Probably the most important building to get up and running is an outhouse. The Home Depot bucket is working surprisingly well but not really multi-person friendly. The outhouse will be simple since I hope it is an interim solution until I get running water up there. Since I don’t know when that will happen, this will be built as a long term solution. I want to include a shower stall and a sink. I have been using a solar camp shower but that is just not working out.
I dug a 4 foot deep hole and set a 15 inch sewer pipe th
at I found on the property into it. The ground is a mix of sand and clay so it wasn’t too hard to dig out using a digging bar and post hole digger.
The Outhouse is lifted and leveled off the ground by pressure treated 4×4 posts. The 4x4s are kept in place by 6 concrete filled holes. I was tempted to rent a cement mixer to speed the foundation process along. I don’t have any water other than the plastic jugs so I would have gotten a huge cleanup fee. Each hole took about 5 bags of concrete mix. Mixing it all myself, I got my exercise.
I am building the 4x8ft-ish outhouse around the pipe so I can build it on top of one piece of plywood. The “ish is the result of a screw up of lining up the joists. Instead off factoring in the width of the 2 rim joists, I just inserted the 4ft 2×6 between them. So the floor is 4ft 3 inches by 8 ft. Meaning I needed a second sheet of 3/4” OSB. Ugh. Lesson Learned.
The design of the Outhouse changed halfway through when I decided that having a wall of windows would bring in a lot of natural light. But Obviously having a wall of windows in an outhouse would raise some privacy concerns. I ended up flipping the walkway and door to the other side. It was a big deal but it did throw of the 16″ on center standard for the stud walls. They are a bit randomly spaced now but mostly around 12 to 14 inches apart. The good thing is the narrower spacing should make it be much stronger. The down side is finding where to nail the exterior siding
I did learn that I am not good a cutting the notches out of the 2×6 rafters where they meet the walls. I solved it but it isn’t pretty.
The design for the roof is shed style. That is just a slanted flat roof. No reason other than I like the look. Getting the 3/4 inch OSB sheets up there was a back breaker. Nailing them down while trying to not slide off the roof was a bit of work. I found some unused tar paper on the property that I was able to use. Then metal flashing around the edges. Finally, I add corrugated plastic roofing to top it all off. Being off by a three inches meant that I needed to cut a few short panels and extend them under the full 8’ft panels to cover the whole roof. Again not pretty but lesson reinforced.
I wrapped the outhouse in building plastic as one last defense against the elements. I also have fiberglass insulation between the studs, joists and rafters.
I used 5ft long cedar fence pickets as the exterior siding. Since the walls are 8 to 10 feet high I had to get a drip tray for the second layer of pickets. I originally spaced the pickets about 3/4 inch apart. this was an effort to let air behind the cedar to prevent mold and rot once the rain and snow got behind them. I took some 2x4s to the table saw and ripped 1/2 inch thick battens. At 1.5 inches wide, I thought they would more than cover the gap. That didn’t work at all. the brad nails didn’t hold or just shot right through the battens. Ultimately, I pulled all the planks out and reset thin with barely a 1/4 inch of space. I haven’t put the battens in yet but hopefully the nails will hold. Plus maybe a little wood glue.
I laid down relatively cheap vinyl flooring that is supposed to be waterproof. It was pretty easy to lay too. I have become a big fan of vinyl floor planks.
The shower base is 24 x36 inch mini tub It was purchased from an RV supplier. The residential styles were just too big, The challenge I am going to have is water from the pump sprayer getting everything wet. Plastic shower wall are expensive, too expensive for an outhouse. I heard that others used plastic wall panels. Tried to use them but they are not sturdy enough for one person to install. It was like pushing rope up hill. I gave up and used 1/4″ plywood with many coat of exterior varnish. With a shower curtain, I am hoping that it will stay dry enough. Part of the goal of the plywood walls is that I think I like the look but I wanted to see how I liked it over time. It is a lot of wood to look at.
I tried looking for an used sink from the architecture reuse store in Seattle but they weren’t cheap. I ended up at IKEA where I picked up their cheapest sink and some meatballs. I know there is no running water but I also found a rechargeable electric pump for the 10 gallon water bottles. There won’t be hot water but fine for teeth brushing or a quick washup.
I built a box around the sewer pipe for the toilet pit. I attached a regular toilet seat to that. After so research, I have the impression that urine is what creates all the smell. I ordered a urine diverter from a company in England. It is pretty much a funnel that has a separate tube attached to it that carries the urine away from the pit. I have since learned that urine is good to spray on compost piles so that will be another experiment.
The actual pit is about 6.5 feet deep from the toilet seat. Should be plenty of room for years to come. I drilled a 2inch hole in the sewer pipe to run a black pipe out of it and up above the roof line. The black pipe should heat up in the sun and cause upward airflow away from the room and sensitive nasal passages.
I had some glass cut to fit my homemade frames and got those installed. The frames were built out of cheap 2×2 pine. Not the straightest. Because the outhouse faces south, I would need to get some cooler airflow. One of the windows swings out. Because the wood is a little wonky, the frame isn’t perfectly square and sticks a bit. It is fine for now but I’ll probably need to rebuild it.
I did extend the deck around the back of the outhouse to have room for an outdoor shower. Since then, I have realized the wind may not make that an enjoyable experience, Time will tell.
I splurged and bought Trex deck boards. Lowe’s had them relatively cheap and 10% off beyond the normal price. I always thought that Trex was expensive but then I factored in all the stain and water protection I would have to repeatedly apply. The Trex is cheaper long term.
I took a chance and built my own door using 2×2 pine boards glued together. It isn’t the straightest door in a frame but once I got the door knob on and several coats of exterior varnish on it, I am thinking it may just work. It is on the north side of the building so it wont be getting baked by the summer sun. The roof overhang should protect it from the wet winter weather. Time will tell I guess.
As of December 2024…..
The Outhouse is still standing. I haven’t needed it for showers since I put the trailer on the property but the pit toilet and the sink are doing what they are supposed too. The Pit toilet is filling slowly but surely. I was thinking it would self digest but that doesn’t seem to be happening. I pour left over each fall and add some septic tank activator but It doesn’t seem to be making a difference. I have looked at composting worms but it seems cruel if I get the wrong type.
I think the issue might be due to the type of ground I put the tube into. The septic system designer raised a concern about the local dirt percolation capabilities. The septic passed the test but just barely. I am looking forward to getting the cabin water systems working.
The squirrels have chewed holes in the eaves. In addition to nesting in the rafters, they have pretty much made off with all the insulation. The Morning constitution after a cold night is no fun. I have blocked the holes with metal flashing. Its not pretty but seems to be working.
Outhouse Build Progress
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