Street toilets: the best options for a summer residence

The toilet at the summer cottage is a basic necessity. The very first building that appears on the territory is a toilet. Better when it is freestanding. So, doing business in the garden, you do not need to constantly go into the house. This will allow you not to bring dirt and earth into the house once again with you, and unpleasant odors will not spread where the living rooms and the kitchen are located.

Building an outdoor toilet in a garden area is not a difficult task, but it has its own characteristics and nuances. The toilet must meet all sanitary norms and rules, not cause inconvenience to the owners of the site, as well as to their neighbors. Even at the design stage, it is necessary to decide how all stages of construction will take place.

First of all, you need to decide where the building will be located so that it is as convenient and comfortable as possible for people. You also need to decide whether it will be with or without a cesspool. In the first case, you need to know how to make it, what size, how to ensure its tightness so that waste does not clog the land and water on the site. In the second, which neutralizer to use: chemical composition, bio-filler or peat.

An important point that needs to be considered before starting the construction of the toilet is the device of the house itself: according to what scheme it should be built, from what materials, what size, how to neutralize the spread of odors in the future. In order for the building to complement the appearance of the site, it is worth thinking about the design of the house.

There are several types of toilets for summer cottages.

This is the simplest and most common type of outdoor summer toilet. A depression of about 1.5–2 m is made in the ground, above which a small wooden structure is erected. Waste accumulates in this pit, and over time, fermenting, decomposes. If the pit fills up too quickly and the contents do not have time to decompose, you can resort to using a sewer truck. A wooden house can be made in an original design to decorate the site, for example, it can look like "Teremok" or "Mill".

This is one of the varieties of the previous version. Such a toilet is most often built adjacent to the house or to other heated structures on the site, for example, with a utility block. Its design includes a receiving funnel, a drain pipe, a cesspool and ventilation - a backlash duct for air extraction. In order for the air to pass through the channel, it is for this purpose located near the chimney. Moving along the drain pipe, the air enters the heated part of the chimney, and then up to a special hole for ventilation. The undoubted advantage is that such a toilet is warm and can be used in the winter season.

Its design does not provide for a cesspool. The recess under the toilet is presented in the form of a barrel. This option is suitable for areas with a high location of inland waters, where it is not possible to dig a hole. To neutralize odors, ash, sawdust, peat are used, they are sprinkled with sewage as needed, "powdered".As the barrel is filled, it must be emptied. After mixing sewage with peat, they can subsequently be used as fertilizer.

Its structure resembles a powder closet, since it involves the use of peat to neutralize odors. The design is a conventional toilet bowl filled with peat. Instead of pipes, a special container is used that accumulates waste. You can install this option both on the territory of the house, and in a specially equipped house on the site. To neutralize odors, it is important to provide the building with a ventilation hole.

The simplest type of arrangement of a country toilet. This is a portable booth with a container with a special waste treatment facility.

Similar to the previous mobile version, but in this case, not a bio-filler, but a chemical substance is used for waste disposal. It cannot be subsequently used to fertilize the soil.

The main factor by which the choice is made from the existing options is depth of passage of groundwater. If their level passes at a depth of more than 2.5 m, even when it rains or floods, any of the types can be established. If the water level is higher than this mark, it is better not to choose options with a cesspool.

When deciding on the construction of a toilet in a summer cottage, choosing its type, you need to know the rules for its installation. There are laws that regulate the construction of summer cottages. In addition, you need to think about how to equip an odorless toilet, what sanitary standards it is important to observe, how to design a closet in the absence of a sewage system. When choosing a place for a building, it is worth taking care in advance that it is as hidden as possible from the eyes of neighbors and that if the door is opened, no one can see anything.

One of the main points is to decide how the toilet contents will be cleaned. If a cesspool is planned, you need to take care of the unhindered access of a sewage truck to it in advance.

Before starting the construction of a country toilet, you need to make sure that the future building will comply with certain sanitary standards and hygiene rules.

• The remoteness of the closet from a well or a well should be at least 30 m in order to avoid water pollution. In addition, if the terrain is uneven, the toilet should be level below the drinking water supply.
• If there are buildings on the site intended for washing (bath, shower), the distance to them should be at least 8 m.
• If there is a room for keeping animals on the territory, its distance should be at least 4 m.

• It is also worth taking care of cultivated plants. The minimum distance from trees is 4 m, from shrubs - at least 1 m.
• The toilet should not give off any unpleasant odors. When determining a place for a future building, the wind rose should be taken into account.
• A cesspool, if any, should be well insulated to prevent mixing of sewage with groundwater. The best option is to provide a special container as its bottom.
• The remoteness of the pit from residential buildings should be the maximum possible value, the minimum - 5 m.

• The remoteness of the toilet from neighboring areas should be at least 1 m.
• For a dressing house, you need to think about how to carry out the lighting. All wiring must be carefully treated with a special mixture that repels water.
• Pit cleaning should be carried out immediately as needed. To do this, you can use the services of a sewer truck or use a chemical agent that decomposes waste, which will also prevent the development of fungus and other harmful microorganisms. If neither one nor the other option is possible, the pit must be covered with metal sheets to decay the sewage.

If it is not possible to carry out a central sewerage on the site, The following waste disposal options are considered legal.

• A metal or plastic container that can collect impurities. A sewage machine can be used to clean it.
• A special septic agent that dissolves impurities.
• VOC - local treatment plant. Such a device requires registration with the SES.

The best way to choose a treatment plant for yourself is to contact the chairman, who will suggest the best solution. It often happens that a permitted type of waste disposal system already exists for the entire dacha cooperative.

According to SNiP 30-02-97, clause 8.7, if there is no equipped sewage system on the site, it is possible to install a powder closet or dry closet. If you plan to install a toilet with a cesspool, before starting its construction, it is necessary to agree and register the project with the SES.

It should be borne in mind that the rules for installing a country toilet may differ depending on the region. Each region has its own environmental rules, which individually need to be clarified in the regional SES. One law is still the same - human waste should not be poured into the ground, groundwater should not be polluted.

In case of violation of the law, an administrative fine is imposed on the owner of the land, and his actions are regarded as damage to the land. However, such actions are quite common, so usually the first time inspectors are limited to a warning. It should be borne in mind that after some time the inspector can organize a re-inspection, so it is better to eliminate all violations in a timely manner.

The size of the future toilet depends on its type. Different designs have different recommended values. If you plan to put a powder closet on the site, its size should not be less than 1 m in width and 1.4 m in length, the minimum ceiling height is 2.2 m. The maximum value of the parameters can be absolutely anything. For immersion of pipes, it is better to determine the depth of 50-70 cm.

For backlash closets, an important parameter is the size of the cesspool. Its depth should be at least 1 m, preferably 2 m. Its size is usually 1 m in diameter. An overground structure can have any dimensions. A simple suburban version with a cesspool is designed in a similar way.

In any case, the size of the toilet should be such that all family members are comfortable inside, freely turn around and stand up to their full height.

To build a toilet on the street with your own hands, first you need to determine where it will be located on the site. It must meet all sanitary standards and hygiene rules, and the level of groundwater flow must also be taken into account. You also need to determine whether the house will stand separately on the border of the site, or will be adjacent to another room and it is necessary to think over a ventilation system for it.

The second step is to choose the right waste disposal system, which will be optimal in this area. It is necessary to determine whether a cesspool is required and how to make it yourself. It can be made of various materials: brick, concrete, special container, barrel, car tires, well ring. It is also necessary to take care of the foundation for the building, which will be able to withstand its weight and not sink into the ground over time. The easiest way to equip a toilet in a private house is to use a dry closet, which does not require such time and effort.

The third, final step is the construction of the house and the installation of the toilet, if the toilet is a separate building. The most common types of toilets are Teremok, Domik or Shalash. To choose the design of the toilet, you need to determine the weight of the building.It can be pre-calculated based on the weight of the selected materials. The toilet house should be as light as possible, because over time, the soil under it may sink, and the entire structure will need to be repaired.

Various options can be used as materials for the construction of a toilet. What is often used is what remains from the construction of the main structures on the site.

To equip a cesspool, you will need the following:

• sand;
• cement mixture;
• crushed stone;
• reinforcement to strengthen the foundation;
• a netting mesh to fit the bottom and walls of the pit, as well as metal pins to attach this mesh to the soil.

Another option instead of a chain-link and concrete is a brick, which also lays out the bottom and walls of the pit. You can also use a well concrete ring, which has holes in its walls or large rubber tires. The easiest option is to purchase a ready-made, special container, treated with a septic solution and produced in various sizes.

A dressing house can be made from a variety of materials.

To make a wooden structure not very heavy in weight, it is better to use boards. From a bar, the structure will be heavier, in this case, you first need to take care of the foundation.

The most common version of a country toilet is made of wooden boards. It has both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages of a wooden building include:

• Aesthetic appearance. Compared to a metal or plastic house, a wooden one looks more solid and comfortable. In addition, it blends harmoniously with the natural atmosphere, since it is made of natural material.
• The construction of such a house will not require large financial costs.
• Durability. With timely processing of wood with protective solutions and cleaning the surface from dirt, the building can serve for many years.
• The tree itself has the property of neutralizing unpleasant odors, especially in the first time after the installation of the structure, exuding a pleasant forest scent.
• If the building becomes unsuitable for further use, it can be easily disassembled into parts and disposed of using a furnace or fire to kindle.

This is a solid, time consuming and costly option. It will also require the construction of a foundation. It should be understood that using this material will not provide additional warmth inside the toilet. To do this, the room must be insulated separately using lightweight materials, for example, polystyrene.

Such a structure can be built without spending too much time and effort. In addition, a lightweight building is obtained from the profiled sheet, which will not allow the soil to settle.

Quite a simple and convenient option. Its construction will not require a lot of time and financial costs. You can also use this material for cladding a frame built from a profile pipe or timber.

The disadvantages of wood construction are the following factors:

• All wooden buildings are highly flammable and, in the event of a fire, are completely destroyed in a short time. This can be avoided by special impregnation with a heat-resistant solution.
• If the surface is not treated with a special agent, the boards can quickly become damp and rot.
• Wood is a material in which various insects can grow and destroy the building. Only periodic treatment of the premises with a pest repellent can get rid of them.

In the process of work, you may need the following items:

• for arranging a cesspool: a shovel, a crowbar or a perforator (in case stones get into the soil), a hand drill, a container that will be placed in a pit (a large barrel or a well ring made of concrete), a hammer, a screwdriver, a stone and metal grinder, electric jigsaw, measuring tape, level;
• for building a house: a punch or drill, fasteners (sealant, screws, nails, dowels), a hacksaw for metal surfaces, a tape measure and a level, pliers, an insulating tape (for ventilation), a hammer, metal corners, a handle and a latch, a toilet bowl.

Before proceeding with the construction of a country toilet, it is necessary to draw up a detailed work plan and drawings for each of the stages.

The construction project should include the following steps:

1. Arrangement of a cesspool.
2. Foundation construction.
3. Building a house.

The first stage is digging a cesspool. Its shape is determined by its future design. It can be in the form of a circle or a square.

If a special container is used, the pit is made so that its inlet is located in the intended place for the toilet seat, and the other hole is outside the building, which is designed to clean the container from impurities. The shape of the hole should be the same as the container, and its size should be slightly larger, about 30 cm in diameter, so that the soil can be tamped more easily.

If concrete or brick is chosen as the walls of the pit, the shape and size can be of any shape.

The arrangement of the pit takes place in stages:

• The bottom of the dug hole for drainage purposes must be covered with stones, rubble or pieces of brick.

• After that, it is necessary to fix the netting on the walls. For this, metal pins are used, which are driven into the ground. You can additionally strengthen the walls by adding a reinforcing grid to the mesh.
• After that, it is necessary to cover the walls with a layer of concrete 5–8 cm and let it completely harden. Then the walls need to be plastered again with concrete. This layer must also be left to dry completely.

• The pit must be closed. For this, a reinforced concrete slab can be used, which will later serve as the foundation for future construction.
• On top of the pit, wooden blocks or concrete posts are laid, which are sunk into the soil, creating a flat surface of the same level with the surface of the earth. The tree should be soaked in any septic solution.
• The entire surface is covered with dense polyethylene. At the site of the future toilet bowl and the hole for cleaning the contents of the pit, the necessary space is left. These two holes must be finished with formwork around the perimeter. In the place intended for the elimination of sewage, a hatch is subsequently installed.

• A lattice frame is placed on the film, which is also finished with formwork around the perimeter.
• The entire site is poured with concrete. This layer must be allowed to dry well. For better surface durability, it can be covered with dry cement over time. This concrete fill will serve as the foundation for the future construction.
• You can proceed to the installation of a toilet house.

If the bottom of the pit is planned to be laid out with car tires, it must be borne in mind that the use of such a structure is possible only with rare frequency, when the family comes to the summer cottage only on weekends, for example.

Such a pit tends to fill up very quickly and it will be inconvenient to use it.

• First of all, for the equipment of this option, you need to dig the hole itself. It is made in a shape that repeats the outlines of the tires, but 15–20 cm larger in diameter.
• The bottom of the pit is covered with stones and gravel for drainage purposes. This layer can be about 20 cm high.
• On the bottom of the pit, in the center, tires are placed in such an amount that the top makes up an even layer with the surface of the earth.
• Along the outer perimeter, the left voids are filled with rubble and sand and compacted.

• To make the structure more durable, you need to build a light foundation on top. To do this, along the perimeter of the laid tires around the entire toilet, a recess is made in the ground about 50 cm deep.
• At the bottom of the recess, sand is poured up to 10 cm in height; the same layer of crushed stone is placed on top of the sand.
• Crushed stone and sand from above are covered with dense polyethylene.

• Then it is necessary to give the foundation a solid frame. For this, facing the recess with a brick and processing it with cement, or installing a reinforcing mesh, which must be poured with concrete, is suitable.
• After the concrete layer has dried, the foundation is plastered and leveled.
• The surface must be covered with an insulating material such as roofing felt.
• You can start installing the toilet house. To do this, you first need to install a frame of wooden, strong bars on the foundation, on which the building itself will be installed.

If you plan to equip the pit with the help of a large barrel or several barrels stacked on top of each other, the algorithm of actions absolutely repeats the device of the pit with car tires. This type of construction is very simple to implement, however, it has one big drawback - fragility. Metal in contact with soil and sewage tends to quickly rust and deteriorate.

After the construction of the pit, you need to think about how the room will be protected from the gases coming from this pit. Even if you install a tight shutter, there will still be gaps between the wooden boards that will allow air and an unpleasant smell to pass through. For the ventilation system to function, one more hole is left in the pit, which will be connected to the hole in the back wall of the toilet. The hole diameter should be about 10 cm.

The next stage is the construction of the house itself. To do this, it is imperative to have a pre-prepared diagram and a drawing of the building. First you need to decide on its design. So that the house does not spoil the appearance of the entire site, you can choose very beautiful options, for example, imitating a fabulous log cabin - the "Teremok" type.

To do this, first a frame is made according to a drawing of boards in the shape of a rhombus. After that, you need to build a roof and cover it with a roof. After the roof, the walls are sheathed with wooden planks or metal sheets - any available material. This design can be installed both on a cesspool and on a dry closet.

The final stage is the installation of the door and window. This is done last, because during the installation of the house, the structure may undergo some changes in size, the doorway may end up being slightly wider or narrower. The door is hung with 2 or 3 hinges. It is necessary to take care of the presence of a latch on the inside of the room. The window is usually made small in size from the side where the door is located under the roof. In addition to the window, a small opening must be provided under the roof - a natural air exchange system. Since it is located directly under the roof, the roof covering protects it.

If desired, you can make the interior decoration of the room. This will give the toilet a finished and cozy look. For this, the walls are painted with paint or pasted over with wallpaper. You can hang curtains on the windows, add decorative elements - paintings on the walls, flowers in pots.

Another option is to build a house in the shape of a triangle - the "Shalash" type. This is a fairly simple construction during the construction, which does not take much time and effort. Its undoubted advantages are the spaciousness inside the room and the stability of the base. The walls of such a house also serve as a roof. This design is especially successful during the rainy and snowy season, the walls will always remain dry.

Construction is being carried out in accordance with the drawing. First, a frame is made, a place for the toilet is indicated, and then the walls are sheathed with the selected material. In this case, only the front and rear walls are cladding, the side walls are covered with roofing material. With this design, a waste disposal system can be both a cesspool and a dry closet.

Another variant of the house is the traditional or the "Birdhouse" type.This is a rectangular house, which is built according to general principles according to the drawings. Its design can be absolutely anything. The building is installed on a wooden frame made of beams, which is attached to the foundation. Typically, the front uprights are longer than the rear uprights. In this case, a slope for the roof is obtained. These racks are attached primarily to the base frame. Then another horizontal frame is fixed - the ceiling.

Horizontal bars are installed at a height of approx. 50 cm. In this place, the installation of a toilet bowl is supposed. After that, the walls are sheathed and the roof is covered. The last step is to lay the floor and install the toilet seat.

Often, the toilet is combined with another building, for example, with a shower or a utility block. In this case, the building will occupy a much larger area, which must be thought out in advance. Combining a toilet with a shower will allow you to use one water drain system.

The arrangement of a country toilet is an important issue. If you think carefully about its construction in advance, it will last for many years.

Several recommendations will help you to design the structure as well as possible.

• The best type of country toilet is peat.
• To make the cesspool strong, isolated from the ground and groundwater, you can fill it with concrete or use a brick for lining the walls and bottom.
• For interior decoration, it is better to use warm materials, such as wood. In addition, it is worth taking care that the floor is not slippery. Therefore, for example, tiles are not the best option.

• During the construction of the frame of the house and sheathing it with boards, it is necessary to treat the material with an antiseptic solution so that the building is protected and lasts longer. After this procedure, the tone of the wood becomes darker.
• If a chemical solution is used as a cleaning agent, in addition to its direct purpose, it will additionally serve as the prevention of the reproduction of harmful microorganisms.
• It is not necessary to install a toilet bowl intended for urban use in a summer cottage. Conventional toilets have a curved inner flush direction. The country toilet should have a straight direction. In addition, models for city apartments are usually heavy, which is undesirable for a street setting. The best option is a special plastic model.

• It is best to keep the toilet seat warm, especially if you plan to use the toilet in winter. There are special thermal seats made of polypropylene that retain heat even in the coldest weather.
• Do not ignore the question of the design of the house. It must be beautiful so that the building will serve for many years and please the owners. Among the original ideas, one can single out a house in the form of a fabulous hut, a carriage, a Chinese house, a mill.
• If the interior space allows, you can hang a hand wash basin in the toilet.

The appearance of the dressing house can be absolutely anything. Everything is limited only by the owner's imagination.

• The building in the form of a terem looks very neat.
• For connoisseurs of originality, the design in the form of a real carriage may come to taste.

• The traditional building in the form of a house looks very harmonious on the site. A building in the form of a hut is considered successful, the walls are maximally protected by the roof from moisture and other environmental factors.

Sheets made of corrugated board can be used as an alternative material.

The simplest option is a dry closet, for which the construction of a separate building is not necessary.

To learn how to make a summer cottage toilet "Teremok" with your own hands, see the next video.