STEP INTO THE SHED

Let’s talk compost toilets, simple solar and off-grid stuff

Hi, I’m Martin and welcome to my website. I’ve gathered a lot of practical and theoretical knowledge on designing, using and maintaining simple compost toilets and have been tinkering with small-scale solar PV for quite a few years. This website will help you if you want to embark on a simple solar electricity or compost toilet journey of your own!

What’s the best wood burning stove for cabins, sheds, tiny homes and small spaces?
Buildings / How-to

What’s the best wood burning stove for cabins, sheds, tiny homes and small spaces?

When you start thinking about using a small space (shed, summerhouse, cabin, tiny home, caravan etc) throughout the year, it becomes obvious that having some way of heating the space will extend and enhance its usability. Heating becomes a necessity if you are living there throughout the winter! As we’re mainly dealing with off-grid scenarios…

woodchip for use in a bio reactor to reduce nitrates
Compost Toilets / How-to

Reducing Nitrates from urine with a Woodchip Bioreactor

Allowing small amounts of urine to be discharged into the ground, through a soak-away pit, is the usual way of dealing with the urine output from urine-diverting compost toilets. In the UK, specifically England and Wales, the Environment Agency, permits discharges to ground of up to 10 litres per day (with certain provisos) as part…

The Night Soil Man
Compost Toilets

The Night Soil Man

Night Soil, is untreated, uncomposted human excrement (aka raw poo). It was commonly used as a fertiliser on farms in the United Kingdom until around 60 years ago. It’s still used in some Eastern countries today, but comes with health risks as raw human faeces can be a vector of human to human disease transmission….