outhouses

[tonasket]

wondering how many people out there use an outhouse, either exclusively or part time. when we move, which by the way will be happening in early june of this year instead of next summer. we will be using one at our property, gonna get one from my brother who works at a septic place, and have a local company empty as needed on a regular schedule. any tips on keeping semi-warm in the winter, i guess i'll just have to be quick.

[desdawg]

Light your Coleman lantern and take it in there with you. Works for me. Small space and the Coleman puts out quite a bit of heat.

[big rockpile]

I have one but its illegal.

big rockpile

[tonasket]

to clarify i guess i mean we're getting a port a potty not a true outhouse,

[Jo in PA]

We had one on our old property. We used it mostly in the summer so we didn't have to run thru the house.

[SkyOne]

:haha: Move it up close to the house...chemicals keep the smell down. If you have electricity put a electric heater in it. Attach a furry seat cover. A small coleman heater works also. Good Luck with it.

[LisaInN.Idaho]

We built our outhouse in our driveway in AZ and hauled it up here on a trailer. We used it for a year and a half while we built. It was really not as cold or as awful as I thought. Except for that little cold snap of 30 below. Stupidly, it took us a while to figure out that a 5 gal bucket with a trash bag liner was a handy chamber pot at night. We have indoor plumbing now, but keep the outhouse anyway for an extra bathroom. Heres a picture of the outhouse enroute as we picnicked in Zion Natl park:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/...toIdaho008.jpg

[Shepherd]

Lisa that's a MIGHTY tiny picture! Wish I could have seen that a little larger (eyes just ain't as sharp as they used to be, LOL). Sure looks like a nice one tho.

Definitely get a 5 gal bucket and put a toilet seat on top - for nighttime use. Is the outhouse a temporary solution for the time being?

[Bluecreekrog]

I use a portapotty/outhouse. I bought an old one from a Co. dug my hole and cut out the bottom of the "tank". Works just great and no empty fees. Cleaning is a snap too, take out the paper and hose it down. :worship:

[Alex]

We used one exclusively for two years. It was great: we still have it, and use it for a second bathroom. Though I don't see either of us heading out there too much in 40-below.

It's fine at 40-below or 90-above. We always put a scoop of lime down it after we use it. And we have an six-inch diameter vent pipe: it always smells good. Well, it never smells bad, because of the lime and ventilation.

It is an old well shed and it's on skids.

Alex


Pump House which is Now Our New Outhouse (our first one we built out of logs -- this one is not fancy yet -- but works well), and Original Horse Mower -- that We Pulled with Tilly The Tractor.


Three Years Ago We Installed this Indoor Toilet, Bathtub, and Sink (from a garage sale -$125 CDN for all, including glass shower dooors), And New Washer, Nancy said, "We don't need it." Though we both seem to use it -- no problems with that.

[Ken Scharabok]

You may want to tape over the side urinal. From my observation it is what typically makes the inside of a port-a-john smell. I have seen folks plant a tree in the old hole once a portable one was moved. That is, fill the hole the rest of the way in and plant. Humus acts as fertilizer for the tree.

In addition to lime in a pit one, I would recommend some sawdust to soak up the urine.

I have one as a yard ornament. None functional. Designed as a garden shed with an outhouse motif.

Ken Scharabok

[fordson major]

we got one this fall. great for power outages or when some one is "parked"in the reading room. cold speeds up bodliy functions! while illegal here we are going to keep using it. some laws are just plain dumb! as ken says a little saw dust and lime(or wood ash)help keep it smelling sweet .dried herbs in the loft or geraniums and live flowers in the spring.ours is an out house diguised as a tool shed! complete with toxic chemical sign!

[Shagbarkmtcatle]

We have one on our farm. The original farm house burned down so we thru up a cabin but the outhouse was already there so that's all we use. The farm is a weekend house and we aren't there much in Dec- Feb. This is a first class solid built outhouse. It has a oak seat, linoleum flooring, ventilation pipe, solid front door with knocker and peep hole and it's built like a Morton steel building.
Closer to where we live, one of the neighbors outhouse surpasses ours. They have tile on the floor, a two holer with a skylight in the ceiling, it' painted blue and they keep their pet toad there for entertainment.

[seedspreader]

I have no problems using an outhouse... just one question. What do you do to keep out all the spiders... ugh.

[lacyj]

We used one exclusivly for 10 years, well actually two. One for winter and one for summer.
When we first got the property we were on a generator (6 1/2 years) The bigger house had the gravity fed, cold water washer, clothes line and the generator, also. The generator was vented to the outside but kept the house warm and dried the clothes.

[Paul Wheaton]

How is it that wood ash or lime controls the smell?

[jackie c]

I have one for a back up when the septic freezes. I live where it frequently falls to -30. Make a styrofoam seat, its never cold when you sit on it,even at -30, promise!

[Haggis]

We have 2 - 30"X48" glass windows on 3 sides of our outhouse and a glass storm door on the front; lots of light and fresh air summer or winter.

We have a bucket with a scoop near the bench and a sign by the door that reads:
Before you leave
Please take the time
To sprinkle down
A little lime.

I enjoy the walk out to the little building and pardon the theft Henry, but "I intend to build a new indoor toilet as wonderful as any in the finest palaces when it pleases me as much."

[debitaber]

we have one, but we don
t use it, we had baby goats in in last summer, but could always make it back in working order if we had too. we keep it up, just incase, you never know.

[Alex]

lacj,

Love your outhouse. We plan to fix ours up, windows, tile, etc.

Yours looks like fun.

Thanks,

Alex