There are a number of chemical septic tanks for sale, all of which dispose of waste matter by the action of bacteria and chemicals. They are not difficult to install. Further information may be obtained from the previously-mentioned Government bulletin.
Even though your cabin has running water and a regular flush toilet, the danger of waste disposal is not entirely eliminated. Garbage and refuse of all kinds are harbors for germs and flies can quickly spread disease germs gathered from such sources. The location of the water supply in relation to sewage disposal is of greatest importance, and it is not enough that the water source be above the distribution field of the sewer. It is a good idea to consult the nearest forest ranger, or some other person who is well acquainted with the locality, before making any such installations.
For sink drainage and kitchen waste a line of small sewer pipes, laid as shown in the accompanying diagram, is fairly adequate. Garbage and other refuse that cannot be drained away should be buried in a good-sized pit. This hole should be as nearly fly-proof as possible, and each fresh lot of refuse should be well covered with dirt or sand or sprinkled with a chloride of lime solution.
[Illustration: Proper relation of water supply and sewage disposal. But remember that underground water table may not slope the same as the surface. Ask your Forest Ranger.]
Foundations are the backbone of your cabin. From the structural standpoint they are probably the most important part of the building. So, just because they are going to be hidden, don’t skimp or hurry through with them because you want to get started quickly on the cabin itself. If the basic framework is out of line, the whole house will sag and tilt at odd angles. As one cabin expert says, “Wear out your spirit level and try-square—don’t save them for another job.”
One of the simplest foundations for the amateur builder is made by resting the sills on supports made of two large somewhat flat boulders. If your cabin site is on solid rock, then all that is necessary is to bed the bottom boulder securely on the rock. But if the terrain is ordinary earth, you should dig down past the “forest floor” of black humus until you reach rock, sand, gravel or other solid ground below the frost line. Then you pour concrete piers to the grade level and seat your boulders thereon, as shown in Fig. 3. _Do not_ use any mortar between the two boulders. Dampness will creep up past the first boulder, but if it is not bonded to the top boulder with mortar, the dampness will stop there and not reach the post supports or sill timbers of your cabin. Of course the concrete piers themselves, if built above grade, are perfectly good supports for the sills. But the boulders have more of a cabin “look.”