Replies

1. 
   FredB | Jul 30, 2001 07:50pm | #1

   *
   What area of the continent is this outhouse to be? Before designing you may want to check with your local Extension Service or Provincial Health folks for separation from your water supply distances.

   Makes for less flavorful drinks but lower medical bills.

1. 
   Barry_E | Jul 30, 2001 07:58pm | #2

   *This one is approved by Texas. :)http://members.aol.com/RJeffJ/outhouse.htmlAlso try a search on Google. It should get you a few hits.Barry

1. 
   rob.kelly | Jul 30, 2001 08:31pm | #3

   *I never built one but I've fixed them. You should remember that the the classic two hole design is not for companionship, but because you need a small hole for kids as well as the larger one for adults. Also the Sears catalog lingerie pages should not be used for sanitary purposes, as they are an important autoerotic aid for adolescent boys using the outhouse.

1. 
   Steve_Hansen | Jul 30, 2001 08:37pm | #4

   *Flies can be a problem in outhouses. One old trick is to screw the lid to a large glass jar to to the "seat box" back in the corner. A 1/2-3/4 inch hole is then drilled through the center of the lid and into the "chamber". The jar is screwed on to the lid (upside down). Flies in the chamber will be attracted to the light and find them selves trapped in the jar. To make this work you want the chamber to be sealed from the "sitting room" when the privy is not in use. I have also heard of people using plastic milk jugs.

1. 
   david_thodal | Jul 31, 2001 04:51am | #5

   *Steve, Check Amazon.com for Sim Van de Rin's THE TOLIET PAPERS. A new reprint of one of the best and readable books concerning human waste and how to deal with it. Built his model for a two-hole composting toilet for a client in 1982 and she has had no problems with it.walk gooddavid

2. 
   James_DuHamel | Jul 31, 2001 06:16am | #6

   *Don't be making fun of our newfangled bathrooms :)Took YEARS of research to come up with a design that was practical, cheap to build, and kept the wimmin folk from invading our turf :)You people got INDOOR toilets? Sheesh... what will they come up with next! (heh heh)James DuHamel

3. 
   Scott_M. | Jul 31, 2001 07:20am | #7

   *Hi Steve.Just built one two years ago; and have used it every day since (and the wife, and the friends, and the relatives). We hope to have regular plumbing within the next year. I'll send you pictures if you like. So far here's what I'd recommend:- The building design, for anyone familiar with framing/finishing is a no-brainer. 4X4 with a shed roof. Finish it to whatever level of polish that your taste/budget will allow. (Ours has solid brass hardware, mahogany panelling, cedar siding, and an electric exhaust fan..... ) You know, we've got to keep up with the neighbours...... ;) - Call your local park/forestry/tourism department and ask if they have a surplus fiberglass 'throne'. They're the easiest for cleaning/comfort and they look good too. $200 value... I got one for free.... it was the only thing that survived when an avalanche smucked a high-alpine outhouse in the local mountains!!- Have a backhoe or excavator dig a narrow pit (6 to 8 feet deep, the width of one bucket). Suspend the outhouse (securely!!) over the pit with pressure treated ties. Backfill around the siding (cedar) to keep critters out)- check out microbialogic.com. They sell a bioaugmentation product that makes the whole idea of an outhouse seem a lot less offensive. Great odor control. (RTB 740)- We've added a ventelation chimney with an in-line fan which keeps a negative pressure on the interior of the outhouse. Of course, this relies on electricity, but we think it is a worthwhile addition. Let me know if I can be of further help.smclagan@nospam.sd48.bc.ca(take out the nospam. part of the address)Cheers,Scott.....

4. 
   Luka_ | Aug 01, 2001 12:32am | #8

   *Pictures, man, we want pictures.

5. 
   rob.kelly | Aug 01, 2001 01:15am | #9

   *Steve, my fraternity had a 2 story outhouse. Actives on the 2nd story, Pledges on the 1st.

6. 
   CaseyR_ | Aug 01, 2001 04:44am | #10

   *Don't forget the requisite cresent moon...And make sure you build it sturdy enough. I remember reading about a rather hefty lady that sat down on a one-holer in a state park and kept right on going, bottom end first, down into the muck as it collapsed. She sued the State for humiliation among other things. Never did find out if she collected...

7. 
   Luka_ | Aug 01, 2001 04:47am | #11

   *Oh, she collected all right. That was the problem, dontcha know...

8. 
   piffin_ | Aug 01, 2001 04:50am | #12

   *Therre are books on the subject at the library.Oh yeah, keep the seat closed - so the vent can work.

9. 
   Ted_LaRue_ | Aug 01, 2001 07:58am | #13

   *Not to throw a wet blanket on all the interesting information here, but if you're in the US, you probably should check with your county health department. There can be major fines (4 or 5 digit?) for operating a pit toilet. The DEP (Dept. of Env. Protection) can become involved, too..Otherwise...be sure to sand down the seats to avoid the splinters...

10. 
    Luka_ | Aug 01, 2001 05:55pm | #14

    *I wanted a picture of this posh outhouse with an electric vent. I didn't want to build one. LOLIt is true that people should check local ordinances. It is illegal to put one in, in this whole area. Didn't used to be. I don't think it's been illegal for more than 15-20 years.

11. 
    Scott_M. | Aug 01, 2001 10:36pm | #15

    *LOL!! Gawd, I'm getting a kick out of posting pictures of an outhouse to FHB! The pics are a bit fuzzy because they were shot with a digital camcorder.The vent stack is made from 6" PVC, with a duct booster fan from Home Creapo.Cheers,Scott.

12. 
    Scott_M. | Aug 01, 2001 10:37pm | #16

    *Side view.

13. 
    Scott_M. | Aug 01, 2001 10:38pm | #17

    *Vent.

14. 
    Scott_M. | Aug 01, 2001 10:39pm | #18

    *Interior.

15. 
    xJohn_Sprung | Aug 01, 2001 11:08pm | #19

    *Aren't the best ones supposed to be made of brick? ;-)-- J.S.

16. 
    Courtney_Ostaff | Aug 02, 2001 03:42am | #20

    *http://www.epa.gov/OW-OWM.html/sc/census/index.htmDid you know...? 77 million people live in small communities. 11.7 million housing units in small communities are served by public sewers; 19.8 million use septic tanks or cesspools, and 917,373 use outhouses or privies. Pennsylvania has the most people living in small communities (4.4 million), and Texas has the greatest number of housing units in small communities (1,877,889). California has the highest number of housing units using outhouses or privies (67,865). _____________________________________________________http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/smallcommunity/index.htmOver 19 million housing units in small communities use septic tanks or cesspools as the primary source of treatment. _____________________________________________________http://www.jldr.com/faqs.html#plansHow do I build an Outhouse? OK, from the ground up, here are the dimensions for a single hole Outhouse:Front height 6'6"Back height 5'6"Roof width 5'8"Roof depth front to back 6'Actual Roof width with shingles 5' 9 3/4"Slope front to back 1 to 4Floor dimensions:Depth 4'0"Width 4'0"Pit should be dug 3 1/2 feet square and 4' 11" deep. Pick up a copy of the book "WOODLANDS FOR PROFIT AND PLEASURE" by Reginald D. Forbes, The American Forestry Associat and take a look at page 142, Figure 20 for plans on how to build a 2-holer! Another great book is called "The Vanishing American Outhouse" by Ronald S. Barlow. It contains many sets of plans on how to build an outhouse as well as how to maintain one. If you order the book, tell them I'd like my cut of the profits for referring you to them... The Vanishing American Outhouse by Ronald S. Barlow is a great book. It makes perfect bathroom reading for family and friends alike. Subtitled A History of Country Plumbing, the 144 page book contains about 200 photos and plan drawings of American privies constructed between 1820 and 1940, folklore and anecdotes, and even plans to build your very own round brick outhouse. To order, send $15.95 plus $3 postage to Windmill Publishing Company, 2147 Windmill View Road, Dept. MK, El Cajon, CA 92020. Paul Morris of MicrobiaLogic LLC sent in the following comments regarding Outdoor Toilet Resources: Our company sells bacterial products to reduce the odor and digest solids in all types of outdoor toilets. We constantly receive e-mails from people who want information on constructing privies and outhouses. In most cases, their intended use is on property used only seasonally such as a cabin or hunting or fishing camps. Rather than questions about the building itself, their real concern seems to be how to dig and configure the earthen pit and how a pit toilet actually works. Since most pit toilets are home built structures, there is little information about their construction that is commercially available. Rather than let these requests go unanswered, we decided to create a web page to list those resources we have discovered over the years online. The following site has been up and running for 6 months now and we refer all inquiries of this nature here: http://www.microbialogic.com/outdoor_toilets/ There is a lot of content here but the most useful pit toilet article I've run across is published by the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute at the following link:http://www.cehi.org.lc/archives/31d.htm_____________________________________________________I grew up with one of these :)http://www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/refbriefs/ed7.html

17. 
    Don_Reinhard | Aug 02, 2001 06:32am | #21

    *Nothing beats one that uses 1/3 of a 55 gal drum filled w/ 2 gal of diesel fuel that is flushed daily by adding several cups of Mogas followed by a match. (Needless to say, you use the two end thirds, not the center third.) It is a unique system, in that the bowl is flushed externally to the building by pulling the drums out through an access door in the rear.You DO NOT smoke in these. The odor is an unusual mixture with an unmistakeable bouquet. Especially when the temp and humidity match somewhere above 90 F. The pall is memorable when such systems are used to dispose of the waste of approximately 30,000 people and all systems are flushed daily at about 0900. Except the day the President comes to visit.Don

18. 
    Steve_Hansen | Aug 02, 2001 06:50am | #22

    *Don,Sounds like you were in Viet Nam.True story.Our company had a couple of latrines with the cut off drums. We also had a Vietnamese gentleman named "Me Burn" who came in to the compound and burned the stuff all day while stiring it with a long stick.We used diesel or jet fuel. One day we were short of both. Me Burn went to the mess hall and got 5 gallons of the gas the cooks used to fuel their stoves and water heaters. He put it in the drums and put the drums under the toilet seats.One of the sargents came in, sat down, lit up, and did his business. When the paperwork was finished he dropped the butt between his legs.The resulting explosion and fire destroyed the latrine and inflicted some embarasing flash burns on the sarge's privates. Steve

19. 
    Bill_Richardson | Aug 02, 2001 03:00pm | #23

    *Scott M., et al, Nice pics of the outhouse in the woods. I especially appreciate the decorative rock work on either side of the path leading up to the privy, the curves in the path might be frustrating for someone in a hurry, but hey, you've gotta worry about runoff and drainage right? During and after the Persian Gulf conflict I recall having seen a number of outhouses built for fleeing Iraqis/Kurds in and around the border between Iraq and Turkey. Imagine this true scenario: without regard to drainage or the future, pick a spot for 15,000 and more rotating in and out transients, a backhoe coming in to gouge out a trench 50 - 100' long by 8' wide. The U.S.Marines & Army aviation CH-46 helicopters drop many pallets of 4x8 exterior plywood, nails, plastic sheeting, 2x4s, concertina (barbed) wire and sundry building supplies. U.S.Army/Marines start building essentially a long stretch of single occupancy one holers and I mean a one holer in the floor one holer. Remember they do it differently over there, porcelain is often reserved for porcelain foot stops for you to step backwards into so that when you squat you don't fall over, a porcelain bowl (in a nice house) full of water to wash your hands. Well these plywood privys were lucky to have a plastic pitcher that leaked to wash up with. Baby wipes were a hot commodity in all care packages. The one holers were basically a 4x8' room with an open roof to the sky, talk about venting, bugs, ha, walled on three sides and a simple door hung on whatever could be made for a hinge. A lot of the metal hinges, plastic sheeting and many supplies simply disappeared to more needy regions. After seeing those privy's in use after a month of refugee use, you'd be happier with leaning up a against a tree of your own choice. No American I knew over there would touch those privys with a 10' pole, besides we had our own 8 holer with real toilet seats set up under a parachute and a plywood wall for a little bit of privacy. The 'chute became wet from some rain and who knows what other chemical changes in the air, but the damn thing turned red and then pink. You can imagine the name calling, the "pink pagoda" was quite popular and made you appreciate the simple things in life. Don't ask about the showers. Busy looking for that bridge across the whiskey river, Bill

20. 
    xJohn_Sprung | Aug 03, 2001 09:48pm | #24

    *Many years ago I heard a WWII story about a latrine explosion in North Africa. All I remember now is the part about scraps of paper drifting down out of the sky for hours after....-- J.S.

2. 
   Steve_Kuhl | Aug 03, 2001 09:48pm | #25

   *
   He fells, anyone have any good outhouse designs? I am looking for something from the classic outhouse genre; the true union of form and function. I have built many things in my day, but never an outhouse.