Outhouse Direction for Beginner???

[jojomoose]

Hello All,

Cabin is coming along very well, and the shell is all up. I still don't know about the railroad tie cribbing method but it will have to work for now. I am going to start digging the hole for my outhouse this weekend and have a few questions. I am planning a 2ft wide 4ft deep hole, and here is where the questions start.

1. Do you support the sidewalls, I have seen this done with metal barrels or even plastic ones, but what happens when it is full? Sounds like you are creating a bunch of hazard waste by using those barrels for someone to find later.

2. Do you use a vent stack, I have seen some with and some without the stack?

3. Anybody have any pictures of theirs so I can take some notes?

Thanks.

[iofthetaiga]

Depends on what your soils are like. Here in the interior uplands, on loess, you can dig a 4x4x6 deep hole and not need any cribbing. If I was on looser gravel soils, I'd build a crib out of 1x4's or similar. Sure don't see the need for railroad ties in any case.

No vent stack here. No door either for that matter...

When it's full...? Well, by the time you fill up a 4x4x6 hole, the top side structure is getting pretty aged; burn it down, cap it off, and start fresh in a different spot.

[Amigo Will]

For sure go 4x4 the angle of repose demands it.

[ADUKHNT]

I'm about to build my first outhouse near Glennallen so I am on permafrost.


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[Tearbear]

...No door either for that matter...

I like a 360 degree view myself...that way you can see better when some bear or whatever may be out there

[NRick]

Ours are fancier than most. But remember: "If she ain't happy, you ain't happy."

4' x 8' in size, standard sheet of 3/4" plywood for floor gives you room to take off your raincoat if need be. It's built on top of a 2' cripple wall with openings around the business end to allow for ventilation. The toliet is a plastic sump pump basin from Home Depot. Turn it upside down, cut a hole, attach a toliet seat. The rim of the basin has bolt holes already in it so it is easy to bolt to the floor. Usually I make the roof out of clear plastic panels for light, but this one is in the flight path of a nearby airstrip, so white panels for this one. Still lets in a good amount of light.








Just got done painting so plastic bag is still covering seat to keep paint off.

[AKBEE]

Very nice and I think I will do the same with length for room to take of coat- I hadn't thought of that!

Your comment about her being happy made me laugh. Another member here who has loads of experience with homesteading told me that the first thing I need to do when I find a building site is to build an outhouse so she will be happy with it. Notes made!

[DRIFTER_016]

I have something a little more exotic planned for my out house.
The plan is for a 6'X8' privy with electricity, running water (summer only) and a wall mounted direct vent propane heater.
It will be heavily insulated and vented. It will also use a 55 gal plastic barrel with weeping holes drilled in it.
I am building on bedrock so it will more than likely be elevated. Haven't checked the conditions where I want to place it but most of the area is solid granite with a little moss on top. There might be more depth behind the cabin location but I still need to look it over.
Currently building the dock.

http://www.anglersparadise.ca/category/privy-plans/

[jojomoose]

Ours are fancier than most. But remember: "If she ain't happy, you ain't happy."

4' x 8' in size, standard sheet of 3/4" plywood for floor gives you room to take off your raincoat if need be. It's built on top of a 2' cripple wall with openings around the business end to allow for ventilation. The toliet is a plastic sump pump basin from Home Depot. Turn it upside down, cut a hole, attach a toliet seat. The rim of the basin has bolt holes already in it so it is easy to bolt to the floor. Usually I make the roof out of clear plastic panels for light, but this one is in the flight path of a nearby airstrip, so white panels for this one. Still lets in a good amount of light.



Just got done painting so plastic bag is still covering seat to keep paint off.

I see you trellace for ventilation on the business end, and have a few questions. The gap between soil and sub floor, is it wide open? It would make sense for ventilation but would think that might stink with a lot of s&%t in it. Or is a continuous pipe that runs from your butt to your hole? Very nice out house though, I am going to use the transparent roof idea, that looks like a good light source. thanks for the pictures, and keeping it simple. I have spent most of my cash on my cabin, I will post a report with all of it including pictures this fall.

[MTfisher]

Latrine



We built ours 4x4x8 as well, nice and big so when you are in there with snowmachine gear on you can move around still. Clear roof is nice, makes it look like a green house crapper... A backhoe dug our hole, it is about 10-12 feet deep, probably never have to move it or dig another in my life time. Down side to that is the length of the hole, we put pallets over the rest of it so the dogs or kids don't fall in... that would be bad! Oh, the box is lined on the inside with heavy duty tarp and stapled to the wood. It will keep the splash and spray off the wood. Other then that it is basic, cost effective and easy to build.

[hogfamily]

"Outhouse Direction for Beginner???"


Don't fall in!


Don't do this...





If you are in bear country this is another use for an outhouse...

[4merguide]

Ours are fancier than most. But remember: "If she ain't happy, you ain't happy."

What a beauty...!!!....................(but your stairs leave a little to be desired)..........lol

[4merguide]

"Outhouse Direction for Beginner???"

Too funny...!!!

[NRick]

I see you trellace for ventilation on the business end, and have a few questions. The gap between soil and sub floor, is it wide open? It would make sense for ventilation but would think that might stink with a lot of s&%t in it. Or is a continuous pipe that runs from your butt to your hole? Very nice out house though, I am going to use the transparent roof idea, that looks like a good light source. thanks for the pictures, and keeping it simple. I have spent most of my cash on my cabin, I will post a report with all of it including pictures this fall.

Wide open between the outhouse floor and the hole. The idea is to allow air to easily circulate in and around the hole to promote aerobic degradation of the waste. This is supposed to reduce the odors quite a bit. If you've ever been around a pumper truck pumping out a septic tank, you know what anerobic (no oxygen) degradation smells like. Except for immediately following use, it doesn't have much odor. In the spring when a winter's worth of poo thaws all at once, it can smell like, well, an outhouse. But other times it is fine. These are recreational lots, so they are not getting used everyday.

[NRick]

What a beauty...!!!....................(but your stairs leave a little to be desired)..........lol

Yeah, it's quite a drive from that outhouse to the nearest hardware store. Forgot to include materials for steps so I used what I had on hand. They work, so I've never gotten around to replacing them.