How to make a toilet in the country with your own hands

What kind of toilet can you make in the country with your own hands

Country latrines that are not connected to sewage can be divided into three main types: pit, compost and chemical. The key difference is in the way waste is disposed of, the design and arrangement of the booth is almost the same.

pit toilet

A classic latrine with waste collection in a cesspool with a house above it. This is a completely homemade version. In this case, a familiar toilet can be used, only without a water seal, an impromptu podium toilet seat, or just a hole in the floor.

Pits are both sealed and absorbing. The first, as they fill up, are pumped out by sewage machines. The latter are filled more slowly due to the absorption of liquid by the soil. After filling them, they fall asleep, dig new ones and transfer the toilet cubicle there.

This is the most popular toilet option in the country. Pit structures are inexpensive, easy to operate and serve for decades. But not suitable for places with high groundwater levels and small

plotswhere it is impossible to place a restroom at a sufficient distance from the house, well and well.

Composting toilet

Compost, peat or, as they are also called, powder-closet - a variant of the toilet, in which sewage is collected in a container and sprinkled with filler (powder). It removes the smell and starts the composting reaction. The design can be either homemade or factory-made in the form of a special portable toilet.

The filler is ordinary peat, sawdust or special purchased mixtures for dry closets. The liquid fraction of the waste is discharged into the drain, while the solid is mixed with peat and turns into natural fertilizer. Depending on the volume of the container and the frequency of use, the waste is taken out to the compost heap, where it finally ripens.

Since the closet powder does not require the construction of a cesspool, it can be used in any area, regardless of the groundwater level. However, due to the relatively small volume of the container, it has to be emptied quite often.

chemical toilet

A purchase option in the form of a separate toilet module with two tanks: the upper one for flushing fluid and the lower one for faeces. According to the method of splitting waste products, such a restroom is similar to the previous one, but not peat is used as a reagent, but special chemistry. Mistakenly they are even called dry closets. The active substance dissolves feces and removes unpleasant smell.

For summer cottages, chemical toilets are suitable only with biological enzymes, which allow the use of recycled feces as fertilizer. Other reagents are toxic, and they can only be disposed of into the sewer with pumping out by a sewer machine.

Chemical toilets are also independent of the groundwater level and can be installed anywhere. However, due to expensive reagents and fast filling, they are only suitable for infrequent use. In addition, they require regular cleaning of waste.

What front of work is ahead

For a toilet with a cesspool, you will need to dig a pit or at least dig a metal barrel into the ground. For the installation of compost and chemical, this stage, of course, is not needed. Next, you have to make a foundation by placing concrete blocks in the corners.

A strapping made of a wooden beam will stand on them, and then the booth itself. Its construction is the most complex and time-consuming part of the project. Depending on the type of toilet, a homemade or ready-made toilet seat is installed inside. The last stage is the arrangement of ventilation. It is required regardless of the type of toilet.

What to make a toilet in the country with your own hands

The choice of materials for construction dacha the toilet is extremely wide. As a rule, site owners use budget building materials or their remnants that are at hand. However, if the restroom is not temporary, but permanent, it makes sense to invest in better options so that the toilet lasts longer and looks decent on the site.

For independent implementation, projects of a frame structure on a light foundation, for example, from a cinder block, are best suited. The frame can be made from a wooden beam 50 × 50 mm, and the wall sheathing can be made from clapboard, siding, OSB boards and even unedged boards. A professional sheet, metal tile, bituminous tile, slate or ordinary roofing material is suitable as a roof.

For a toilet seat, you can make a podium on the frame and buy only a seat, or immediately take a ready-made country toilet. For the most budgetary toilets, you can get by with a hole in the floor.

Where to begin

1. Select type of toilet

Yamny

An option for those who need a durable restroom with a minimum of attention in operation. Suitable for frequent year-round use. Choose such a toilet if the groundwater on the site is at least 3 m from the surface.

compost

A good solution for places with high groundwater levels. Choose such a restroom if there is no opportunity or desire to dig a cesspool. Or if you plan to use the resulting compost for fertilizer beds. Keep in mind that if the family is large, then you will have to empty the container often.

Chemical

Another option for areas where it is impossible to equip a cesspool. Due to the high cost of the toilet itself and reagents, it will be relevant for infrequent use, such as on weekends.

2. Find the right place

Usually toilet have somewhere in the far corner of the site, hiding in the depths of the garden. When choosing a location, do not forget about sanitary standards, according to which latrines should be located at least 12 m from the house, 8 m from the wells and not closer than 1 m to the fence. All this applies to buildings on your site, as well as on the neighboring one.

If space is tight, use common sense. Discuss the building with your neighbors, and best of all, put your toilet next to theirs. So in case of claims, no one will be offended.

3. Decide on the size and type of booth

The minimum dimensions of the house should be 1 × 1 m. For convenient use, the booth is most often made 1.2 × 1.2 m with a height of 2.1 m, and the top of the toilet seat is placed 38.5 cm from the floor.

There are, in fact, only three possible options for forms: a birdhouse, a hut and a teremok. birdhouse - This is a simple square booth with a pitched roof. Hut - A-shaped building with a gable roof, where the roof also acts as side walls. Teremok is a kind of rhombus-shaped hut with walls slightly expanding from bottom to top.

Because of the direct forms, the simplest option is a birdhouse. Any person who knows how to use a hacksaw and screwdriver. The other two types are more difficult. Although here a lot depends on your perfectionism. If made from simple materials and without architectural excesses, it will be easy.

How to equip a collection tank and drainage

pit toilet

The easiest option is to take a steel 200‑liter barrel. Remove the top and bottom by cutting them along the contour with a chisel or an old ax, hitting them with a hammer. The resulting structure is then dug into the ground and a layer of compacted rubble is poured inside for drainage.

Instead of a barrel, you can use a stack of old tires. And if the soil is dense enough and the walls of the pit do not crumble, they can not be protected at all. This is also true for temporary toilets.

Composting toilet

There can be two options here: a compact container in the form of a bucket and a more capacious one that goes outside the building and has a hatch for maintenance from the outside. The purchased toilets already have everything you need. In homemade, you can use improvised materials.

For the first option, a construction bucket with a volume of 10–15 liters is suitable, which will later fall under the toilet seat. If it is possible to make drainage to drain the liquid, it is better to use two buckets inserted into each other. Drill a few holes in the inner one, and connect a hose to the outer one to drain water into a small pit filled with gravel or sand.

In the case of composting toilets with large containers, the container must be partially dug into the ground. Or install it on the surface, but then you have to raise the booth itself so that the toilet seat is located at a convenient height from the floor. The tank can be made from a garbage container or a plastic barrel by turning it upside down and cutting a hole for a seat with a lid, and an unloading hatch in the side wall below compost.

Drainage can be done through a standard hole in the barrel, which will be at the bottom - you just need to remove a little earth under the tank and fill the pit with gravel and sand.

chemical toilet

Such latrines are equipped with a built-in container and do not need a separate one.

How to make a foundation for a toilet in the country with your own hands

For any type of booth, a strapping of a thick wooden beam on a stable base is sufficient. Its size should correspond to the outer perimeter of the toilet.

From four bars 100 × 50 mm or 100 × 100 mm, assemble the bottom frame of the required size. For example, 1 × 1 m. Sawing the parts “half a tree” so that when they overlap they are in the same plane. Fasten the structure with screws or nails. If you do not want to bother, use the mounting brackets.

Place cinder blocks at the corners of the base, mark their position, and then dig in so that they protrude by about 10 cm. Use a level to make sure the blocks are at the same height. For leveling, add crushed stone or sand to the bottom of the pits.

Treat the trim with bioprotection or old machine oil and place on blocks, placing pieces of roofing material as waterproofing. Attach the bars to the blocks with dowels in several places so that the future toilet does not tip over.

How to build a cabin

birdhouse

The simplest toilet with a bar frame and inch board sheathing, which can be replaced with lining or siding. Spartan version without a toilet seat, just with a hole in the floor, if desired, can be supplemented with a podium or country house toilet bowl. As a roof - a piece of corrugated board, but options are possible in the form of metal tiles, slate or roofing material.

What you need

• Beam 100 × 50 mm;
• timber 60 × 40 mm;
• board 40 × 150 mm;
• cinder block;
• self-tapping screws;
• nails;
• hacksaw;
• hammer;
• screwdriver;
• jigsaw;
• pencil;
• roulette;
• level;
• loops;
• door knob;
• polycarbonate - optional;
• paint and brushes are optional.

How to do

Assemble the left and right parts of the frame, they are the same. Front pillar 2,000 mm, rear pillar 1,800 mm. Add cross edges and diagonals between them.

Make the frame of the front by installing transverse bars, one rack and an additional stiffener to it.

Finish the frame by attaching three cross bars to the back and diagonal braces. At the same time, add an additional rib in the middle in the roof frame.

Make a floor from a 40 × 150 mm board, and then cut a hole in it with a jigsaw in the center of the flooring at a distance of 100–150 mm from the back wall.

With a board 25 × 120 mm, sheathe the walls of the toilet, trying on each element in place and attaching it with self-tapping screws or nails.

Assemble the door frame from a 60 × 40 mm bar and sheathe it with the same board as the walls.

With small indents, attach three boards 25 × 125 mm on top of the frame, which will serve as the roof sheathing.

Install a piece of corrugated board on top of the crate as a roof and secure it with roofing screws.

Insert the door into place and fasten the hinges, stepping back 200 mm from the top and bottom of the leaf. Install the handle.

Optionally, insert a piece of polycarbonate as glass into the window and cover the toilet paint or something else.

hut

Quite an interesting design design, which will be a little more complicated than a birdhouse due to oblique lines. If desired, clapboard lining can be replaced with any other molded or sheet material, and soft roofing can be replaced with tiles, corrugated board or something else. Instead of a podium toilet seat with a purchased seat, you can use a country toilet or a hole in the floor if you are making a temporary toilet in a quick way.

What you need

• Wooden beam 50 × 50 mm;
• lining;
• board 40 × 200 mm;
• rail 10 × 30 mm;
• OSB board 8 mm;
• bituminous tiles;
• ridge and end strips;
• roofing nails;
• self-tapping screws;
• hacksaw;
• jigsaw;
• screwdriver;
• roulette;
• pencil;
• polycarbonate;
• door hinges;
• door knob;
• latch;
• toilet seat.

How to do

According to the dimensions in the drawing, assemble a kind of letter “A” from 50 × 50 mm bars with the crossbar lowered down. Install two vertical posts to form a doorway. Add a jumper on top and a couple of horizontal parts for rigidity.

Make two such "houses". With the second it will be easier, since the first will act as a template.

Please note that the parts are butt-joined with undercut and are in the same plane. Lay the bars on top of each other, set them according to the indicated dimensions, then mark the relative position with a pencil and saw off the excess. Fasten the bars by screwing in a pair of self-tapping screws at each joint.

Take one structure and insert two frames of the frame in the doorway - this will be the only difference between the rear facade and the front.

Connect the resulting halves through the indicated distance with seven side planks, starting from the bottom of the future roof. Make the floor frame in the same way.

With the help of boards 40 × 200 mm make a floor. Attach them to the frame with screws or nails.

Add five bars to the frame of the back wall to create the frame of the podium. For the strength of the upper part, install a couple of additional supports.

Sheathe the resulting box from the sides and prepare the upper part. Try on the toilet seat cover and cut a hole along its inner edge with a jigsaw.

Cut the same or slightly larger hole with a jigsaw in the floor boards. Then sew up the front wall of the box and now finally fix the top.

Sheathe the straight parts of both side walls with clapboard, aligning the planks flush with the frame. Cover small voids on the inside of the roof slope with OSB pieces.

Now complete the back wall trim. Start at the bottom and gradually work your way up to the ridge. If desired, you can leave open a small triangle at the very top for ventilation. On the oblique part, fasten the lining to the frame and cut it with a hacksaw or jigsaw already in place so as not to bother with marking the corners. Or attach planks, mark the diagonal with a pencil, and then cut and fasten.

By the same principle, sheathe the front wall from the bottom to the top of the doorway. Please note that on the left, the lining should be moved 10 mm from the frame of the opening, so that in the future door did not fall inside.

Stepping back 100 mm from the edges of the frame, make a solid sheathing from OSB, attaching the sheets to the bars with self-tapping screws. From below, add pieces of material to cover the entire surface.

Cut out a triangle from transparent polycarbonate as a window. Fix it with self-tapping screws and, if desired, make a frame from the lining.

Install the end strips by nailing them, and then cover the slopes with shingles. Starting at the bottom and shifting each successive row by half a shingle (flake) or as recommended by the manufacturer. At the end, fasten the skates.

From a 50 × 50 mm timber, assemble the door frame according to the indicated dimensions. Add two diagonal braces to keep the canvas from sagging over time.

Sheathe the frame with clapboard. Please note that on the left, the material should extend beyond the frame by 15 mm, while the other three sides will be flush with it.

Insert the door into place, evenly distributing the gaps at the top, bottom and sides, then hang the hinges. Install them at such a height that the movable part is attached not only to the vertical rack of the frame, but also to the diagonal.

Put the handle and latch. From a 10 × 30 mm rail or the same lining, make a frame-platband on the front wall around the doorway.

Teremok

A more spacious version of the booth with shelves lined with clapboard and metal tiles on a solid OSB crate. Due to this, it is also possible to make a roof from a soft roof. Other materials are also suitable for walls.

What you need

• Planed bar 65 × 45 mm;
• lining;
• OSB boards 12 mm;
• cellular polycarbonate;
• metal tile;
• silicone sealant;
• hacksaw;
• chisel;
• screwdriver;
• jigsaw;
• hammer;
• pencil;
• roulette;
• door hinges;
• door knob;
• ridge bar;
• polycarbonate;
• cottage toilet.

How to do

From a 65 × 45 mm bar, assemble two "rhombus-houses" according to the indicated dimensions. First make one, then using it as a template, build the second one and set it aside for now.

To the first frame, add a cross piece and two posts that form a doorway. To strengthen the racks, attach one more transverse bar along the edges of them.

Please note that the frame parts are connected in half a tree. To do this, apply them to each other, mark the relative position with a pencil, and then make half-thick cuts with a hacksaw and chip off the excess parts of the wood with a chisel. As a result, the bars will be in the same plane, it is convenient to fasten them with a pair of nails or self-tapping screws, and the structure will turn out to be very rigid.

To the previously set aside workpiece, add three transverse parts at the indicated heights.

Connect the "facades" by installing three bars on each side. The lower and middle ones are on the edge, and the upper ones are flat (shelves will stand on them later). All sides can be cut to size and fastened to the ends without using the half-wood method.

To complete the frame, it remains only to add two bars as a floor batten.

Flush with the front and back, starting from the bottom and up to the upper transverse parts, sheathe the side walls with clapboard.

Close the back completely, leaving only a triangle of the window. Ahead, everything is the same, but note that the doorway is not sewn flush with the frame, but with an indent of 10 mm around the entire perimeter (so the door will not fall through). It is convenient to hem the oblique parts with a slight release outward, and then simply cut off the excess with a jigsaw or hacksaw so as not to bother with markings.

Install OSB boards on the roof frame, spreading them across the width so that they form uniform overhangs on each side. Attach them with self-tapping screws with a pitch of 200 mm.

From the same plate, but in two layers, make the floor inside the booth. Pre-measure the distances to the centers of the frame bars so as not to miss when screwing in the screws.

Use the rest of the OSB to cover the space between the wall and the roof. They also serve as handy storage shelves.

Assemble the door frame from a 45 × 65 mm timber, reinforcing it with a transverse bar and diagonals. Then sheathe the resulting structure with a clapboard with an outlet on the sides and top by 10 mm, and from the bottom by 30 mm.

Insert the door into the opening and attach the hinges and handle. Please note that the moving parts of the hinges should fall on the frame bars for a more secure fit.

Mount a metal tile over the OSB, attaching it with roofing screws. Attach a skate on top. Also cut out triangle windows from transparent polycarbonate and insert them.

Try on the toilet in place and cut a hole for it. Install and fix the device with screws through standard holes or on silicone sealant, smearing it around the perimeter.

How to make ventilation

The easiest and most reliable way to get rid of unpleasant odors is to run a pipe 2.5–3 m long and 2.5 m in diameter along the back wall. from 100 mm, one end of which will communicate directly with the waste container or toilet bowl, and the other will rise above the roof toilet. To do this, you will need a sewer pipe, a 90-degree elbow fitting (elbow), a deflector cover (mushroom), and brackets of a diameter suitable for the pipe.

Drill a hole from the inside with a thin drill to mark the approximate location of the tie-in. Then try on the outside of the knee, mark and cut a hole for it in the back wall. Insert a horizontal piece of pipe into it, then an elbow fitting and then a vertical piece of pipe with a fungus at the end. Attach the entire structure with clamps to the back wall.

How to make a toilet in the country more comfortable

Toilet paper holder, brush and air freshener are essentials. However, besides them, other useful accessories will come in handy. For ease of use in the evening, some kind of lighting will not be superfluous. It can be a lamp with a solar panel, a small battery-operated night light, or a full-fledged light bulb with a switch and socketconnected from the house or other object in the country.

If you plan to use the toilet in the off-season, then a warm foam toilet seat, as well as a fan heater or a small IR panel, will add comfort. Both types of heaters heat up almost instantly, allowing you to feel warm in just a couple of minutes. And if you turn them on through the power supply to the toilet, leaving the house, then faster.

What to buy

• Solar-powered lamp with motion sensor, 980 rubles →
• Lamp with built-in battery from Yeelight, 628 rubles →
• Wall lamp powered by batteries from Linnhill, 180 rubles →
• Warm seat for a country toilet with a removable cover, 700 rubles →
• Styrofoam toilet seat for a country toilet, 399 rubles →
• Compact fan heater from De'Longhi, 1,499 rubles →
• Floor fan heater from Vitek, 1,951 rubles →
• Ceiling IR heater from Ballu, 2,499 rubles →
• Floor IR heater from Timberk, 1,099 rubles →