Step-by-step instructions: how to insulate a box for storing potatoes on the balcony

Potatoes have become an integral part of the diet of many people. In winter, a vegetable becomes more expensive, and it becomes relevant to create a design that allows you to keep it fresh until spring. An excellent replacement for a cellar in the city is a balcony or loggia, on which you can install a homemade vegetable store in the form of a box.

We will tell you how to insulate a box for potatoes on the balcony in the article.

Features of storing potatoes in a box on the balcony

Anywhere meant for storage of vegetables, special conditions must be observed under which they will not deteriorate for a long time.

Temperature regime

Optimal temperature for storing potatoes - + 4 ° С. Deviations of 1-2 ° C are permissible. If it becomes too warm (above + 6 ° C), the tubers will begin to wither and dry, or dormant buds will wake up, and the potatoes will grow.

Sub-zero temperatures for storing vegetables are unacceptable. At –2 ° C, the potatoes freeze, become watery and unsuitable for food.

Air humidity

Air in the room where it is stored potatoesmust be dry, within 40-45%. A hygrometer is used to check the humidity in the room. If the humidity is higher than the permissible values, the risk of fungal and bacterial infections increases.

Illumination

Any light is undesirable. When light comes from artificial sources, the tubers begin to turn green - it is no longer possible to eat such potatoes. The green color of the tubers is due to the accumulation of chlorophyll under the skin, associated with solanine. Such a compound is toxic, the vegetable turns from edible to poisonous.

Air exchange

A well-thought-out ventilation system will ensure drying and proper cooling of the tubers and keep potatoes for 8-10 months.

Without air access and free circulation, temperature and humidity increase. This leads to premature aging of the vegetable, loss of flavor, changes in chemical composition and loss of nutritional properties.

What are the boxes

Choosing a suitable structure for storing potatoes, they start from the conditions of the balcony: air temperature, type of glass unit (single glass, double, triple), drafts.

Before you start making a container for potatoes, determine the place where the vegetable will be stored on the balcony, and the material from which the box will be made. The best breathable and affordable material is wood.

Heated

This type is suitable for a cold loggia (glazed with a single glass unit). The drawer is equipped with electric heating... In order to save money, you can stop at the budget version and instead of a flexible tape heating element, use the means that are always at hand - a regular hair dryer or incandescent lamps.

Two lamps are placed in a tin cylinder, previously painted with dark paint. Incandescent light bulbs do not consume much electricity, unlike a noisy hair dryer.

Without heating

On a warm balcony, the heating of the box is not needed. It is enough to sheathe its walls with insulation. The manufacturing process of such a structure is simple and does not require large investments:

1. Two rectangular containers are made from a bar and strips so that one can enter the other. The gap between the walls should be 8 cm.The bottom of the boxes is made of moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of 8-10 mm.
2. The surface of the products is coated with an antifungal composition for wood ("Snow" or "Snow Bio").
3. The space between the walls is filled with insulation - foam, sawdust, foam or old batting. Penoplex is recognized as the best insulation by experienced builders. It does not absorb moisture at all and is reliable protect potatoes from cold weather.

Others

Besides the usual homemade box, there are alternative solutions that you can use.

Storage compartment from the refrigerator

An old, used refrigerator is suitable as a winter cabinet for potatoes.... It is freed from the refrigeration equipment (compressor and heat exchanger) and placed in a horizontal position with the door upward.

The manufacturer provides hermetic and warm walls in the refrigerating chamber. In them, between the plastic casing and the metal case, the entire space is filled with thermal insulation.

The only thing that remains is to tidy up the appearance: paint, paste over with plastic panels or a beautiful dense fabric. This storage chest can be unheated or heated.

Factory thermobox

The factory thermobox is a metal box in which heating elements are installed that can maintain a temperature of + 2 ... + 10 ° C.

The oven remains operational when the temperature drops to -35 ... -40 ° C. Some models have a manual temperature setting system.

Flexible containers

They are made of two-layer dense fabric, between the layers of which flexible heating elements are mounted. The maximum capacity of the "miracle bag" is 300 liters.

A soft thermo container is an economical solution for an unheated balcony.

How to insulate a box for potatoes

Before proceeding with the manufacture of the box and its insulation, measure the area of ​​the balcony. When planning the dimensions of the potato thermobox, take into account that the depth of the box should not exceed 0.7 m.

Step by step guide

The work will require the following materials:

• timber with a section of 5 × 5 cm;
• plywood 15-20 mm thick;
• thermal insulation material 5 mm thick;
• 2-3 incandescent lamps or one per 100 W;
• iron pipe;
• self-tapping screws and iron corners.

How to make an insulated box:

1. Determine the dimensions of the thermal container. It will consist of two boxes, one inside the other. The inner base should be 120-140 mm smaller than the outer one.
2. Cut out 4 future sides of the box and the bottom from plywood. Measure and saw off 4 bars that act as frame racks. Saw off 12 bars as a crate for plywood. Place them horizontally on the product, 2 on each surface, including the cover and floor.
3. To protect wood from fungus, treat all blanks with a special compound (Pinotex, Snezh). If the box is not to be covered in the future with any finishing material, cover all wood with waterproof varnish or oil paint.
4. After the wood and plywood have dried, start assembling the box. Mount the frame from a bar and fasten it with iron corners. Provide the sidewalls with support by connecting the corners with additional bars.
5. Cover the frame with plywood, which is attached with self-tapping screws.
6. Drill small ventilation holes in each wall.
7. Sheathe the inside of the box with foam. If the balcony is very cold, lay a layer of isolon with foil on top of the foam.
8. Make an inner box in the same way, changing the dimensions to smaller ones. You can do without a frame by simply sheathing the walls and floor with plywood.
9. In the middle of the box, on the supports, install an iron pipe (a pipe from the drain is suitable) with a length slightly less than the length of the box.
10. Place electrical equipment in the pipe - lamps with cartridges on wires, which are hung on an additional wooden crossbar.
11. Mount a thermal sensor on the front wall of the box, which will help control the temperature inside the thermal box.You can think over the device of electrical equipment in such a way that it works on the machine. On sale there are thermostats equipped with a temperature sensor, which, when the temperature inside the box drops, starts heating.

The cover for the box is made separately. It is sheathed with thermal insulation and hung on the hinges to the rear wall of the oven.

Reference. If you use a 2 cm thick board instead of plywood, you do not need to make ventilation holes.

Recommendations

In order for the thermobox to reliably protect the potatoes, follow the recommendations:

1. Any thermobox, even factory-made, will not save the harvest on an open balcony. A sharp wind, high humidity in autumn and winter, temperature drops are dangerous not only for potatoes, but also for electrical appliances - they will simply fail. The balcony must be glazed (at least one glass) and slightly insulated (walls and floor).
2. Connect the carrying lamp to your home network using an extension cord.
3. In very severe frosts, additionally wrap the box with cotton blankets.

Useful tips for storing potatoes on the balcony

It remains to learn some of the tricks and secrets of preserving the harvest:

1. Store only healthy, dry potatoes.
2. Regularly review and promptly remove rotten and diseased specimens.
3. Do not store other vegetables with potatoes in one section.

Conclusion

An insulated box for storing potatoes on the balcony is easy to do with your own hands. However, if the balcony is used as a living space, a simple box will not look aesthetically pleasing. For additional decoration of the walls, various materials are used: fabric, burlap, oil paint.

If the balcony is decorated in the Provence style, the box can be decorated using decoupage technique, and a soft seat with pillows can be built on the lid. So the thermobox will not only keep the tubers until spring, but will also decorate the room.