In Belarus, with the onset of summer, many owners want to equip their dacha with a shower. It will make living, working or staying at the dacha comfortable, because in hot weather or after dusty work, you can always take a shower and freshen up. This choice is made by the owners of country houses, private houses, garden plots, agricultural estates, and agricultural enterprises, even if they have a full-fledged shower indoors. Current construction technologies are simplified due to the abundance of universal and practical products. Therefore, if you have an idea for a project with a homemade summer shower, you can quickly implement it by having a simple Eurocube or barrel made of plastic or metal on hand. They will act as a tank for filling with water; the shower walls can be made of polycarbonate or wood.
Heated outdoor shower for a summer cottage: features
Showers in the country can be mobile or stationary. They are united by one design feature - heated water comes from a container located above the bather's head. Mobile models are easy to install and operate. In them, water is heated naturally - by solar heat. The trigger mechanism supplies water.
Such a garden shower can be placed anywhere in a summer cottage. It is not connected to the water and electricity supply system.
Typically, a water tank is attached slightly above the average height of a person to any structure. Taking a shower is as simple as opening the valve. Often tanks are made black so the water heats up faster.
A heated summer shower is arranged in a completely different way - in the country. It has forced water heating. This makes it possible to use the device in any weather when it is not possible to heat water in the sun. The shower is connected to the power supply, and the water heating module is placed inside a container filled with water.
Water is supplied through a hose using a pump. Some models are equipped with a convenient watering can with a pressure lock and a temperature regulator.
If there is an adapter, such a shower can operate from a car cigarette lighter.
How to make a base: choose a pallet or do without it
Both options have their pros and cons. If you choose a ready-made pallet, this will greatly facilitate construction work, since in this case you will not need to level the base. But a shower area without a tray has a more stylish and organic look, fitting perfectly into the interior of the bathroom.
There is just one thing: if a shower without a tray is not installed correctly or the level of the floor inclination is insufficient, then water will constantly accumulate on the floor. This can lead to mold and flooding of neighbors below. Therefore, a properly created drain and slope, as well as high-quality waterproofing, play the most important role when installing a shower cabin without a tray. The disadvantages of this design can only arise if the repair work is carried out by an inexperienced craftsman.
Preparatory stage
It’s easy to build a heated shower in the country. But first it is important to order a project that includes drawings and estimates. This will make it possible to calculate the amount of material, the volume of work to be done and the deadline for its completion. For such a structure there is no need to use too expensive materials. It is important that they are practical and durable. Construction of this type will require a poured foundation.
Tanks made of polymer fabric
The tanks are made of polymer fabric and look like a huge inflatable pillow.
The advantages of this option are that:
- The material does not oxidize.
- Does not become brittle over time and does not get wet.
- There is almost no air inside, so there will be no unpleasant smell in it either.
- Also, tanks made of polymer fabric are easy to install; you can attach them to the side loops using regular cords.
The disadvantages of tanks made of polymer fabric are that:
- They are used only if your water-carrying system has the required degree of pressure. It is important to check this point in advance, since this type of tank cannot be filled manually.
- Also, tanks made of polymer fabric are easily damaged mechanically.
- They have a high price.
- Despite the ease of installation, you will have to purchase a special frame for installation, and this is an additional expense.
Materials
Typically, the design of the structure takes into account the material required for installation work. A heated winter shower for a summer cottage is often built of brick. But it will cost a lot. Cheaper wooden models.
The shower plan sometimes includes a dressing room, the dimensions of which are determined by each project separately.
The sheathing of the frame is made of wooden beams, metal pipes or profiles. For the upper part of the building, a deck is used, on which a water barrel is mounted. Sheet plastic is distinguished by its moisture resistance. A durable material with a high anti-corrosion index is corrugated sheeting. It is structurally simple and quickly installed.
Installation technology
Installing and securing the container on the roof
The tank installation process itself is usually not difficult:
Flat tank on a flat roof
- If we use a flat factory tank, then it is enough to lay it on a pre-erected ceiling, aligning the lower pipe with the hole in the roof. We connect the side eyes (if any) with pieces of steel wire to anchor rings mounted on the roof or in the upper part of the walls.
Note! The strength of the floor beams must be sufficient to support the weight of the filled tank without bending. You can check this by checking the horizontality of the roof with a long level before installing the container and after filling it. If deformation is detected, you will have to remove the tank and strengthen the structure.
Fixation with steel strip
- A plastic canister or Eurocube can be secured with strips of thin metal. To do this, we bend the workpiece along the profile of the container, and then attach it to the roof with nails or self-tapping screws.
- Before installing the shower barrel on the roof (meaning vertical installation), you should take care of the supports for it in advance. For this purpose, adjacent frame posts are usually used, around which a small plank fence is made. Having installed the barrel in this fence, we secure it with boards so that it does not move.
Large barrels require a separate frame
- On a flat roof you can fix a barrel or a tall Eurocube with braces. To do this, we use nylon slings, strong ropes or cables, which we attach to the corner posts of the frame or anchors.
- If the barrel lies horizontally, then it is important for us that it does not roll away. The easiest way to limit lateral movement is to place a couple of bricks or cinder blocks under the container.
Bricks keep the barrel from rolling
Arrangement of the topping system
When fixing the container on the shower roof, we must also think about how we will fill it.
There are two options here:
- If the source of water at the dacha is a well without a pump, then you will have to carry water in buckets. Accordingly, we attach a fairly wide and strong ladder to the back of the shower, and choose a tank with a neck so that water can be poured into it from a bucket quickly and without loss.
The hose located on the side is used to fill the container
- If there is a water supply on the site, then we install a hose in the neck of the tank, which we lower down and fix near the base of the shower. To fill the container, it will be enough for us to connect to this hose another one connected to the water supply.
Advice! You need to ensure that the upper end of the hose is secured to the neck and not lowered into the container. Otherwise, all the water will pour out!
Choosing a location
Before building a country shower, you need to choose its location. In this case, you must adhere to the following rules:
- The selected location should be illuminated by sunlight throughout the day. This will allow the water in the tank to warm up well.
- It is better to build a shower near the house.
- It must be installed on level ground.
- There is a water drain nearby.
A foundation for an outdoor shower will only be necessary when it is planned to build it from bricks, concrete blocks or other heavy materials.
One of the most common types is a tile foundation. In addition, it serves as a floor in the shower stall.
Frame building
This is a solid monolithic structure that will last a long time. It has good ventilation and fast water heating. The downside is the environmental impact.
After several years of operation of such a structure, the appearance will not be very attractive.
Final Tips
The shower tank option should always be thought through before construction begins, and not vice versa. If your shower is temporary, then you shouldn’t waste a lot of effort and money on making a tank. You can find options for using fuel tanks from cars and trucks, large cans, milk cans, etc. for these purposes. Professionals recommend paying attention to the efficiency and, of course, the designer look of the shower. The tank should not be conspicuous, but should perform its tasks “invisibly”.
And one last thing. In everything you need to maintain the optimal ratio of cost and quality. You have a stationary shower that you plan to use on cool autumn days - think not only about electrically heating the water in the tank, but also about thermal insulation. It should be removable and installed only in cases where the sun's rays are no longer enough to heat the water to the desired temperature. It is best to use foam boards; they are quickly installed and removed and can be used for several seasons. The price suits all consumers. For a water seal for a shower in the floor, please follow the link.
Costs for making a summer shower
Speaking about the economic component, it should be noted that independent arrangement of a summer shower is much cheaper than ready-made structures. Of course, manufacturers offer a wide range of products that differ in size and shape, style and materials used. The cost of finished structures fluctuates around 10-20 thousand rubles; not all summer residents are ready to spend that kind of money to take an illuminating shower.
As for a do-it-yourself design, its cost depends on the materials used. If you are planning a stationary shower with a foundation, a high-quality frame and waterproof cladding, then there will be practically no savings, and the final price of the structure will be the same 10-15 thousand rubles. True, it should be noted that in this case the owner of the dacha will receive not only a beautiful, but also a durable summer shower, the construction costs of which will be justified more than once.
If a simple shower (portable or mobile) is enough for the homeowner, and scrap materials are used to create it, then implementation costs can be reduced to zero. When arranging lightweight structures, there are no particular difficulties, but the construction of a stationary summer shower scares many. In fact, there is nothing wrong with this, and the help of specialists is not required, the main thing is to strictly follow the instructions, observing all the norms and requirements.
The time spent on constructing the structure also depends on the type of summer shower and the materials used for its implementation. A bucket shower or a simple mobile shower can be organized in a couple of hours, but a stationary shower made of brick or wood, built on a column-pile foundation, will take at least 2 weeks. Approximately 7-10 days are needed to create the base, a couple more days will be needed to assemble the frame and its cladding.
How to make a summer shower with your own hands
Before you start designing a shower, you need to determine the place where the used water will be drained. If there is an outdoor toilet with a waste pit nearby, then this problem can be easily solved. It is enough to lay a pipeline, making a general waste drainage. If chemicals, special preparations or bacteria are used to process waste from an outdoor toilet, then it will not be possible to combine the drainage pit, since draining from the shower will change the humidity level of the environment and disrupt the chemical composition.
For a summer shower, it is better to provide and prepare a separate hole, digging it nearby. The dimensions depend on the planned water consumption, for example, for one person, a pit with dimensions of 50*50*50 cm is enough. If several people live at the dacha, then the volume of the drainage pit can be increased to 1 cubic meter. The bottom must be covered with broken bricks or expanded clay; for sandy soils, the installation of a mesh will be required to strengthen the walls of the cesspool.
Base
An outdoor shower is a lightweight design that does not impose any special requirements on the base and the degree of its strength. For example, you can use foundation blocks that raise the structure 15-20 centimeters above the ground, which is quite enough to prevent wood from rotting. If the structure is made of metal products, then it can be assembled directly on paving slabs or a concrete surface. An alternative option is to build the foundation yourself. To do this, it is enough to assemble wooden formwork, strengthen it with reinforcement and fill it with concrete solution.
Frame making
To assemble the frame of a summer shower, you can use wooden blocks or metal, special attention is paid to the dimensions of the structure. The height of the racks must be at least 2.2 m, the width of the product depends on the presence of additional compartments and the build of the person who will be taking a shower. For example, a shower room can be combined with a pantry, locker room or small room where a water heater will be installed.
If the summer shower has a simple design and is intended only to relieve stress after a hard day at work, then a square is used, the sides of which are 0.9 meters. Let us note that the shower room should be comfortable for people of any size, which means that, if necessary, its width can be increased to 110-120 centimeters.
To assemble a wooden frame, timber is used:
- Section 100*100 or 150*100 mm - for the bottom trim.
- Section 100*100 or 100*50 – for mounting racks. The choice of cross-section depends on the presence of a tank on the roof of the shower room.
- Section 50*50 or 50*40 - for the top trim. You also need to secure intermediate crossbars, the number of which depends on the materials used for the cladding.
Fastening of wooden elements is carried out using one of the following methods:
- Joining bars and strengthening the structure with metal corners.
- Tongue and groove technology.
The metal frame provides:
- Corners whose thickness is no more than 5 mm.
- Profiled pipes, the cross-section of which is selected depending on the expected load. If lightweight materials (fabric or film) are used to cover the summer shower, then the cross-section can be minimal. When finishing the structure with heavy materials and installing a large water tank, the thickness of the pipes must be appropriate.
- The type of section does not matter; the wall thickness of the racks should be at least 3 millimeters.
- To attach something to a metal corner, you must first screw the bars to which you can attach the harness. If work is carried out with profiled pipes, then the harness can be attached to them using bolts and screws.
The metal frame can be assembled using bolts or welded. Of course, the second option will be more durable and durable, but if this is not possible, then you can purchase pipes of the same length, fastening them with thick metal corners and bolts.
Selecting a skin
To protect the external space, the frame must be covered using one of the following materials:
- Lumber (block house, lining or imitation timber). It is worth noting that purchasing raw material will be a failure, since during operation the wood will dry out, which will lead to damage or even destruction of the structure.
- Fabric impregnated with water-repellent compounds.
- Oilcloth or film - the materials will last no more than a year, but the service life is justified by their availability.
- Polymer slate . Of course, you can cover an outdoor shower with asbestos slate, but you need to understand that it is harmful to human health.
- Profiled sheet.
- Polycarbonate is an inexpensive and attractive material. Disadvantages: transparency, rapid loss of color and insufficient mechanical strength.
Tank
As a tank, you can use any container that can be found in the garage. If nothing suitable is found, then purchase a barrel made of plastic or metal. Currently we offer containers made from the following materials:
- black metal;
- stainless steel;
- polyvinyl chloride (plastic).
Speaking about plastic containers, it is worth noting that they slow down the heating of water and can only be used by summer residents who have land in the southern regions of the country. Residents of the Middle Zone are better off using metal tanks or containers supplemented with a heating system. Speaking about the advantages of plastic barrels, it is worth noting their low weight and a wide range of shapes and sizes.
Metal tanks heat water better, especially tanks painted black. Simple metal will become covered with rust in just a year, which will affect comfort, but you can solve the problem by buying a stainless steel barrel. It costs more, but the costs are fully justified.
Pallet
The drainage of a summer shower can be arranged using one of the following methods:
- lead away from the structure;
- place a drainage hole under the structure being built.
If the drain is under the shower, then it is enough to install a pouring floor made of wooden boards located at a distance of 3-5 mm from each other. For structures that drain used water to the side, you need to provide a tray, which you can make yourself or purchase at a hardware store. Ready-made structures are easy to attach and are made from plastic or wooden beams.
If you decide to make a pallet with your own hands, then the process begins by pouring a concrete slab:
- First you need to dig a hole, the depth of which is up to 0.5 meters.
- A “cushion” of gravel, the thickness of which is 0.2 meters, is placed at the bottom of the pit.
- Next comes the installation of the drain pipe and grate for water drainage.
- Formwork (removable or permanent) made of wood or brick is installed on top.
- Compacting crushed stone and filling the pit with concrete grade M 250.
- After a week, you can continue the construction of a stationary summer shower, moving on to installing the frame.
Roof
When arranging the roof of a summer shower, there is no point in complex structures, so you can opt for a pitched or gable roof made of boards. The angle of inclination of the slope in both cases should be about 15-30 degrees, which is quite enough to ensure that rainwater and snow do not linger on the roof surface.
Before installing water tanks, you need to fasten two beams with a cross section of 50*50 mm along the roof. One or two barrels with a capacity of 100 to 200 liters are placed on top. In good weather, the water in barrels can heat up to 35 degrees, and if you equip the barrels with a cap and cover it with a transparent film, then a value of +45 degrees Celsius is achieved. It is better to further strengthen the barrels, since strong gusts of wind can tear an empty container off the roof and cause injury.
For convenient filling of barrels with water, a pump with a check valve is used, which is installed in the well. A polypropylene pipe is drawn from it, the end of which rises slightly above the barrel and is hermetically connected to the opening of the container with a corrugated hose. It is important that the end of the hose is under water, and the barrels are connected by a tube, which will create communicating vessels. If you plan to use the shower in cool weather, then an electric water heater is additionally installed on the roof.
