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tcmatt
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# Posted: 20 Oct 2014 21:38
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So, I went up the cabin this past weekend to enjoy some time with my daughter, do some work, and get a few things ready for deer season. My 7 year old daughter was using the outhouse when she yelled out to me, "Hey Dad, what's this green fuzzy stuff on the walls in here." Sure enough, I've got mold growing on the inside walls of my outhouse. I was there about a month ago and didn't notice any. I'd say it's about 10-15% covered. The outhouse is three years old. Walls are made from 2x4 framing and T111. Floor is 3/4" treated plywood. Stainless steel privy cone/riser and a 3.5" vent pipe from the pit through the roof. The area inside the outhouse is well vented, too. The property is relatively high and dry - its the back of a wooded dune near Lake Michigan. Very sandy soils. Bottom of pit is 6' deep and dry when I dug it out spring of 2012. We've had record snowfall this past winter and record rainfalls since August, so the water table is higher and the bottom of the pit looks damp, but no standing water. I'm not that concerned. I plan to just wipe down the walls with a solution of bleach and water with an old rag this coming weekend. But I'm wondering if anyone else has ever had this experience, as well? And/or have a better suggestion than bleach water.
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 20 Oct 2014 23:26
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tcmatt-i think the bleach water sounds like a good idea.
good luck.
u have a smart little gal there.
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2014 08:56
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bleach and water is the easy solution, but sounds like you need some better ventilation (even if you say its well vented) in there to stop it from happening again. It must be staying damp or you wouldn't get mold.
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PA_Bound
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# Posted: 21 Oct 2014 18:21
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Increase the ventilation. Likely moisture entering the house and not able to escape. Remove the mold that's in there, then prevent it from returning by lowering the humidity and allowing it to "breathe" via increasd ventilation.
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deercula
Member
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 04:56
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Let some sunlight in. Cut out between the studs up high and screw on a piece of plexiglass.
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 16 Apr 2015 08:40 - Edited by: bldginsp
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Forest Service 'vault' toilets have 8-12 inch diameter pipes extending from the 'basement' thru the roof to ventilate the sewage itself. They also have a lot of venting in the cabin area above. Since it is venting by natural convection and not any kind of mechanical means, it needs the largest venting area it can get. Does the cabin area of the outhouse have venting both high and low? That would promote cross-ventilation which may clear more moisture.
But given how much snow and rain you have had, I wonder if the general ambient humidity is so high that you can't reduce the moisture inside until the air outside dries out in summer to a certain extent.
At least your daughter didn't say "Ew gross!" Sounds like she's a trooper.
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