In this article we will look at how to make a summer shower with your own hands, what materials can be used for this purpose. Such a building will be very useful in the country, especially if the bathroom as such is not provided for. But you need to swim somewhere. Particular attention in the manufacture should be given to the quality and type of materials that you plan to use. Remember that an outdoor shower is not only designed to provide the proper level of hygiene. It is also an element of the suburban area, which directly affects the overall design (if one, of course, is available).
The simplest outdoor shower
This design is extremely simple - it has only a tank and a crane. The tank must be installed at a height of about 2 meters. A 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 the case when the shower is needed 1-2 times, but no more.
Frequent bathing will turn your site into a swamp - the water will not leave, it 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 such.
Simple designs
You can make a simple open-air summer shower with a remote tank. This is done in cases where it is not possible to install the tank directly on the frame - its mass is too large and it can not withstand it. But most often you can find the so-called shower houses. These are frame cabins, on top of which is placed a tank filled with water. The cost of materials that are spent on manufacturing is quite high.
The easiest option is to put a film on the frame (of course, opaque so that the neighbors can not 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 (both collapsible and integral). A tarp or a 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 boards of the OSB type for sheathing the frame. Plywood is hygroscopic (it absorbs moisture), so it is undesirable to use it. True, with proper processing you can. Wood is a natural material that has a high resource. The tree is convenient and easy to work with, so you can make a unique shower out of it, not like the others. But the wood must be constantly monitored, processed to prevent the formation of fungi and mold.
Decking
Another good material is sheets of metal called corrugated board. For the shower, it is recommended to use painted sheets, the thickness of which is more than 0.45 mm. Such designs are resistant to moisture, but the material has a high cost. In addition, it is deformed by mechanical stress. It is also necessary to consider that under the sun the metal is heating up, so it will be stuffy and hot in the booth.
For this reason, special attention should 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 a greenhouse effect. 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, electricity and water supply are connected to them. It also mounts a high-quality drain system, so the service life of such a shower is quite high. We can say that this is a full bathroom at the cottage. But now let's take a closer look at how to build a summer shower at the cottage.
How to choose a place
To use it was not only convenient, but also long, the shower needs to 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 the house, the faster you will go into a warm room on a cool evening, therefore, there is less risk of getting cold. But you need to take into account the fact that the drain has a bad effect on the foundation of nearby buildings. It is also not recommended to install a shower cabin next to the wells - this will significantly impair the quality of the water in them.
- Organize the water supply correctly. As a rule, a tank is installed on an outdoor shower. But after all, the water in it ends and a new supply is required. Pour water into the tank can be either with a hose or manually - put the ladder and fill with a bucket.
- Draining consumed water - if you put a booth on a hill, you can ensure the most efficient drainage.
- Pay attention to appearance - think over the design of the cabin so that it fits perfectly into your summer cottage.
- Be sure to install a shower in the area where the sun shines the longest. The heating of the water comes from the sun, so lighting is extremely important.
- The presence of drafts is an extremely important parameter, because it affects the use of the shower. If there are constant drafts on the site, then instead of the pleasure of taking a shower, you will get a cold or inflammation.
The choice of material for the manufacture of the frame
If you plan to make a wooden frame, it is recommended to take only dry and durable material, preferably coniferous. The dimensions of the bars that are used during operation directly depend on the thickness of the finishing material, its weight, as well as 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 means from beetles.
In the manufacture of a metal frame should adhere to such recommendations:
- Vertical racks are best made from pipes with a diameter of about 40 mm (possibly larger). Wall thickness not less than 2 mm.
- Intermediate joints are made of pipes with a diameter of at least 25 mm and with a wall thickness of over 1.2 mm.
To strengthen the structure, it is possible to 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 souls for giving with your own hands can be made both with the use of a welding machine, and with the help of a connection with self-tapping screws.
When manufacturing a frame from an aluminum profile, you will get a clear advantage - get rid of the effects of corrosion. True, the cost of such a material is much higher than that of metal or wood. The most durable and expensive are the frames made of brick or stone. As a rule, such frames are rarely used. Please note that in the manufacture of the frame can not be used plastic pipes. Firstly, the design has a very high windage. Secondly, her stability is extremely low.
What to choose for decoration?
About the materials for finishing the frame already mentioned above. What to choose is up to you, of course. In this case, you need to look around 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 the summer shower. With your own hands in the country, anyone can implement such designs - there would only be an opportunity.
As for polycarbonate, it must have a protective layer on it, which will protect you from the effects of 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.
Tank requirements: what should it be?
But to build 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:
- The number of people who will use the shower.
- The material from which the tank is made. It can be steel, aluminum or plastic. Of course, the type of material also determines the rate of water heating.
- Mass of the tank - this parameter affects what material the frame needs to be made of. Before you make a summer shower with your own hands, you need to determine how much mass the capacity will have. Based on this, draw a conclusion about which frame should be erected.
- The total capacity of the tank - you can buy various tanks, the capacity varies in a wide range. The maximum volume of 220 liters.
- Is it possible to organize water heating in containers.
- If there is water supply, it is recommended to facilitate the filling of the tank - connect a hose to it leading to the filler neck.
- Can the tank be transported? Of course, you can buy a large tank in volume, but think in advance whether it can be transported, lifted, and installed on the frame.
- Color - how the water will warm up depends on this. 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, since they warm 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 use any clean container in which there is a filler neck.
- During operation, such elements as fittings, hoses, watering can, crane are also needed. Of course, there will be no strong pressure, but this is not important.
- The tank must have a water drain function (for a 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 at your own home, 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 lining. Materials such as polycarbonate and decking have a high degree of windage, so it is important to install additional jumpers to make the structure more rigid.
Be sure to take into account the volume of the tank, because the frame must withstand it. Before starting work, think about what size of the door you need, as well as its installation location.
Design
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 such data:
- Length from 80 to 120 cm.
- Width from 100 to 120 cm.
- Height not less than 200 cm (2 meters).
When designing, consider that the width of the structure also includes a gap of not more than 10 mm and a door. In the event that the shower is at the same time a dressing room, it is better to make it at least 100 x 120 cm in size.
When calculating the height of the structure, it is necessary to take into account the growth of the highest user. As a rule, a shower is made square, but if you use polycarbonate, you can move away from the standards and do something else. Everything rests on your capabilities and imagination. You can literally make a summer shower at your summer house from improvised materials with your own hands in a matter of hours.
Draining
Drain from the shower can be carried out into the sewer - for this, plastic pipes are used. But you can make a drainage hole directly under the structure. To do this, dig a hole and fill it with rubble or a stone with sand. Water entering the drainage will be gradually absorbed into the soil and will not spread over the area. If you use the shower often, it is best to drain into the sewer. Such a summer shower in the country, made with his own hands, can last a long time.