In this article we will look at how to make a summer shower with our own hands, what materials can be used for this purpose. Such a building will come in handy in the country, especially if there is no bathroom as such. But you need to swim somewhere. Particular attention in the manufacture should be paid to the quality and type of materials that you plan to use. Remember that an outdoor shower is not only designed to ensure the proper level of hygiene. It is also an element of the suburban area, which directly affects the overall design (if there is one, of course).
The simplest outdoor shower
This design is extremely simple - it has only a tank and a tap. The tank must be installed at a height of about 2 meters. The container is mounted on a tree or on the roof of the house, any hose is laid from it. This simple option is perfect for when you need a shower for 1-2 times, but no more.
Frequent bathing will turn your yard into a swamp - waterwill not leave, will begin to spread on the ground. Therefore, if you are interested in a design that will serve faithfully for more than one year, it is better to refuse this one.
Simple designs
You can make a simple open-type summer shower with a remote tank. This is done in cases where it is not possible to install the container directly on the frame - its mass is too large and it cannot withstand it. But most often you can find the so-called shower houses. These are frame cabins, on top of which a container filled with water is placed. The cost of the materials used to make it is quite high.
The easiest option is to put a film on the frame (of course, opaque so that the neighbors cannot peep). So you can save on material, and quite a lot. For the manufacture of such a shower, it is necessary to prepare a frame (it can be both collapsible and solid). A tarpaulin or thick PVC film is used as a screen. Again, such a construction is not long-term. Its service life is relatively short - it is limited by the resource of the film itself. It needs to be changed once a season, and sometimes more often.
Tree
The wooden structure can already be called stationary (capital). The best material is a planed board or lining. It is also allowed to use moisture-resistant wood-based OSB type boards for sheathing the frame. Plywood is hygroscopic (it absorbs moisture), so it is undesirable to use it. True, with proper processingcan. Wood is a natural material that has a high resource. Wood is convenient and easy to work with, so you can make a unique shower out of it, unlike the others. But wood must be constantly monitored and processed to prevent the formation of fungi and mold.
Profiling
Another good material is sheets of metal called corrugated board. For a shower cabin, it is recommended to use painted sheets with a thickness of more than 0.45 mm. Such designs are resistant to moisture, but the material has a high cost. In addition, it is deformed under mechanical stress. It is also necessary to take into account that the metal heats up under the sun, so it will be stuffy and hot in the booth.
For this reason, special attention must be paid to ventilation. The resource of the painted sheet is 10-25 years. It is worth choosing matte coatings, they have a longer service life.
Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is a material that creates the effect of a greenhouse. Therefore, it is often used in the manufacture of showers and greenhouses. To make an outdoor shower, it is best to use opaque materials up to 16 mm thick. Depending on the quality of polycarbonate, it can serve you faithfully for up to 10 years.
Brick buildings
As for buildings made of brick or stone, they are no longer temporary. As a rule, they are supplied with electricity and running water. Also, a high-quality drain system is mounted in it, so the service life of suchsoul is high enough. We can say that this is a full-fledged bathroom in a summer cottage. But now let's take a closer look at how to properly build a summer shower in the country.
How to choose the right place
In order for the use to be not only convenient, but also long, the shower must be placed on the site correctly. To do this, follow these recommendations:
- There should be a minimum distance from the house to the shower. The closer the shower is to home, the faster you will move into a warm room on a cool evening, therefore, there is less risk of catching a cold. But you need to take into account the fact that the drain has a bad effect on the foundation of adjacent buildings. It is also not recommended to install a shower cabin next to wells - this will significantly worsen the quality of water in them.
- Properly organize the water supply. As a rule, a tank is installed on a summer shower. But after all, the water in it ends and a new supply is required. You can pour water into the container both with a hose and manually - put a stepladder and fill it with a bucket.
- Draining used water - if you put the booth on a hill, you can ensure the most efficient drainage.
- Pay attention to appearance - consider the design of the booth so that it fits perfectly into your summer cottage.
- Be sure to install the shower in the area where the sun shines the longest. Water is heated by sunlight, so lighting is extremely important.
- The presence of drafts is an extremely important parameter, because it affects the use of the shower. If on siteconstant drafts, then instead of the pleasure of taking a shower, you will get a cold or inflammation.
Choice of material for making the frame
If you plan to make a wooden frame, it is recommended to take only dry and durable material, preferably softwood. The dimensions of the bars that are used during work directly depend on the thickness of the finishing material, its weight, and also on the mass of the tank filled with water. It is recommended to use bars with a size of 50 x 50 mm or more. Be sure to take care to extend the life of the wood - treat it with a primer, antiseptics, and various insecticides.
In the manufacture of a metal frame, you should follow these recommendations:
- Vertical racks are best made from pipes with a diameter of about 40 mm (or more). Wall thickness not less than 2 mm.
- Intermediate connections are made from pipes with a diameter of at least 25 mm and a wall thickness of more than 1.2 mm.
To strengthen the structure, you can use not pipes, but corners 40 x 60, the thickness of the metal should be more than 2 mm. Of course, all metal parts must be treated with anti-corrosion compounds. Such summer showers for giving with your own hands can be made both using a welding machine and using self-tapping screws.
When making a frame from an aluminum profile, you will get a clear advantage - get rid of the effects of corrosion. Indeed, the cost of suchmaterial is much higher than that of metal or wood. The most durable and expensive are frames made of brick or stone. As a rule, such frameworks are used extremely rarely. Please note that plastic pipes cannot be used in the manufacture of the frame. Firstly, the design has a very high windage. Secondly, her stability is extremely low.
What to choose for finishing?
The materials for finishing the frame have already been mentioned above. What to choose is, of course, up to you. In this case, you need to look at the cost of materials and your financial capabilities. If your choice fell on a greenhouse film, then it can last a maximum of two seasons. But wood treated with antiseptics, coated with a primer and various solutions, can last 10 years, or even longer. The article contains photos of a summer shower. With their own hands in the country, anyone can realize such designs - there would only be an opportunity.
As for polycarbonate, it must have a protective layer on it, which will protect you from exposure to ultraviolet radiation. If you plan to install corrugated board, then purchase it from a trusted seller. Otherwise, the material will rust in 1-2 seasons.
Requirements for a tank: what should it be?
But building a summer shower with your own hands without a tank is unlikely to succeed. When choosing a container, you need to pay attention to such points:
- Number of people who will use the shower.
- Material from whichtank is made. It can be steel, aluminum or plastic. Of course, the rate of water heating also depends on the type of material.
- Capacity mass - this parameter affects what material the frame should be made of. Before you make a summer shower with your own hands, you need to determine how much the container will have. Based on this, you draw a conclusion about which frame should be erected.
- Total volume of capacity - you can buy different tanks, the capacity varies over a wide range. Maximum volume 220 liters.
- Is it possible to arrange water heating in the tank.
- If there is running water, it is recommended to facilitate the filling of the tank - connect a hose to it that goes to the filler neck.
- Can the tank be transported? Of course, you can purchase a large tank, but consider in advance whether it can be transported, lifted and mounted on a frame.
- Color - how the water will warm up depends on it. As a rule, tanks are blue or black - they absorb the sun's rays, so that the liquid warms up as quickly as possible.
- Be sure to pay attention to the shape of the container. Experts recommend installing flat tanks, as they heat up evenly and faster. But you need to remember that the maximum volume of cylindrical tanks can be 1 cubic meter. m (1000 liters), and flat - only 140 liters. If you wish, you can make a tank yourself, for this you use any clean container that has a filler neck.
- Whenoperation, elements such as fittings, hoses, a watering can, and a faucet are also needed. Of course, there will be no strong pressure, but it doesn't matter.
- The tank must have a drain function (for the period when the shower is not used for a long time). You can use any suitable, even plastic.
Choosing a scheme for manufacturing
Before you make a summer shower in the country with your own hands, you need to draw a sketch. Moreover, at the very first stage, it is important to determine the materials for the manufacture of the frame and skin. Materials such as polycarbonate and corrugated board have a high degree of windage, so it is important to install additional jumpers to make the structure more rigid.
The volume of the tank must be taken into account, because the frame must withstand it. Before starting work, consider what size door you need, as well as where to install it.
Design
And now let's talk in more detail about the size of the summer shower. With your own hands, if you decide to build, rely on the following data:
- Length from 80 to 120 cm.
- Width from 100 to 120 cm.
- Height at least 200 cm (2 meters).
When designing, keep in mind that the width of the structure also includes a gap of no more than 10 mm and a door. In the event that the shower is at the same time a changing room, then it is better to make it at least 100 x 120 cm in size.
When calculating the height of a building, the height of the tallest user must be taken into account. Usually a showerit is made in a square shape, but if you use polycarbonate, you can move away from the standards and do something different. Everything depends on your abilities and imagination. You can literally make a summer shower in the country from improvised materials with your own hands in a matter of hours.
Water drain
Drain from the shower can be carried out into the sewer - plastic pipes are used for this. But you can make a drainage pit directly under the structure. To do this, you need to dig a hole and fill it with rubble or stone with sand. The water entering the drainage will gradually be absorbed into the soil, and will not spread over the site. If you use the shower often, it is best to drain into the sewer. Such a summer shower in the country, made with your own hands, can last long enough.
