside to give space to others. I have a 12 x 12 room in my home. I cannot imagine how 18 people would fit in it, but, it would be better than camping in a blizzard!
 
The cost is high, or was when I looked at getting one delivered.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top