Country toilet project with shower: choice of design and construction instructions

At the dacha you need a toilet and a shower, because only thanks to these facilities you can spend time in your own area with relative comfort.Do you agree? And they should be built before gardening begins.

If there are no centralized water supply and sewerage systems (and this is usually the case), you need to think through the design of a country toilet with a shower and a separate cesspool. The best option is combined buildings with a partition under one roof. We will tell you what a joint toilet and shower project should be and what it will take to implement it.

The article contains useful recommendations from experienced specialists on how to correctly draw up a project and build a joint building with your own hands. The material is accompanied by thematic videos that will help you implement the drafted project in practice, as well as enrich it with new ideas.

Features of the combined design

The combined shower and toilet are one building under a common roof. The rooms are separated only by a wall, and the entrance to each of them is separate. A tank is placed on top of the shower. It is installed on the roof and water is supplied through pipes, a tap and a watering can are installed.

If the toilet has a washbasin, then water should come from a common tank. In the same way, water is supplied to the toilet if they decide to install a standard flush toilet.

However, such plumbing fixtures are rarely installed at the dacha; much more often they make do with a standard “hole in the floor” with a cesspool.

Before building a structure with a cesspool, you should make sure that it will not poison the lives of your neighbors. Otherwise, conflicts, litigation, and fines from the State Supervision and Technical Supervision services cannot be ruled out.

If a cesspool is used to accumulate wastewater from the toilet and shower, it should be located at least 20-25 m from the source of drinking water. In areas where it is not possible to comply with the standards, it is necessary to carefully concrete the bottom of the pit.

This is to avoid accidental contamination of drinking water with fecal bacteria.

A toilet with a shower is built at a distance of 10 m from residential buildings (both your own and neighbors). Violation of sanitary standards in this case threatens to flood foundations and basements if the pit is overfilled during spring floods and/or depressurizes. The distance to the fence should be at least 1-3 m.

When planning the location of a toilet with a cesspool, you should take into account the distances not only to buildings, but also to communications:

• to asbestos-cement pipes - 5 m or more;
• up to cast iron pipes with a diameter of less than 20 cm - 1.5 m;
• to cast iron pipes over 20 cm - 3 m;
• to gas - 5 m or more.

It happens that the site is too small or its location does not allow maintaining even the minimum distances between objects recommended by SNiP. In this case, it is worth consulting with the BTI to see how this issue can be resolved.

When developing a project for a country toilet with a shower, you should consider its location. We offer one of the possible options for site planning

Building a toilet and shower under one roof has several significant advantages:

• Compactness. A dacha is a place not only for relaxation, but also for growing vegetables, fruits, and berries. Every square meter should be used to its maximum potential. The construction of a combined structure solves the problem of lack of space.
• Saving building materials. Any construction involves expenses, and the lower they are, the better. The foundation is especially expensive. If it is one for two rooms, this is already a reduction in costs. If you add savings on roofing materials and load-bearing walls, the benefits are obvious.
• Save time. Building two structures takes much longer than building one. You get two vital structures in almost the same time as one, because... the most energy-intensive work (digging pits, pouring foundations) is done for both structures at once.
• One drain hole. Arranging a drainage pit requires effort, time and money. If there is only one, this is a significant savings. An additional plus is that there are fewer unpleasant odors in the area, because There is also only one “fragrant” zone.

There is one serious drawback, but a big one: when bathing in the shower, the smell from the toilet may bother you, but this is a solvable problem. If the ventilation pipe is placed higher than the roof of the building, unpleasant odors can be avoided altogether.

Below is a video that details the design of odorless toilet ventilation.

Toilet and shower with cesspool require periodic maintenance. You will have to negotiate with sewage disposal services and position the building so that there is enough length of the hose to pump out sewage, and arrange access roads for the car

Before building a summer shower, you should carefully consider how water will be drawn into the tank. The ideal option is a pump and hose.

If it is not possible to pump water from a source to a tank, it will have to be carried in buckets by hand and lifted to the roof of the building, and this is quite difficult. To make work easier, you need to plan wide, comfortable paths.

What to consider when developing a project?

As with any other structure, a project is first prepared for a combined toilet with an outdoor shower.

When developing it, the following nuances should be taken into account:

• The layout should be convenient. Each room has separate entrances, so you need to make sure that access to both doors is free. The toilet and outdoor shower should be convenient to use. If there are children, elderly people or disabled people in the family, their needs must be taken into account.
• The project takes into account the features of building materials and finishing. The loads on future structures and, accordingly, the choice of foundation type depend on this.
• The area and height of the premises are calculated based on the personal needs of family members. Most often, structures are built 2.75x2 m or 3x3 m. The height can be 2 or 2.5 m depending on the height of family members. Rooms that are too low are uncomfortable, and rooms that are too high can make it difficult to reach the shower head.

The calculation of the area also depends on the number of plumbing fixtures and furniture. If you build spacious rooms of 1.3x2 m, then there will be enough space for a shower stall, benches, shelves and a washbasin. In addition, the rectangular shape makes it easier to arrange furniture and plumbing fixtures.

When designing, you need to consider which way the door to each room will open. The choice of installation location for the washbasin and the possibility of simultaneous entry of people into the toilet and outdoor shower depend on this

The more carefully the project is developed, the more convenient and durable the design will be.You should not start construction before every little detail has been thought through, because completing and rebuilding is much more difficult and expensive than providing all the necessary amenities once.

Step #1 - choosing materials for construction

The choice is small: usually it comes down to only two materials - wood and brick. For a long-term building that will be used for decades, it is better to choose brick. It is durable and withstands negative external factors well.

The disadvantage is that you have to build a reliable foundation. This involves considerable expenses.

A wooden building is cheaper and can be erected faster, but it is not the most durable option. On the other hand, it is difficult to build permanent structures on loose soils, and for them it is better to choose lighter wooden structures. If desired, they can be finished on the outside so that the wood deteriorates less.

Wood captivates with the beauty of its natural pattern. It “breathes”, making the rooms always have a comfortable microclimate. But still, it should be used only for temporary construction and must be treated with antifungal impregnations

Sometimes they build metal combined toilets with an outdoor shower. This is a difficult task, because... you need a welding machine.

The building itself may not live up to expectations and quickly collapse due to corrosion, since there is constantly high humidity in the shower. Another option is slate, but it is fragile, and walls made from it are short-lived.

Step #2 - arrangement of a cesspool

There are two main types of cesspools - with filter bottom and sealed. The former are easier to construct and do not require special operating costs, but to clean sealed pits you have to call in vacuum cleaners.

There is a nuance: although many summer residents build filter pits, this is prohibited by sanitary standards, because may cause contamination of aquifers.

For the construction of a cesspool, a variety of materials and designs are chosen:

• brick;
• reinforced concrete rings;
• monolithic concrete;
• plastic containers or metal tanks;
• improvised materials.

The easiest way to build a permanent sealed pit is from brick. To do this, dig a square pit of the required diameter, compact the soil, build a sand cushion and fill the bottom of the hole with concrete.

When the material hardens, brick walls are built (the structure should rise 10-20 cm above the ground), plastered and waterproofed with bitumen mastic. We provide detailed instructions on the construction of a brick drainage pit. brought here.

Leaky brick pits are also often built. In this case, a filter bottom is made, and the brick is laid in a checkerboard pattern, leaving gaps. Such structures do not waterproof, because the water goes into the ground, and in the pit itself only silt remains, which must be removed occasionally.

Difficulties may arise with waterproofing a brick pit, because... bitumen mastics are not always durable. Their service life depends on many factors: composition, correct application, operating conditions, climate

It is best to build a sealed pit from monolithic concrete or reinforced concrete well rings. For waterproofing a septic tank from rings use penetrating compounds or bitumen, bitumen-polymer mastics.

Combinations of different types of materials are possible to create a durable and reliable waterproofing layer.

Volumetric barrels with a bottom (for sealed ones) or without it (for filter ones) are installed as cesspools.To familiarize yourself with the diagram, calculations and rules for arranging a pit from a barrel, go via this link.

You can also build a structure from scrap materials, for example, from old used tires. There are a lot of options, especially if the drain from the shower is equipped separately.

Installation of a toilet without a cesspool

Sometimes it is not possible to build a cesspool due to the close location of the aquifer. Then you can lead the drain pipe from the shower to the compost heap and install a composting toilet or powder closet. Dry toilets are sold ready-made. They are suitable for installation both outdoors and indoors.

A powder closet is a structure with a small sealed pit in which sewage is sprinkled with peat. The pit is regularly cleaned, its contents taken out for compost. If you don’t live at the dacha during the entire summer season, this is a good option.

To make the powder closet more convenient to use, make a toilet seat with a lid, and cover the waste container with lining. It is best to provide a special door for removing the tank. Ventilation is required.

Although the powder closet is not particularly convenient to use, you don’t have to worry about soil and groundwater contamination, because sewage does not seep into the ground

Relatively recently, an interesting modern variety of powder closet has appeared - the peat toilet. The principle of its operation is the same, but the reservoir with peat is located directly inside the structure. When it is full, it is removed and cleaned. After this, the toilet is ready for use again.

We recommend that you read our article about the specifics and ways to clean a toilet peat and liquid type.

Let's look at an example of constructing a complex of a shower room and a toilet for a summer house, housed in a frame building 3 m long and 1.5 m wide:

In addition to the listed materials, you will need clamps for fixing the lining, approximately 300 of them will be required, the same number of wood screws, OSB sheet 1 m², hinges for hanging doors, linoleum

An example of building a utility block with a toilet without a cesspool will help you understand the intricacies of the process:

Having completed the cladding of the facade and rear wall, we begin installing windows, installing doors and arranging the interior space:

Self-construction of a toilet with shower

Let's consider the option of building a toilet with a summer shower made of wood with your own hands. The structure is relatively lightweight and can be installed on almost any soil. It will require a columnar foundation.

The roof can be equipped with a gable roof and covered with metal tiles or other suitable material.

If desired, under the gable roof you can arrange additional space like an attic for storing necessary small items or garden tools

Before starting construction, you need to purchase materials:

• beams (for the top and bottom trim, vertical supports, roof frame);
• edged boards (for lathing, subfloor);
• OSB sheets (for finished floors, ceilings);
• pipes (for sewerage and ventilation);
• plywood (for formwork);
• metal tiles (for the roof);
• bulk materials - gravel or crushed stone, sand;
• metal corners (for fastening beams).

The lumber must be dry (permissible humidity not higher than 22%). There should be no defects on the boards and beams: knots, cracks, signs of fungal attack.

Stage #1 - arrangement of the cesspool and foundation

To begin with, the area is marked for a foundation and a cesspool, after which excavation work begins. A pit with a perimeter of 1 x 1.5 m and a depth of 1.5 to 2 m is dug under the hole.The walls are reinforced with either concrete or brickwork, and the bottom is concreted.

When the hole is ready, you can begin building the foundation. Small holes (20 cm) with a depth of 0.8 m are made under it. A sand cushion (10 cm) is placed at the bottom of the holes and thoroughly compacted.

To strengthen the concrete, 3-5 reinforcement bars are installed. To keep them well, they can be connected with strong metal wire

Formwork and reinforcement are installed in the finished holes, concrete pillars are poured and left for 2-3 days for the material to harden. After this, you can remove the formwork. If it's hot outside, it makes sense to cover the concrete while it dries to prevent it from cracking due to rapid evaporation of moisture.

Stage #2 - construction of the structure

A drain pipe is installed under the shower so that moisture does not accumulate under the structure and destroy its lower part. After this, you can begin building the lower trim.

The beams are connected with wooden elements and secured to the concrete using metal pins. A metal frame is made from a channel over the pit.

To build walls, a frame of beams is installed in the corners, and two pillars are placed at a distance of 77 cm from each other in the place of the doorway. If everything is installed correctly, you can begin arranging the top trim. It is attached to self-tapping screws, metal corners and plates.

A ridge board is attached to the top trim. The rafters are made from boards with a pitch of 65 cm, after which the sheathing is installed. The boards should protrude 20 cm beyond the edges of the vertical structure. Later they will serve as a visor. Next, wind boards are attached and the roof is covered with metal tiles.

The position of all vertical elements is verified by level. There should be no deviations, becausethis threatens the rapid collapse of the finished structure

The floor is laid from boards at least 4 cm thick. They are attached with self-tapping screws to the bottom trim. Immediately make a “step” frame for the future elevation and cover it with boards 2 cm thick.

All that remains is to insulate the structure with polystyrene foam and fill the cracks with construction foam. The outer walls and ceiling are covered with boards.

Stage #3 - arrangement of shower and toilet

To install a drainage system, a ditch is dug and a sewer pipe is laid, which is connected to the drain. The floors in the shower are covered with crushed stone, reducing the thickness of its layer near the drain hole.

The crushed stone is poured with concrete so that after hardening the floor is formed with a uniform slope towards the drain on all sides. The surface is waterproofed with bitumen mastic.

A wooden floor is laid on top of the concrete floor with a distance between the boards of 1.5-2 cm. The walls are sheathed with boards and treated with waterproofing agents and antiseptics.

After this, all surfaces are covered with two layers of yacht varnish. External cladding wood is treated in the same way.

The surface of the concrete floor must be smooth so that water does not linger in the recesses and flows freely into the drain

A tank is placed on the roof of the structure, drain pipes are installed, and ventilation is installed in the toilet. All that remains is to install the doors, take care of the electricity connection for using the premises in the evening, mount the shower head and equip the toilet seat.

Photo instructions for home craftsmen

A building with a sewer system will require more money, time and effort, but such a utility unit will be much more convenient to operate:

Effluent from the shower-toilet complex is discharged through a sewer pipe into a storage tank, which will need to be pumped out regularly as it is 2/3 full

To construct a shower-toilet complex with a drainage pit from a shower box, you must first develop a shallow pit.

The sides of the pit are 4 m long, depth 0.3 - 0.5 m, then:

The frame of the building is ready, now we proceed to covering the walls and the internal arrangement of the block:

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

When choosing a project and building a toilet and shower under one roof, it is easy to make a mistake. Sometimes even experienced craftsmen experience difficulties, and it is even more difficult for beginners to understand the nuances.

We offer video materials that can resolve some questions and enrich you with new ideas.

The video shows one of the successful options for interior and exterior decoration of a toilet with a shower:

Step-by-step video instruction on the construction of a wooden structure covered with slate:

The video is devoted to the issue of arranging ventilation, which allows you to completely get rid of the smell in the toilet:

Current information on building a budget tire cesspool:

There are many options for arranging a toilet and shower in the country, and they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. Only the owner himself can correctly assess the conditions on his site and choose the right project. The main thing is to take into account all the nuances and calculate your strength.

By building a comfortable toilet with a shower, you will provide yourself and your loved ones with completely comfortable living conditions in the country throughout the entire summer season.

Have you selected a suitable project for building a comfortable country toilet, but do you still have unanswered questions that we did not touch upon in this article? Ask them in the comments block - our engineer will try to help you.

Or maybe you have already completed the construction of a toilet with a shower? Share a photo of your construction and tell us how successful the chosen scheme turned out to be for you.