5 Outside Toilet Ideas
When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go, which is why you’ll find the following outside toilet ideas for your garden not only inspiring, but also a blessing for if you spend a lot of time in your garden.
Before you create an outside toilet design, rush out and spend a single
penny on a toilet, stop and ask yourself the following questions…
@house_on_the_hill_321
Why do I need an outside toilet?
If you have a large garden and your only toilet is situated on an upper floor of your home, then a carefully positioned outside toilet makes perfect sense. Alternatively, if you are elderly and infirm but really enjoy pottering in your garden, a good old fashioned outside toilet could be just the thing. Also, if you often entertain alfresco, an outside toilet is incredibly convenient.
What type of outside toilet do I need?
There are various different types available from fully plumbed in standard toilets to highly sustainable and eco-friendly solar-powered or compost toilets. You’ll also need to decide what you will house your toilet in. You may need planning permission for a permanent solid fixture, whereas a wooden outside toilet shed shouldn’t be a problem. On the other hand, you may already have an existing place to install your outside toilet.
Where could you put an outside toilet?
Think about your outdoor space. If you have a large garden, you may wish to hide it in a secluded area. You may conversely want to make a feature of it with a beautifully designed outside toilet shed. If you have an outbuilding, it might make sense and be more economical to install an outside toilet inside it. Remember though, if you wish to have a traditional toilet, you will need to connect it to your water supply and waste. Composting, toilets can be positioned anywhere, but be considerate to your neighbours, as composting toilets can sometimes create odours.
@essex_home_2020
1. Old Fashioned Outside Toilet
Outside toilets, or a “privy”, have been popular for centuries in homeowner’s back gardens and yards. They have evolved in design over time until late Victorian times when, with the roll out of mains water and sewage systems, toilets were increasingly installed inside homes.
The old fashioned outside toilet shed made from timber or brick outhouses were often simple in design and purely functional. However, some wooden outside toilets were designed to look aesthetically pleasing and appear more like a small decorative shed. This made them more acceptable in a garden setting.
Adding a pitched slate tiled roof, finials and a decorative sofit board, a discreetly positioned window, a cut-out shape in the door for ventilation, then specialist wood paint or a varnish can elevate an outside toilet to a whole new level.
@hillyhouseproject
2. Outbuilding Outside Toilet
If you already have a building situated in your garden, then why not consider partitioning some of it to accommodate an outside toilet and utility room. This can be a simple and cost-effective solution, particularly if there is plumbing already in the outbuilding.
Plasterboard stud walls are perfect for creating a small room within an existing space. Also, you may wish to insulate the walls and install a radiator to create a cosier space. If possible, install the toilet on a supporting main wall. You may also wish to include a small basin for handwashing, which is also handy for cleaning your hands after gardening.
@danlamaison
3. Garden Office Outside Toilet
Since the pandemic, working from home and hybrid employment has proved increasingly popular. Many people now use a specific room in their home as a home office, however, many who maybe didn’t have the space or didn’t want their working and home lives to crossover had garden offices built.
Having to traipse across the garden, particularly in foul winter weather, just to spend a penny is a good enough case for dedicating some of the space in a garden office for a toilet. A corner of the room can easily be sectioned off with a plasterboard stud wall and a door frame and door added. The toilet itself can be easily plumbed in. You just need to ensure the toilet is connected to your home’s existing mains and waste system. Equally, an outside toilet can be the easy and perfect addition to an external games room or detached garage.
@project.bluehill
4. Solar Powered Outside Toilet
Technology has come a long way in the last few decades and outside toilet design is no exception. A solar-powered outside toilet uses solar energy to treat and decompose toilet waste. This specialist solution is not only a sustainable and eco-friendly option, it’s one that doesn’t need a connection it to your mains water or waste system, so it can be sited anywhere.
You can build the housing for the outside toilet as you would
traditionally with timber and install insulation for maximum efficiency or buy
complete units. The roof carries the solar panels so it needs to be facing in
the optimum direction and at a specific angle to gain the maxim power from the
sun. The electricity it generates powers the built-in
composting or incineration unit of the outside toilet.
5. Composting Outside Toilet
If you want to take your outside toilet completely off-grid, then a composting toilet could be the answer. This eco-friendly option saves water and energy by using an aerobic system to turn your toilet waste into useful compost to fertilise your garden.
A composting outside toilet is surprisingly easy to use and maintain too. They also use a fraction of the water that traditional toilets do – in fact, they can save up to 10,000 gallons of water each year.
@expeditionwunjo
Outside Toilet Design Ideas
When designing your outside toilet, whether it’s a simple outside toilet shed, an old fashioned outside toilet or something more contemporary or even quirky, think about whether you want it to stand out or blend into your garden. Maybe there is a more secluded corner of your garden where it will go unnoticed. Want to make a feature of it? Think about what paints you might use.
The style of your home and garden can also play a big part. If you have a rustic property, you may wish to reflect that in the design of your outside toilet. Got a really modern home? Why not keep things simple with clean lines and matching colours?
@italianretreat_thejourney
These are just a few outside toilet ideas to get you thinking. We hope all you outside toilet UK fans find them useful and inspiring.
If you have any further questions on toilets, or you would just like to know some further information about the products we sell at Howarth, please visit your local friendly Howarth branch, or contact our customer services on the number 01472 907051.
You can also explore our wide range of bathroom products on our website here, or you can even visit us in branch for more information.
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