Country life attracts with the opportunity to enjoy fresh air and unity with nature. Outside the city, everything is fine, except for difficulties with the reception of hygiene procedures. Agree, it would be nice to make a summer shower with your own hands to solve this problem?
This option will help to increase the comfort of staying in the country, but it will not greatly affect the family budget. We will show you how to implement this idea.
The article details the best design solutions and technologies for the construction of cabins. Effective help will be useful tips on choosing the materials required in construction, arranging a drain, and simple and quick heating of water. The information provided is supported by photos and video applications.
Shower Design Options
The comfort and convenience of using the construction depends on how well-designed the summer shower is. The task of the zealous owner is to build an economical, easily constructed and at the same time maximum functional shower equipped with heating.
The simplest option is an outdoor shower.
An open-air summer shower is a frame-folding unit or a modular container, one of the walls of which adjoins the main building
When choosing this option, the tank is installed on the supporting wall of the building, positioning it so that the sun's rays hit it at a right angle.
Do you prefer enclosed designs that are convenient to use both in the warmer months and in the colder months? Build a stationary outdoor shower with a simple heating system. It can be a frame structure or a capital building.
The main advantage of this solution is that in warm time the water in the tank warms up due to sunlight, and in the cold months with the help of a heating element
Traditionally, during the construction of a shower, in which there is enough space for an adult to bathe, they are guided by such parameters:
- height - 2-3 m;
- width - 1.5 m;
- length - 1.9-2 m.
These dimensions are convenient for the construction of wooden planks. Taking into account the thickness of the walls in the finished form, the structure over the area is approximately 2 * 1.5 m, of which an area of 1 sq. m, and under the locker room - 60 * 40 cm.
When using boards of standard sizes, the material is consumed with virtually no residue.
In addition to wooden boards, the following materials are most often used as building materials for the construction of cabins:
- polycarbonate sheets;
- moisture resistant plywood;
- sheet metal;
- flat slate;
- lining;
- brick.
When choosing a facing material, it is important to focus on the exterior of the site so that the building harmoniously complements the already created architectural ensemble.
Polycarbonate shower stall:
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Their metal profile needs to be welded to a frame a little taller than a person’s height. Sheets of yellow polycarbonate turn even a cloudy day into sunny. We cut them into pieces, smoothly bend and fix on the profile with screws
We hang shelves for soap accessories on profile supports, which can also be made of wood, and also install a bar with a shower head. Water comes from the tank with the pump, heating - from the boiler
To prevent the floor from “walking” and bending underfoot, we equip the concrete base. It can be round, oval, rectangular or square - it all depends on the configuration of the formwork
Where there is soap, there is always a danger of injury. In order not to slip, from small boards we put together small, sized cabs, walkways. Under them is a drain to the drive
Cabin base - metal frame and polycarbonate
Inside - everything is like in a real soul
Concrete screed base
Wooden scaffolds against sliding
Tank Recommendations
You can buy a ready-made water tank by choosing one of the models you like, or you can make the tank yourself from improvised materials, for example, from a 200-liter barrel.
Tanks on the market, depending on the form of execution, are of several types: square and rectangular, flat and oval
Ready tanks can be made of plastic, metal or galvanized steel. On sale there are tanks of simple design, the design of which has a bevel and holes for the installation of a heating element, and models that are already equipped with heating elements.
When choosing a tank should be guided by two criteria:
- the material from which it is made;
- tank capacity.
For a family of two, a 100 l tank is enough. And for the adoption of water procedures by three or four family members it is better to set the option to 200 liters.
Want to make a tank with your own heating? There is nothing complicated about it. Buy any suitable container. Separately, in the construction market, purchase a heater.
A heating element of 1-2 kW is suitable as a heating element, equipped with a temperature regulator, for the installation of which two nuts and a ½ inch bend are required
On sale you can find heating elements with external power regulators, in which the adjustment varies from 0.5 to 2 kW. Their only drawback is that they are not able to maintain a given temperature.
Under the installation of the heater in the center of the tank, having stood 15 cm from the bottom, make a hole. At the bottom of the tank, closer to the edge or in the center of the bottom, make another hole for the arrangement of the drain. The outer part of the heating element is hidden in an electrical box.
To drill a hole for a heater with a nut, a drill D 40 mm is required, for overflow by ½ inch - a drill D 20-21 mm.
Determining the location of the building
To ensure fast flow of water, it is better to place the building on a slightly elevated platform. For this purpose, an even part of the site is quite suitable. The main thing is that she should not be in a strong lowland.
The best option for placing a summer shower is an open area well lit by the sun, which is located at a slight distance from other buildings
Choosing a sunny area for showering, you will ensure that the tank is able to warm up well in a natural way. Such a solution will reduce the expense item by combining forced heating of water in cloudy weather and with natural heating of the water tank from the sun on fine days.
When choosing a place, take into account that moment so that electricity is brought to the future building. It will be required to power the heater, which will serve as a heating element.
Wooden shower on the slope:
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From six thick bars we make a frame of 1.75x1.25 m, install it on a slope, under which used water will drain. The lower ends of the supports are buried in the ground and concreted, the wood is treated by impregnation
We knock the boards across the supports, along the door on the door. If you take a board 3 m long, then one product is just enough for covering both sides. On top we place two or three thick boards for attaching a barrel of water
We put together a flooring from a shallow lining so that our feet do not slip during washing. The distance between the boards is 1 cm, this is necessary for free draining of water. For contrast, paint in a darker color.
The upper part, which will serve as windows and let in sunlight, is decorated with a grill. To do this, cut into small slats and fix them diagonally. We fix a lattice on self-tapping screws
The flooring can be lengthened if the terrain around the booth is uneven. Get comfortable walkways. Paint them in any color you like, here it’s darker
To be able to sit down during or after a shower, we make a small bench from the remaining boards. We process it with protective impregnation and install it in the “waiting room” - near the doors
After the final finish - coating with paint or varnish - we finish the arrangement of the shower: we install a faucet, a shower head, we bring soap accessories, you can hang the curtain
To ensure water supply on the roof, we fix the barrel. So that it does not roll, we prepare a stand from a metal profile. Water will be heated naturally - by the sun.
Step 2 - cladding the frame with boards
Step 4 - Lattice as a decoration
Step 5 - walkways for easy access
Step 6 - furniture in the shower - bench
Step 7 - arranging the interior
It is not recommended to place an outdoor shower too far from home. Not everyone likes, after water procedures, to carry out long runs across the street, preferring to immediately find themselves in a warm, enclosed area.
Drain pit equipment
From the point of view of biochemistry, it is a gross mistake to reduce drains into a common hole from a shower and an outdoor toilet. A separate pit must be built under the cab. To equip a summer shower, which is supposed to be used only occasionally, a drain pit with a capacity of no more than two cubes is enough.
When calculating the required volume of the structure, follow the rule that its capacity should be 2.5 times more than the contents of the water tank
The drain should not be located under the very structure of the shower and not even near its walls, but two or three meters from the building.
This arrangement option allows you to solve two problems at once:
- prevent the appearance of unpleasant odors of decaying organic matter;
- minimize the risk of destruction of the foundation.
For the construction of a drain pit, a pit is dug up to a depth of 2-2.5 m. At this depth, the sewage will be discharged into the soil below the fertile layer. Due to this, soil micro-viability will not suffer from such a “neighborhood”.
To make drainage, the bottom is lined with gravel and sand. The thickness of the drainage layer should be 20-30 cm.
When creating a water-resistant layer, clay should not be used, since during the operation, as a result of the natural erosion process, it can simply break the drainage system.
To avoid shedding the walls of the drain pit, they must be laid out in several rows with bricks or filled out with used tires
The upper part of the drain hole must be tightly closed. The lid can be made of a wooden shield or sheet metal.
The technology for constructing a drain pit from tires is described in this article.
Purchase of necessary materials
In addition to the manufacture or purchase of a heating tank, it is necessary to purchase plastic water pipes D 50 mm. It is convenient to use a flexible silicone hose for water supply.
To equip the system from materials, you will also need:
- metal mesh reinforced gutter;
- ball valve;
- crane with a float;
- divider.
To make foundation pouring during the arrangement of a cesspool, cement with marking from M150 and higher is required. Covering the drain can be done with waterproofing roll materials or hydroglass.
For the manufacture of a wooden floor in the shower, it is best to use a grooved grooved board treated with a water-polymer emulsion or white oil.
For the final decoration and arrangement of the bathroom you will need paint for exterior and interior use, roomy shelves for bath accessories and hooks for clothes
To erect the structure, you will need the following tools:
- building level;
- roulette;
- corner;
- screwdriver;
- self-tapping screws.
For preliminary marking of the territory, it is also necessary to stock up on a skein of twine and wooden pegs.
Instructions for building a summer shower
There are no special difficulties in building your own summer shower in the country. The only stumbling block for a novice master may be the question of how to mount a heated tank and how to organize a drainage system.
Step 1: Conduct preparatory work
The scope of work during site preparation depends on the type of construction being constructed. If you plan to build a temporary frame structure, to prepare the foundation, it is enough to remove the 15-centimeter layer of earth from the marked area, and then level the bottom of the dug “foundation pit” and fill it with sifted sand.
When installing a shower cabin on highly heaving soils, in order to reduce the risk of it toppling over, the thickness of the non-porous “pillow” made of gravel and sand should be increased to 30-40 cm.
When constructing a wooden pouring floor above a gravel bed, be prepared for the fact that during bathing you will experience some discomfort due to a light draft
Are you planning to build a capital summer shower with heating? To build it, you need a foundation tab. The depth of foundation depends on the type of materials used. For example, for a brick building, a foundation deepened by 30-40 cm is quite enough.
Foundation laying is performed in the following sequence:
- Territory marking. To create the correct foundation, the wooden stakes are hammered in the outer corners of the future building and the twine is pulled between them.
- Digging a pit. A soil layer is removed from the marked area, deepening depending on the type of construction by 15-40 cm.
- Preparing a place for laying pipes. Dig trenches and level the bottom in such a way as to ensure unimpeded flow of waste water in the direction of the drain pit.
- Installation of drain and discharge pipe. A reinforced gutter is installed on a flattened and tamped bottom, not forgetting to withstand the angle of inclination.
- Concrete mortar. To create an even base, the fill is carried out using a level and guides.
When constructing a frame made of wood, it is advisable to raise the shower cubicle 20-30 cm above the ground.
The best way to raise the shower cabin above the ground is to install a pile or column foundation, using drill-stuffed, driven or screw piles.
When equipping the floor between the shower and the locker room, in order to minimize the likelihood of water leakage, it is worthwhile to provide a low threshold.
Step 2: Building a Shower Stall
For the construction of a simple frame structure, you will need to install support racks. Since a tank filled with water will be installed on the frame, the frame should be strong enough.
Support racks can be made of such materials:
- wooden bars with a section of 10 * 10 cm;
- aluminum profiles;
- metal pillars.
In order to extend the life of wooden structural elements, it is advisable to double-treat the workpieces with a water-repellent and antiseptic composition. For greater reliability, the lower part of the support pillars, which are planned to be buried in the ground, should be treated with bitumen mastic.
In accordance with the marking according to the size of the shower, at the corners of the foundation and every 1.5 m of the circuit, supports are installed.
To facilitate the work of deepening the support posts, holes 60-80 cm deep and slightly larger in diameter are pre-drilled in the ground
For making holes it is convenient to use a screw or a garden drill, which can be rented in the center of building materials. Depending on the type of execution of the lower ends of the supports, they can be buried in a driven way or by screwing them into the ground.
When arranging a doorway, two adjacent support stands are placed, having stood the distance of the width of the door.Mechanisms and a frame are attached to them, which serves as the frame of the future door.
To maintain a warm and comfortable atmosphere inside the room and prevent the appearance of drafts, special sealing mechanisms are mounted on the door
Having deepened the supports, they begin to bandage the pillars. To simplify the task, the frame is first assembled on a horizontal even surface. The finished structure is attached to the supports with long bolts. To create a lag of the floor in the shower, perform dressing inside the frame structure. The roof in the shower is made simple and inclined.
Step 3: Installing the Heated Tank
A tank is installed on the roof of the structure, the outer walls of which are painted black. Dark colors attract sun rays well, thereby contributing to the speedy heating of the surface.
Ready-made shower tanks are already equipped with tap holes. If you make a tank on your own, for example, from a barrel, then before installing it on the roof in one of the walls, you must first make a tap for the thread. The diameter of the hole should correspond to the cross-section of the nozzle connected to a ball valve with a mounted watering can.
In order to increase the speed and efficiency of heating the water inside the tank located on the roof, it is chosen in dark color
An important point: when choosing the location of the drive, consider: the greater the distance between the spout point, equipped in the upper tank, and the sprayer, the greater the pressure of the water.
Since the heating elements are very sensitive to an anhydrous environment and can even burn out if there is a lack of water, it is important to control the filling level of the tank. To do this, a plumbing valve is mounted on the installed tank, which indicates the amount of water.
A hose, tap and watering can are attached to the bottom of the tank. In order for clear water to flow from the watering can, and not sediment, the selective pipe must be positioned higher. In this case, the hot supply should be 1-2 cm above the mark of the source of selection.
The same requirement should be observed when installing the supply pipe in order to provide thermosiphon circulation inside the tank. In this case, do not forget to take into account the moment that the mouth of the supply pipe should be attributed as far as possible from the source of the discharge.
Wooden cabin with a tank of 250 l. The tank is equipped with a built-in heating element; heating is carried out from the mains.
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We remove the sod in a small area, fill it with river sand with a layer of 15-20 cm. Before filling the gravel, we soak the sand with water and compact it
The top layer of the "pillow" consists of coarse gravel or pebbles. Pour a layer of about 30 cm. Bricks are installed in it - the "foundation" for flooring
The frame consists entirely of a metal profile pipe 40x40 mm. We cut 4 long posts with a circular profile, 4 smaller ones for the base (5) and roof (4), 4 more small ones for corners
To get a reliable frame, we make welding. Seams can later be made more even with grinding equipment.
To protect metal elements from dampness, we cover the profile on all sides with a protective anti-corrosion compound
For facing the frame we use a trimmed pine board. Precoat parts with Avatex oil. You can use the color "oak" or any other
We make the facing of the frame with boards from all sides, except for the one on which the door will be hung. For fastenings to be strong, we use metal screws
We also hang the door, made of planks, on a pair of galvanized metal hinges. They can be purchased at the store. A curtain instead of a door is also suitable
Step 1 - Sand Base
Step 3 - the frame from the profile
Step 6 - Preparing Wood Elements
Step 7 - mounting the boards on the frame
The booth is ready. It remains to install a water tank and make a connection for heating.
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Step 9 - testing the booth
Step 11 - connecting the electricity
Step 4: Ventilation and insulation of the shower
One of the common mistakes when arranging a summer shower is the construction of thick walls that absolutely do not let air through. Inadequate air flow contributes to the formation of mold in the corners and the spread of fungus on the walls.
To ensure air circulation and water flow, the floor is made with gaps between the boards, and a gap is left in the upper part of the wall.
When arranging the drain and flooring, ready-made pallets can be used.
For the summer shower, the most common choice is steel pallets with a size of 1000 * 1000 mm, which have a simple shape with low sides
To seal the pallet at the stage of installation along the contour of the cutout, construction foam is applied. Immediately, until the foam has frozen, lay the pallet. The extruded surplus is neatly cleaned.
At the installation stage, it is important to think about how to ensure the supply of water.
Pour water into the tank in one of three ways:
- manually by buckets;
- by pumping by a circulation pump;
- in the presence of a water supply system by connecting to it.
If funds permit, it is better to make the water supply automated so that each time you need to fill the tank, you do not have to climb up with a bucket of water along the ladder.
When planning to use a shower cabin in the cold months, it is worth taking care of the insulation of the structure. The easiest way to solve this problem is by covering the walls with plates of extruded polystyrene foam.
Finishing Tips
For interior decoration, choose cladding materials with increased moisture resistance: PVC film, linoleum, plastic. When choosing wood cladding, the surface must necessarily be treated with varnish and painted.
To make the adoption of hygienic procedures more convenient and safe, a grated from wooden boards is installed on the floor, on top of which a rubber mat is lined
The grate is assembled from wooden slats 30-50 mm in size. The preparation of wood is the same. If you want to increase its resistance to shoe wear - treat the material with an acrylic compound used to repair bathtubs.
The locker room and the bathing compartment are preferably separated by a curtain made of waterproof textile fabric or polyvinyl chloride film
If desired, both the inner and outer walls of the facing material can be painted and decorated with drawings. The original design will turn the shower not only into a place for taking water procedures, but also into a decorative element of a suburban area.
Additional interesting options for arranging a garden shower are proposed in these articles:
- DIY polycarbonate summer shower: step-by-step instruction in design
- The design of the country toilet with a shower: the choice of the scheme + building instruction
In interesting videos you will find a lot of useful information for the device of a country shower with heating.
Construction and repair of frame structure:
Shower tank from an old washing machine:
Organization of the heating system:
Summer heated shower ready. To prevent stagnation of water, it is advisable to operate the shower at regular intervals. Before a long break in use, so that the sediment does not clog the watering can, it is recommended that the tank be completely emptied.
Do you have personal experience building a heated shower? Want to share practical skills or ask questions on a topic? Please leave comments, participate in discussions and add photos of your home-made showers. The contact form is located below.