Site banner image

Welcome to the CozyNet Blog!

General update v11 (the outhouse)

I’ve been working on my Outhouse project for the past two weeks. I only get the weekends to work on it though, so that’s why it’s taking awhile. I’m still not 100% complete with the foundation work, but have put it on temporary hold until I finish the outhouse before it gets too cold here. There’s nothing fun about poopin in the mud and cold rain here bros, so it’s getting done ASAP!

Here’s a picture of the framing, which I assembled way back this late Spring back at my parents. I stopped working on it back then because it got too hot and was going to be way too heavy to pick up and transport in the trailer.

Here’s the framing, now assembled at my place in the backyard. I’m building it in place because this thing is heavy! I’ll be setting up some wheels on it so I can transport it around the yard in the future.

And here are a few pics of the roof and walls partially completed. I ran out of nails for the siding and need a few more planks for the roof.

I hope it doesn't blow away in the wind while I'm away for the week...

I rabbeted the roof planks on my router, which took a 1/2” bit. I did it this way instead of using one large piece of plywood because it would (1) look nice from beneath the eave overhang and (2) doesn’t warp and bend and expose gaps like plywood typically does. The wall siding came pre-cut from the lumber yard, which is a tongue and groove V-groove plank. This is the style of siding that’s used on my house, which I’ll be restoring it to soon. I want the outhouse to match my house in style.

The outhouse is about 8.5 foot tall from the front, and 7 foot tall in the back, and 4x4 wide. It has plenty of room inside to stand up and move around in. It’ll also have some ventilation to keep any smells out that are screened off to keep out bugs too. I have other ideas in mind for it too, such as a sealing lid, a light / heat lamp, and solar powered vent fans.

I’m also preparing for winter and accumulating gas heaters. I have a tiny heater fitted for propane that’s intended for bathrooms. I forgot to take a picture of it, so I’ll just use one I found online.

The next heater I got is a kerosene Perfection No.660. I think it’s from the 1930’s. It has an oil wick, which I need to replace since it’s disintegrating. It was $80, in good shape, and my favorite part about it is how mobile it is. You can easily pick it up and move it to any room!

Then this other heater I found in the attic of the house. It’s a bit banged up on the top, but seems to be in good shape. It’s actually from the time period of heaters that I’m looking for, which is the 1940’s so I’m pretty happy to have found it here.. I need just one more like it and I should be set for heating the house in the winter. I have a few antique dealers I know keeping an eye out for one; I’m looking specifically for one with a flip open bronze front grate.

The living room is sort of a mess right now. It's a temporary storage as I move my crap in.

I also bought this bowl and pitcher at the same antique store I got the Perfection heater from. I’ve been needing something that’s sturdy and large enough to wash my hands and dishes in. I had a large plastic bowl that I was using, but it finally busted apart so I decided to get something that should last. Now I just need a wash stand with a towel rack and mirror and it’ll make life a lot easier.

I imagine some of you might be thinking, “CozyNet, why are you doing all of this? Why not just use a bathroom like a normal person, or central air with heating like everyone else? This junk is all old and your shits all retarded!” And I have a few answers to that.

  1. I don’t have a sewage tank at the house, the old one caved in. It’s gonna cost like $15K to get a new one installed unless I do it myself. I plan to do it myself, which is going to be awhile because I’ll have to dig a deep hole and there are boulders everywhere out here. It’s going to be a huge ordeal that I can’t focus on just yet. Repairing and restoring the house takes precedent, and I need to at least fix the bad wall of the house before winter.
  2. I don’t have running water to the house. I have a well with good water (I still need to get a filter and softener for it though.) It wouldn’t take too terribly much effort to run a new line to the house and setup a sink, but it just hasn’t been that high on the list of priorities for me since I bring my water in large jugs.
  3. Propane appliances are more reliable than electrical when living in the hills, and more affordable for home heating. In my opinion, propane isn’t nearly as efficient for cooking compared to an electric range though. As for water heating, I don’t really know; I suspect electrical would be better there as well, but I would prefer that things still work when the power stops ya know? So I’m all in on propane and propane accessories. Oh, and now recently kerosene too!
  4. It’s sort of by accident and circumstance. I like antique stores and malls, but most of the time I just ignore the furniture, until lately. I’ll see things like the pitcher and wash bowl or the wash stand and think “ah, that would be perfect!” or other odd items considered outmoded today that would work just fine in my situation. It’s funny how these items and old ways of doing things suddenly become very relevant again when you don’t have the modern amenities. It’s a whole lot better than nothing, and comparatively a lot more affordable too!

So now I keep an eye out for things like this because they’re surprisingly nice to have and typically durable or easy enough to repair. I could just buy all new gas heaters and stoves, but the newer stuff is expensive, poorly made, and unsightly eye sores within the setting of a soon-to-be beautifully restored old house. I can see where having a whole family might become an issue when living like this, but since it’s just little ol’ me, it’s really not a problem!

I have almost all the things in place that I’ll be needing to finally move out to the house once and for all.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Date: 2023-10-16


Back to top!

Comments:

  • BASED SHITSHED BRO!!!!!11!!!111!11!1
    Nov 9, 2023 Permalink Reply
    • FIX YOUR CAPTCHA.
t. mobile user posting on desktop <3
      Oct 19, 2023 Permalink Reply
      • But I like muh captcha. It's just a bitch when it has a number "0" and a letter "O." I might be able to change the font tho.
        Oct 19, 2023 Permalink Reply
      • Pt2: But in a bugout situation without a steady source of petroleum-based fuels, or if it isn't a good idea to wait around fermenting stuff for alcohol, a hydrogen-oxygen stove seems simple enough in theory and only needs a couple of household items.
        Oct 19, 2023 Permalink Reply
        • Pt3: Just a container, some tubing, a safe method of ignition, some salty water, and an electrode that can be linked to a some cheap electricity storage device powered by some dynamos attached to windmills, watermills, or even a stationary bike.
          Oct 19, 2023 Permalink Reply
        • Pt1: I've had a question I wanted to ask you for a little while, cozy. What is your opinion of the applications of oxygen-hydrogen torch or heating systems? Granted, they are pretty prone to malfunction because of its incredibly fast flame propagation -
          Oct 19, 2023 Permalink Reply
          • I've never heard of it before. If I were to do some home made solution, it would prob be a compost pile and methane gas collector setup.
            Oct 19, 2023 Permalink Reply
          Back to top!