# What's the difference between cellars and stairs? can you remove stairs?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/whats-the-difference-between-cellars-and-stairs-can-you-remove-stairs/20952>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [July 31, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/whats-the-difference-between-cellars-and-stairs-can-you-remove-stairs/20952 "2019-07-31T18:05:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bio](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/bio/32/6690_2.png) [@Bio](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Bio)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/whats-the-difference-between-cellars-and-stairs-can-you-remove-stairs/20952/1 "2019-07-31T18:05:15Z")

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I’m trying build a little cellar to store the “food” i’ve gathered to preserve them and i’m wondering which are better to use to freeze things. Should I build a cellar or just strike the earth and dig downstairs?  
I already went ahead and built some stairs but i’m wondering if maybe I should’ve built a cellar instead. Is there any way I can remove a stairway I’ve built?

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**Author:** ![Abraham\_Limpo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/abraham_limpo/32/6711_2.png) [@Abraham\_Limpo](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Abraham_Limpo)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 8:13am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/whats-the-difference-between-cellars-and-stairs-can-you-remove-stairs/20952/2 "2019-08-01T08:13:36Z")

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Looks like root cellar is designed to keep the food cool, while basement’s food preserving qualities are unintended, so in theory, a root cellar should work better than a basement.

(PS: Urist approves your post)

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**Author:** ![mr\_sep](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mr_sep/32/3049_2.png) [@mr\_sep](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/mr_sep)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 12:30pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/whats-the-difference-between-cellars-and-stairs-can-you-remove-stairs/20952/3 "2019-08-01T12:30:18Z")

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What made you think they’re unintended?

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**Author:** ![Abraham\_Limpo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/abraham_limpo/32/6711_2.png) [@Abraham\_Limpo](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Abraham_Limpo)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 1:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/whats-the-difference-between-cellars-and-stairs-can-you-remove-stairs/20952/4 "2019-08-01T13:00:03Z")

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I have the understanding that the perceived advantages of basements are a bit nullified once you enable z-levels and that the temperature system would eventually make basements react (to a lesser degree than surface) to external temperatures. I may be mistaken, though.

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**Author:** ![mr\_sep](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/mr_sep/32/3049_2.png) [@mr\_sep](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/mr_sep)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 1:35pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/whats-the-difference-between-cellars-and-stairs-can-you-remove-stairs/20952/5 "2019-08-01T13:35:00Z")

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Ok, so a little behind the scenes insight. Underground was intentionaly coded to have low temperature equal to temperature of a root cellar. In general it was based on scientific knowledge that caves (that are a reference here) have a near constant temperature as the average annual temperature of the area they are located, due to how earth itself retains external temperature. So the temperature was set to New England average annual temperature according to weather services. Enabling or disabling z-levels IMHO wouldn’t play a role as rot mechanics timestamps food and asks internal weather daemon for past temperatures to update rot when it’s needed. In other words rot is properly calculated regardless of food being outside reality bubble.

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**Author:** ![Abraham\_Limpo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/abraham_limpo/32/6711_2.png) [@Abraham\_Limpo](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Abraham_Limpo)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 2:19pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/whats-the-difference-between-cellars-and-stairs-can-you-remove-stairs/20952/6 "2019-08-01T14:19:15Z")

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It makes much sense. Thanks for the clarification 🙂