The Loo: Part 2

So if you didn’t see how I started this whole thing, check out Part 1 here.

Fasteners

A note on screws: they are used all through this project. Aside from the pocket hole screws, I use these countersinking, self-drilling screws that make quick work of anything. I always have a variety of them on hand in my shop. They come with their own star bit too, which makes driving easier. I use both PowerPro Screws and GRK Screws, depending on what’s available, in an appropriate length depending on the application. I frequently use #8 but did use some #10s for this project.

Siding

Next I hung the siding. I chose these 4’x8′ sheets. They are slightly wider than 4′, however, because there is a tongue to overlap onto the next piece. So I shortened them and cut them down to 4′ wide. I was very close to going with these LP SmartSide panels, but I ultimately decided against it as the grain was just so heavy.

This was the first time I used my AccuCut and boy was it worth it! It was easy to use and super quick. If you hate using a circular saw for cuts like this, I highly recommend it!

Hanging the siding is definitely at least a 2 person job. It’s heavy. Because of this, I did pre-drilled holes in the siding before installation to shorten the time they needed to be held in place.

Before painting, add your handwashing shelves. I just used a combination of scrap 1x material, then cut them all down at non-parallel 45 degree angles and laid them on the supports.

For the water disperser shelf, I did add a 1×2 to the front to provide a little protection from the dispenser sliding off.

You can see above that I didn’t finish my bench framing until after I hung the siding. But it was at this point that I painted.

My spray gun was a godsend for this. It was hot out there and I know rolling all of this would have taken a short forever. Not only do the coats go on more quickly, but you can recoat in a short period of time. This is the sprayer I have, and it has saved me countless hours over the years. It’s a great combination of utility and price. If you do even a little DIY, this bad boy is worth it.

To paint the outside, you will need a long nap roller as it is rough. The spray gun wasn’t as effective on this since it isn’t smooth. You need a roller to really push the paint into all of the crevices.

Anchoring

Next I anchored. As I mentioned in the last post, this structure sits all above ground due to underground pipes. So I needed to anchor it. There are a lot of ways you can do this, including shed anchor kits that I think would work well. They have multiple smaller anchors. However, I really had only one spot under there where I “knew” there weren’t any pipes, so I needed to go big in that one spot. I began with one of these mobile home anchors. The picture may not look like it, but these are heavy duty. A 2×4 wedged into the top provides leverage to screw it down.

I then screwed these D rings into the floor joists, and up on the wall studs beneath the bench. Lastly, I used vinyl coated wire cable through the D rings and to the anchor.

It’s probably evident from the pics, but I’m not an engineer. I do, however, have 2 fingers to cross that this will indeed hold this down. We had tornadoes come through Delaware during Tropical Storm Isaias, and though thankfully the worst was a few miles from us, we were actually away on vacation at the time. Which is probably for the better. But I did think about this loo more than once during that storm.

The bench and floors

One of my first decisions was to use composite decking for both the floor and the bench top. Aside from the weather and elements durability, I was concerned with the wood absorbing any bathroom smells, if you know what I mean.

But I struggled with the color. My budget and timeframe said to go with the basics in stock at Lowe’s, but boy did I want to go with some of the prettier natural wood versions. Ultimately, I did go with the basics. I chose this lighter gray color over the darker brown version just for temperature purposes in the sun. But I can’t say I love this gray.

I first laid out the boards to get depth right, with the back piece cut out with a jig saw around the wall studs.

I then cut out the sink hole and attached a scrap piece of siding for the bench front.

Lastly, I laid the floor.

The Door

The door is made entirely from PVC boards. They are smooth on one side and have grain on the other. I started with 8′ boards cut in half, so the door itself is 4′ tall. They are then held together with 3 horizontal trim pieces. I hung them using these self closing hinges. I cannot for the life of me find the pulls, but here are ones that are very similar. Lastly, I just put a simple hook and eye latch set on the inside to provide privacy.

The Pergola

The pergola provides support to the structure, so don’t skip it. If you don’t want it, I recommend bracing the two 4x4s on either side of the doorway above the door itself. It is constructed from 2x4s, with each end cut off at 50 degrees starting 1 inch from the top. They hang over the ends by about a foot. You can adjust the overhang and end shapes to your personal preference. Lastly, I capped off the tops of the 4x4s with these simple pyramid caps.

Next Up

We’re ready for the fun part… the “plumbing” and compost set up 🙂

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