Out door privy

jackie c · #1 12/31/04, 03:40 PM

How many of you have out houses? I built one the year after my septic froze up. And boy am I glad I did! It sure is nice having that backup!!!

uncle Will in In. · #2 12/31/04, 04:44 PM

Lots of smokin and meditatin out there in the old days. Good place to hang the garden tools now.

ratherbefishin · #3 12/31/04, 04:48 PM

My sister had a great aversion to them when we were on holidays- we called them ''gravity feed toilets'', or ''no plug toilets' didn't matter, she'd rather hold it.

big rockpile · #4 12/31/04, 05:01 PM

Got one but its illegal

big rockpile

jackie c · #5 12/31/04, 05:10 PM

Mine too, Big Rockpile, but whats the better alternative when septic is 'out of order?'

uncle Will in In. · #6 12/31/04, 05:27 PM

If your outhouse was built to look like a small A frame building it wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb. You could put it anywhere handy and not lookout of place.

jackie c · #7 12/31/04, 05:36 PM

Mine's a 'garden shed' with a toilet.

It's 10x10 with a corner closet...for privacy

edcopp · #8 12/31/04, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackie c

How many of you have out houses? I built one the year after my septic froze up. And boy am I glad I did! It sure is nice having that backup!!!

16 years ago when we moved out to our homestead there was no facility of any kind as the house had stood empty for several years. We tried that waiting thing and that did not last very long.

I found an old shipping pallet, a skid if you like. I cut some of the boards out of the surface of the skid, about a 20" X20" hole was made. Then I put a box on top of the hole, about 20" square, I attached a regular toilet seat over the top of the box that was open straight to the ground.

Then I began digging a hole. The soil has lots of clay and is pretty stiff. Several hours later I noticed that I could not now see out of the hole. That was not too bad, but I could not get out of the hole either. I yelled several times and eventually got somebody to bring a ladder so I could get out.

I placed two 4X4 treated posts flat over the hole and then set the skid on top of them. I built sides and a top for this little building and named it my "SKID HOUSE". It still survives today 16+ years later. Never has frozen up so bad it could not be used. Still in good shape and should last a long time.

Illegal ? Perhaps. A few years ago (about 10) I had a yard sale at the lane entry to our property. The county sanitarian came by to shop, and in the conversation he mentioned that he did not even know there was a house at the end of this lane. No need to disturb him he no doubt has other things to do. The house was built in 1903 as near as we can tell.

Quint · #9 12/31/04, 06:31 PM

Yeah I have one but I'm going to have to replace it next year. It's a good 50 years old and she's leanin' a bit and a good hard wind might blow it over as I'm using it. Something I thought about the other day as I was sitting in it during our latest storm. I do find myself using it when I either don't want to take all of my muddy clothes off to go inside to use the "normal" toilet or when I just don't care to expose the more delicate parts of my anatomy to a cold wind.

**fordson major** · #10 12/31/04, 06:53 PM

when we moved here 35 years ago one of the first things we built. neighbour borrowed it 3 years later and returned it in ruins ! buddy of mine was getting rid of one this fall and asked me if he could bring it out to the farm to burn in the brush pile. was real suprized when i said heck with burning we would set it over a hole and use it! he's old enough to know whats what with one , he and bros, had had to use it as their sisters would tye up the bathroom.couldn't see getting rid of something usefull and heck with illeagal it works a whole lot better than flush toilets!

desdawg · #11 12/31/04, 08:04 PM

They are not legal here either. So I bought a used Porta John, San O Let or whatever they are. The kind that are rented for swap meets, concerts, etc. Now you won't believe what happened. The gophers dug a hole under it and chewed the bottom off the tank.

Dreams30 · #12 12/31/04, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desdawg

They are not legal here either. So I bought a used Porta John, San O Let or whatever they are. The kind that are rented for swap meets, concerts, etc. Now you won't believe what happened. The gophers dug a hole under it and chewed the bottom off the tank.

:haha: :haha: Those gophers were good for something then...

very cute story, hope the nosy inspectors believe it.

Oilpatch197 · #13 12/31/04, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quint

Yeah I have one but I'm going to have to replace it next year. It's a good 50 years old and she's leanin' a bit and a good hard wind might blow it over as I'm using it. Something I thought about the other day as I was sitting in it during our latest storm. I do find myself using it when I either don't want to take all of my muddy clothes off to go inside to use the "normal" toilet or when I just don't care to expose the more delicate parts of my anatomy to a cold wind.

Now that is a good reason, your muddy, why go inside the house and deal with the snotty wife!:haha:

''gravity feed toilets'' :haha: very funny!!

AnnaS · #14 12/31/04, 09:03 PM

eeeeewwww!!
We had one when I was really little- 4 and 5. The parents bought a 120 a. of land that was tax forfeit and had a privy and a shed on it (the house burned down) they built our house in a different part of the parcel. We had one winter without inside plumbing, and I have horrible memories of long treks to the outhouse in the dark cold and then being suspended above THE HOLE by Mom- I was too small to sit on the privy seat by myself- I might FALL IN. This was just for #2, for #1 we just ran out into the snow like dogs, with the benefit of toilet paper.
On the other hand, my sister and I had a fun time fishing stuff out of the pit years after it had gone out of use. The previous owners had thrown (or dropped) treasures down the privy. My sister still has a china figurine of a pot belly stove that we recovered from the pit.
I assume outhouses are still legal around here since the Extension Agency has plans for them in their brochure rack!

cloverfarm · #15 12/31/04, 10:20 PM

We had one when I was a kid. We lived in a trailer with no running water for awhile.

It was OK in teh summer but I don't think I'd like it in the winter. Looking back I think it was more sanitary than plan B ... a garden hose to the trailer to provide water and use the indoor facilities that drained into a cess pool with some boards across the top

I can still remember that peculiar particular shade of fluorescent green ... oh, anyway ... moving on .... I told Mom awhile back I'd like to plant holly hocks, until she pointed out that's what people used to plant all the time to screen their privvies.

Fast-forward mroe than 30 years ... in our house ... we have a 40-gallon hot water heater and 2 1/2 baths. We are decadent

If the kids aske if we are rich or poor I always tell them rich because we have hot running water!

moonwolf · #16 12/31/04, 10:33 PM

I have built two sturdy outhouses in my day.
The first garden property there was a small house, but no septic system. Never liked the idea of a porta potty, so to the far end of the garden dug a pit and lined it with a large plastic barrel. It was not the 'backup', though I didn't live there, it was nice to have the privacy of an outhouse and toilet paper.

The second outhouse here is a bit more elaborate, though it's only about 4 x 4 floor dimensions. The deep pit dug was lined by 2x8 cedar boards to keep the hole from caving in and filling up with dirt. It won't last forever, but it's held up for over 12 years now. The actual outhouse is built also with cedar frame and siding boards. pretty fancy really. The roof slopes rather than peaked, and is cedar shingle and surprisgly doesn't leak! It's handy since it's near the working garden away from the house tucked in under some poplar trees. You can view the setting sun to the west if you want, in privacy...except for the snooping skunk on occasion.

**fordson major** · #17 01/01/05, 08:35 AM

in ont. you must keep chemicals in a seperate shed .ours is getting a "toxic load keep out sign" come spring! funny eh? ya can keep gals. of herbicide but not a simple hole that composts human waste safely (if properly sighted)

cowgirlone · #18 01/01/05, 10:01 AM

Hubby grew up with a 2 holer. With 6 kids in the family, his dad decided they needed a 2 holer to keep things moving.............Hubby never could understand that, HE sure wasn't going to do his business and visit at the same time. :haha: :haha:

3girls · #19 01/01/05, 10:33 AM

The absolutely BEST out house of all time was on a property on Holmes Harbor on Whidbey Island, WA. The property was on a high bluff overlooking the sound. The out-bench was built on the edge of the bluff behind some trees with a stunning view of the sound and the Cascade Range beyond. It was called the Shangri-la, and when we couldn't hold it any longer, we did the Shangra-pokey out to the bench. It was so meditative to view Mt. Baker in the bright sunlight. It was less fun in the rain.

Ardie/WI · #20 01/01/05, 03:08 PM

My second husbands father told of the time he and Izzie, his wife were a visitin" some relatives! Well, Izzie had to "go" so they walked out to the back. The privy was up a bit on a hill and a leanin' forward. But, Izzie HAD to go! So she went in. Then she noticed that the door wouldn't stay closed. It had a rope catch but the nail was gone. So, Izzie managed to grasp the rope between her teeth and settled in to do her business.

Her false teeth slipped out. The rope fell and the door opened and there she was in all her glory!