Friday, December 6, 2013

Our basement outhouse

We have a weird toilet room in our basement.  I know it's not uncommon, but it still always freaked me out and I never went in there, even though the toilet is pretty new and it works fine.  A couple weeks ago I decided to fix it up on a random week night.  
The 'room' is really just some wood planking that is to the floor on the left side, and raised up off the ground the other two walls.  Plus, some yahoo had cut a big hole in the wall that actually went to the floor.   At butt-level.
My goal was simple.  To make this outhouse more like an actual bathroom, and use only materials we already had in the house.  I decided the easiest way to fill in the heiny hole was to use some super thin tongue and groove planks we had laying around from an abandoned project.  I measured, got my materials together (which included wine, and my miter saw) and got to cutting.  
I'm not sure you should drink and use big saws, but I did it and all my digits survived.  Of course nothing happened, check out my concentration.  
The planks needed something to attach to on the bottom, I really didn't have the tools or resources (or patience, time, desire, the list goes on) to attach this 2x4 to the concrete, so it is just resting there with the planks to anchor it down.  
And here are the first few up.  Not bad!
To nail them into the 2x4, I had a very scientific method.  Shaun pushed on it from the other side while I nailed the planks.  When I got to the last one, I used almost the full length of the plank to fill in the entire open area.  
What you see here is a space that wasn't filled with a plank in between the original board and the new plank.  I don't have a table saw to rip these, so I just nailed another full one up to the other side, which is just a paint room and workshop, anyway.  It fills up the hole, you know?  The final step that night was to add a piece of trim to the meeting of 'old and new' and use leftover Behr Aqua Smoke (our master bedroom color) to paint everything.  
Then I hung a mirror I didn't have a place for.  Yay!
And I also hung a little framed photo I already had (seen behind me) and replaced this little gem: 
Oh yeah, previously, you had to turn the light 'on and off' by screwing the lightbulb in and out.  I don't pretend to know the wiring in this house.  I solved the issue by replacing the classic ceramic bare bulb fixture (which is sad, because it is cool) with a globe fixture that has a pull chain on it.  It works!  I'm an electrician!
I painted the inside of the door bright white to mirror the white cinderblock and break up all the aqua.  
And here is the final product!
That little piece holding the TP is on loan from my mom, my aunt made it and I think it's so cute! 
And on the outside, I hung up this little sign I found for $5 on Amazon.  I find it funny because it really is just a toilet inside. 
The outside doesn't look very inviting.....
But the inside isn't so bad!  I cleaned the heck out of that toilet, so I would be happy to take a ladylike pee in here now.  
I don't think I will spend the time to paint all the horrible yellow ductwork and outside of this outhouse, but as long as the inside isn't scary, I'm happy.  I did spend $9 on the light, $4 on the TP holder, $10 (with shipping) on the toilette sign, so I guess I failed at doing this fix up with only materials I had at home.  Oh well, it was worth it! 

11 comments:

  1. Looks great - and so good to see you!

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  2. That looks awesome! Nothing like a fast nighttime project that's done really quickly :)

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  3. Happy to see your pretty face back in my reader. And glad you got some wine. That's a good night in my book.

    This looks great! I've never understood the concept of a toilet in te basement. Ours had one too. And it was unfinished and out in the open. It may have been one of the most disgusting toilets and showers I've witnessed. Ew. Yours is worlds better!

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  4. Well done ... at least you now have a bathroom in the basement that you are not scared to use. .... and sometimes, you just have to go when you are down there ... hahahaha

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  5. So much better!
    We have a random toilet in this rental's basement. It only has 1/2 a shower curtain around it. I've had to use it before. Eek!

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  6. So happy to your new blog post! Missing all your blog updates :) The bathroom out house looks so much cuter and happier now!!

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  7. I have the same toilet outhouse situation in my basement!! The wood planks go to the floor, but they don't extend all the way to the ceiling. The only one using it is a resident cricket spider that lives in there for now. You've inspired me for a potential future project though...

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  8. Ha! Four houses ago had the same situation, but it also had a window that had only a shutter-type pane, sort of like old screen doors that you would crank open/shut the blades. It was a very chilly potty. Yours looks much nicer :-)

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  9. Looking good, girl! We had a toilet in our unfinished basement, too! David always used that one--haha!

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  10. I'd pee there! It's the cutest outhouse I ever did see! It warms my heart to see your blog posts again. It warms my heart even more to see you drinking wine whilst home improving.

    xoxo

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Thanks so much for reading....your comments mean a lot to me!
Sara