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Construction of a summer shower in the country

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While construction or garden work is underway, the best option for maintaining personal hygiene is a summer cottage shower. It does not require a lot of materials and time, at the same time, using the instructions from, you can make it as convenient as possible.

Outdoor shower in the country

How to organize a drain

It makes no sense to place the shower cubicle and the drain pit separately. A slab or ceiling will serve as an excellent base for the superstructure, that is, you will not have to build a separate foundation for an outdoor shower. The exception is the pits in the shade of tall trees: whatever one may say, the summer shower must be located in the sun, which serves as the main source of water heating.

In the simplest version, laying out the pit walls and pouring the slab may not be required at all. If up to two people will use the shower every day, saving water, various ersatz can be used as a pit:

  • Dug-in barrel for 200 liters.
  • A stack of 5-6 tires.
  • A pair of concrete rings.

Shower drain from a metal barrel

Drain pit from tires

Strengthening the walls of the pit is necessary, because a small, but still, load from the superstructure will be applied to the adjacent soil. The soil, being constantly moistened, can slip, which will lead to both a decrease in the useful volume of the pit and to a distortion of the entire structure.

If a significant volume of a drainage pit is required, the simplest way to strengthen the walls is to make a brickwork from rubble bricks. The walls should be laid out with spaces equal to half the length of the masonry stone. Such a brick lattice has a fairly high bearing capacity, while the waste is actively absorbed by the soil..

Brick shower drain

If the depth of the pit is greater than the level of the upper waterproof layer, it is imperative to build a clay castle. Water should be absorbed exclusively by the top layer of soil, which has a high filtration capacity, while the ingress of runoff into the lower aquifers is strictly unacceptable.

It is not difficult to make sure that the volume of the pit will be sufficient. You should focus on the maximum capacity of the container with water: it should be at least 4 times less than the volume of the drain pit if heating is carried out exclusively by solar energy. If additional heating is to be used, the maximum daily use should be the guideline..

Summer shower base

A structure based on a wooden frame can serve as a support for the superstructure, but before assembly, all parts must be thoroughly impregnated with an antifungal agent, and the finished product should be covered with 2-3 layers of alkyd paint. Additionally, you can increase the durability if you perform double-sided waterproofing, carefully gluing all joints and applying material with a wide overlap. The process is quite painstaking, especially in the area of ​​the drain neck, but this will significantly increase the life of the shower. It is only important not to tightly insulate the ends: it is better if the interior of the frame is blown through them with street air. The frame ceiling can be installed in two ways: on two massive beams that extend onto solid ground about 60–80 cm, or on brick pillars installed at least 50 cm to the pit walls.

Superstructure construction

An arbitrary superstructure can be built on the pit ceiling, it all depends on the budget and personal preferences in terms of aesthetics and practicality. Below we will look at the three main options for the carrier base..

Ready outdoor shower

The simplest shower cubicle can be purchased in various hypermarkets; it is a frame made of a rectangular metal profile. The advantage is that assembly requires only a couple of wrenches and a screwdriver, the disadvantage is the small thickness of the metal, which is why corrosion eats up such a frame in a couple of seasons..

Summer shower metal frame

A welded structure made of a shaped pipe is the most optimal option in terms of the ratio of labor costs to the durability and capital of the structure. The width of the pipe profile can vary from 25 to 50 mm, depending on the size of the cabin and the weight of the container with water, while the structure can be welded with separate frames and then assembled on bolted joints, thereby facilitating the delivery of a set of parts to the installation site.

Summer shower frame made of timber

The supporting frame can also be assembled from sawn timber. Of course, it is better to give preference to dense rocks that are resistant to high humidity, but subject to appropriate processing, an ordinary wooden beam is also suitable. The advantage of this material is that a minimum of tools are required for assembly, and it can be delivered even by a passenger car, however, in terms of durability, wood is inferior to metal structures..

Cab trim options

If the supporting frame determines the most fundamental parameters of the shower cabin, then decorative qualities, the degree of protection of the base, ease of cleaning and other indicators of practicality depend on the material of the fence..

Outdoor heated shower with foil

Outdoor shower made of twigs and film

Of the simplest ways to sheathe a cabin, you can offer various films and roll materials. The good thing about the soft skin is that it is inexpensive and easy to replace, but at the same time it ages quickly in the open and does not look very presentable in general. It is important to remember that such cladding must necessarily be performed from the inside, ensuring that the supporting structure is protected from constant moisture. Fastening soft materials are best done with overhead rails.

Outdoor shower made of profiled sheet

Rigid sheathing in the form of siding, profiled sheet and even painted wood-plastic panels can also be relevant. As with soft casing, the main water barrier should be located on the inside of the cab. To fix the rigid sheathing, additional posts should be added to the frame structure so that the distance between the vertical elements does not exceed the value recommended for a material with a certain stiffness.

Sparse Summer Shower Sheathing

The sparse cladding deserves special attention. It is made of boards or lamellas of the same width, which are screwed to the frame at intervals. Such cladding is performed on both sides, while the boards or lamellas are shifted by half their width so that they overlap the gaps and provide visual isolation. Such cladding has two big advantages: it is well blown with air, due to which moisture does not accumulate inside, and also has good decorative qualities.

How to choose a container for water

Briefly, it should be told about which water storage device is best suited for a summer shower. It is better to start with which containers are definitely not suitable: these are all kinds of secondary containers from fuels and lubricants or chemicals. Even if they are thoroughly washed, the remnants of the contents can be stored in a layer of rust or pores, and contact of water with hot and defatted skin can have very bad consequences..

Outdoor shower with barrel

As a reservoir for a summer shower, you can use new or used tanks for technical water, as well as universal stainless steel tanks. Metal has many advantages over plastic: it is not afraid of ultraviolet radiation and has a high intrinsic heat capacity, which helps to keep the water temperature for an additional 1-2 hours. However, the metal container is heavier and under it the supporting frame must be reinforced accordingly..

Special containers for a summer shower

The best option would be to buy specialized shower containers. They have a flat rectangular shape, which increases the absorption area of ​​solar energy. At the same time, the containers are made of black polyethylene with a high albedo index. The third plus – with the correct calculation, the dimensions of the tank and the cabin will coincide, which will eliminate the need for the construction of a roof.

Design features and construction rules

With double-sided cladding, stagnant zones may form inside the frame structure, where moisture will accumulate, therefore the number of horizontal elements in the frame should be minimized. If their presence is necessary, perforation should be performed so that natural air circulation is maintained in the cavities of the structure..

Even when using materials of small cross-section, it is possible to give the frame a sufficiently high rigidity using diagonal ties. All joints of vertical uprights with crossbars should be equipped with gussets, while the length of the leg of the diagonal connection should be chosen about 40-50 cm.

Outdoor shower made of wood

Sheathing does not have to be carried out from floor to ceiling, the main thing is to visually isolate the area above 30-40 cm above the podium to a height of 150-160 cm. The presence of gaps will allow all structural elements to dry quickly, which will minimize problems with the formation of mold and mildew.

Outdoor heated bamboo shower

Modern G-shaped outdoor shower

It is not necessary to adhere to the standard cab configuration with four walls and a door. For an outdoor shower, it makes sense to make a G-shaped fence (in plan), easily forming both a shower area and a dressing room. It also makes sense to completely abandon the cladding in favor of curtains on all four sides, using a light metal frame in the shape of a parallelepiped as the base. However, it must be remembered that the more “designer” appearance an outdoor shower has, the lower the likelihood that the cabin frame will be used as a basis for a water storage. A way out of the situation may be the hotel placement of the latter, for example, on a nearby mast, or the use of a flow heater to heat water.

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Comments: 2
  1. Serenity

    How do I construct a summer shower in the country? Could you provide some guidance and tips on the materials needed, the process of construction, and any considerations I should keep in mind? Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Penelope Kelly

    Can you provide some tips or step-by-step instructions on how to construct a summer shower in a countryside setting? I’m curious to know the materials required, the necessary plumbing, and any other considerations that need to be taken into account. Additionally, if you have any suggestions for designing a simple yet efficient shower setup, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

    Reply
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