Windows and Siding for an Outhouse

I built an outhouse for the shack last year. I expected it to survive the elements better than it did. It really suffered with all the rain we got this spring and summer. I used mostly scrap wood and little of it was treated. When finishing the inside of the shack, I built a bathroom for a composting toilet so, hopefully, the outhouse won't be a necessity in the near future.

This week I decided to add some windows, siding and shingles this year to ensure that it lasts a few more years. I found a good amount of pine siding and some cheap windows to put into the building. I spent less than 50 dollars for everything at Habitat Restore. They had more siding, which I should have purchased.

I started by pulling off some of the existing plywood to frame holes for the windows. I had originally screwed everything in place, so it was easy to remove the existing exterior. I framed out the windows and used some construction screws to hold everything together.

Once the window was framed out, I put a temporary screw in to hold the plywood piece in place to mark the cut.

Once marked, it was easy to cut with a circle and jig saw. As you can see, the interior door I put in the exterior did not fare well with the moisture.

I repeated the process on the other side. I used some scrap plywood to finish up closing in the building. It ended up fine and the windows fit properly.

After framing out the windows, I wrapped the entire building in house wrap to better waterproof it. I used a stapler to attach it to the plywood and cut it with a utility knife. This was more annoying than expected but had a lot of extra so I could swear and cut all I wanted. It didn't end totally flat.

I cut out the windows and the exhaust vent hole with the utility knife and installed the windows. There was a bit of an edge at the top of the window frame, and I used some extra trim at the bottom of the window to hold it in place. I also laid down a bead of caulk around the window to seal everything up. Hopefully, no one leans on the window too hard because it will push right out.

I was pretty happy with the end result. The windows were set forward a little so you can't actually see anyone using the facilities.

Once the windows were in place, I cut and attached the siding. I just used a circle saw to cut everything and a framing nailer to attach the boards. I ended up running out of the cheap boards I found and used some cedar I had laying around to side the back. I'm still a side short on siding but was happy with the end result. I used some spare 2x4s to mount the exhaust pipe and mounted a solar light within the building for some light.

After running out of siding, I did put some shingles on the roof. It took less than a bundle.

Next step: Finding some more siding, installing it and mounting a new, exterior door.