Did you get a lot of weird things happening in your basement or garage? Do people seem to disappear down there while they are home, and come back hours later without saying anything? You might have an underground room! These spaces exist below the house’s foundation. They can be used for storing valuables like wine glasses, playing games, or even hiding bodies during a murder scene.
Building a concrete underground room is not as difficult as it may seem. In this guide, I will walk you through the process of building an underground room that is safe and sound. Read more in detail here: building a concrete underground room.
Learning how to create an underground chamber in your garden is a fascinating endeavor, whether you’re fulfilling a childhood fantasy of having a hidden fort or want to be prepared in case of an emergency. Although not every backyard is suitable for constructing an underground room, if you have the correct circumstances and follow the methods below, you may excavate a nice and secure place under your lawn!
Contents
How to Make the Most of Your Underground Room
It’s a good idea to think about what you’re going to do with your subterranean chamber before you start creating it. We’ll go through some ideas for putting your subterranean space to good use in this portion of the post.
1. It may be used as a “bugout” location.
Underground rooms may be built almost anywhere: under your house, in your backyard, or in the midst of a field you bought as a back-up plan in case of an emergency.
If you’re a prepper, having an underground room or bugout spot gives you peace of mind that you’ll be able to remove your family someplace safe and unnoticed if disaster strikes. Underground chambers are also better at regulating temperature and storing food and water than sites above ground. They’re also useful in locations where tornadoes are a common occurrence.
When you’re gone, your underground quarters are also less likely to be discovered and looted (if the location is off of your home property).
2. Increase the value of your home and the amount of space it has.
Adding an underground room to your property can immediately improve its value. If you add a kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping section to the room, the cost goes up much more.
A freshly constructed subterranean room may be utilized for bedrooms, playrooms, a family cinema, or an extra parlor space if you have a big family.
3. Convert the space into a man cave
Most fathers appreciate some undisturbed time to watch the game, play poker, or just relax. Creating a man cave out of an underground chamber is a terrific way for dad to have his own area. He may arrange the room whatever he wants, and if he’s a collector, he can show his memorabilia (even some that Mom won’t allow him display elsewhere in the home).
A bar and barstools, a huge TV, dad’s favorite chair or couch, and any other décor pieces he like may be added to underground chambers.
4. Use it as a Personal Fitness Center
You may make your subterranean room into a personal gym if you, your spouse, or your whole family is into sports and fitness. For many individuals, a home gym is a spare room in the house, the garage, or a collection of equipment strewn around the house. You may preserve the above-ground rooms for family activities and relaxation and use the subterranean area for hard work by choosing an underground gym.
This will also provide you with the ideal space for all of your equipment, and you will be able to design and create the space to fit working out, while your house may lack the necessary tools or surfaces (for example, easy-to-clean concrete floors).
5. Make it a Pantry or Storage Area
For big families and preppers alike, having additional pantry space is a great idea. Using your basement room as a huge pantry is a terrific method to free up space in the rest of the home, allowing you more area to enjoy leisurely family activities and eliminating stocked-up food products from your kitchen pantry/cabinets.
With a few storage shelves, refrigerators, and freezers in your subterranean area, you’ll be able to feed your family for months (if not years). This area would be perfect for storing animal feed and would be suitable for a homesteader or farmer.
Underground rooms, even if they don’t have heating or cooling equipment, maintain the temperature of the area considerably better than rooms above ground, as previously stated. This is due to the fact that the temperature under the earth’s surface remains constant.
6. Put it to use as a guest house
Long-term visitors will appreciate having access to an underground room. An underground room, whether for family or friends, is a space that is near enough to be sociable yet far enough away to provide solitude for you, your home, and your visitors anytime you need some alone time.
Another advantage of renting out your subterranean room to visitors is that you may rent it to friends, relatives, or even strangers who are homeless and have nowhere else to go. This is a fantastic method to earn additional money without having to do anything.
Constructing an Underground Room
Let’s get started on our step-by-step guide to building an underground room in your backyard now that we’ve covered how to utilize your subterranean room.
Step 1: Plan and Prepare
You’ll need to think about a few things before deciding where you want to create an underground chamber in your garden.
First and foremost, be certain that the location you choose is lawful and that you have authorization to create an underground room there.
If you’re unsure, contact your local government to have utility lines checked where you’ll be digging. You’ll want to double-check that the area you’re digging is clear of any gas, sewage, or electrical lines.
Read this page for additional information about digging in your backyard.
Examine for Debris
You should also search for debris on the surface in addition to the recommendations given above. Digging will be very tough in regions with a lot of rocks and tree roots.
Avoid muddy places or regions where water tends to accumulate, since this might lead to floods later. Unfortunately, if you reside in a flood-prone area, you should avoid building an underground chamber at all costs.
Dig up a little piece of soil to discover what’s below to test out various places. The ideal location would have adequate drainage, be distant from sharp objects, and be mostly constructed of soil.
Determine the size of the room you want to create.
Are you wanting to build a fort that will only be used in an emergency? Perhaps you’d like a room with a bit more wriggle room.
Starting with a 33-foot pit is a decent rule of thumb for building a basic subterranean chamber in your garden.
Aim for a 55-foot pit if you want to make a room with a bit more area.
While you may want it to be big enough to walk around in, going deeper than 6 feet might be risky. The further you dig, the more likely the chamber may collapse, endangering you and everyone within.
Make careful not to dig deeper than you dig across to prevent barriers from collapsing. Keep the ratio as even as possible.
Make a plan.
Begin by sketching out your subterranean area after you have a rough notion of its size. This will enable you to see the finished product and identify any possible structural problems.
Once you’ve chosen a site, draw your map to have a better understanding of any obstacles you’ll have to overcome, such as tree roots.
Mark down the precise proportions you’ll be utilizing using pegs or markers.
Before you begin digging, sit inside the “box” to get a sense of how it feels. This can help you estimate how much arm and legroom you’ll have after the job is completed.
Step 2: Get to work digging.
Be Safe
Even if you take all of the necessary measures, an emergency might still occur. Though we anticipate you will be able to complete the procedure without difficulty, it is always better to be cautious than sorry.
Always inform someone where you’re going before you start digging. Even after you’ve dug up the room, someone should always be able to locate you.
Even better if you have any friends or relatives that can assist you with this work. Not only will you be safer, but you’ll also be able to complete the digging procedure faster.
Start digging
You may begin excavating now that you have a general concept of how your space will appear and feel. Begin by skimming the surface of the earth inside the parameters you’ve selected with the shovel.
Double-check your dimensions before beginning to dig out your space. Dig as evenly as possible, and keep a close eye on the proportions to ensure you don’t stray too far from your initial idea.
The excavating operation might take many days, particularly if you’re working alone. Make sure to make any required preparations with this in mind.
Make careful to cover the hole with a tarp overnight to safeguard your effort. Use pebbles or posts to secure the tarp in place and ensure that it will not be damaged.
If there’s a potential that someone could stroll close to the hole you’ve excavated, it’s a good idea to put a warning sign. Add little flags to the four corners, or make miniature “walls” around the space using the soil you’ve dug out.
Make sure you have a safe means to enter and depart for the following day before you finish for the day.
Make the Walls Slope
To prevent your room from collapsing, make the walls a little broader and more open than the floor.
While standing above the chamber, remove some dirt from the top of the room. Working your way down, attempt to make the room’s top 6′′ broader than the bottom.
Scrape the walls down with a tiny shovel to ensure that each one curves out.
Make Shelves and Cubby Holes
You may add little shelves to your room instead of simply a small subterranean box. It’ll be easy to keep goods like flashlights or glowsticks for illumination this way.
Avoid using candles or anything else that might cause a fire in your subterranean chamber. In a tiny place, a fire might produce too much carbon monoxide, which could cause someone to choke. There’s also the possibility that debris may fall and hurt someone.
Slowly scoop out earth with your hands or a small shovel in the locations you want to build shelves. Compact the earth and form little “boxes” inside the wall by patting the area.
Make a way for people to get in and out.
One of the most crucial things to keep in mind when you construct your backyard subterranean chamber is having a method to get in and out.
You may make modest steps in the same way you would with shelves.
Create steps using cinderblocks for a simpler solution. If you’re doing this, make sure the earth is at least an inch deep around all of the blocks to conceal sharp angles and edges.
Complete the Walls
You’ll want your fort’s walls to be somewhat smooth and free of any pebbles or tree roots. Pat the walls down using the flat side of a shovel or your hands to maintain your space as robust as possible.
Wear gloves if you’re going to pat down the walls with your hands. Continue pressing and compacting until the walls are smooth to the touch and do not seem crumbling.
Plywood might be used to line the walls of your fort for increased stability. If you do this, start at the base of the fort and make sure the plywood is flat with the walls.
To make the siding, drive two posts into each corner of the room and then attach plywood edges to the posts. When seen from above, the posts should contact on one of the corners to form a little box of space.
Decorate Your Space
You may start making your subterranean chamber cozier at this stage in the process. A local thrift store is an excellent spot to start looking for stuff.
If there is enough area, get some seating, such as little stools and tables. For the floor, use a blanket you found at a thrift shop or one you don’t care about.
When you’ve done spending time in the room, be sure to take out any fabric-covered things to avoid mold. Clothing, blankets, cushions, pillows, and other items fall under this category.
Add the Roof in Step 3
Plywood or wooden planks are the first option.
A sheet of plywood may be used as a roof for your subterranean chamber. On each side, it should be at least a few inches bigger than the room.
Drill a hole in the plywood and put a string or rope through it to make a handle. When you’re ready to enter your fort, use the rope to hoist up the roof after it’s secured.
Option number two is to use a tarp.
A tarp is an excellent way to protect your subterranean home from rain and dampness.
To attach the tarp, either tie it to surrounding trees or drive steaks into the ground. To make a robust roof, make sure you pull the tarp taut.
Tie a thread taught over the fort to make an A-frame roof with your tarp. Drape the tarp over the string and bury all four corners.
It’s a good idea to use some form of marker, regardless of the approach you choose, to prevent someone from falling in by mistake.
Option 3: Construct an A-frame Roof
You may raise your chamber slightly above ground by erecting an A-frame over it. This may help shield it from the elements.
For the A-frame, you’ll start with three starter logs. One log will be held up on one end at the junction of two other shorter logs, forming a “A” shape.
The hole will be smack dab in the middle of your roof’s triangular form. Then, all the way down the long piece of wood, lay sticks parallel to the other two small logs.
After you’ve completed, apply a little coating of mud to construct your roof. Then you may hide with leaves, pine cones, or any other natural material.
Option 4: Construct a Lean-To Roof
Begin by hammering two poles into the ground, floating slightly above the chamber, to construct the lean-to roof. The two poles will support a board, forming a sloping roof on the ground.
Sticks may also be nailed to the roof’s peak, with smaller sticks being added until you reach the bottom. Another alternative is to overlay mud with pine needles, leaves, clay, or other natural materials, then cover with pine needles, leaves, clay, or other natural materials.
Last Thoughts
Building your own private subterranean cave in your backyard might be a significant undertaking, but it’s one that’s well worth it. You’ll end up with a secure and warm area if you learn how to create an underground room in your backyard correctly and follow all of the precautions.
The “how to build an underground house” is a guide that will teach you how to build your own underground room. It has been written for 2022, but it will still be useful in the future.
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