Summer shower: what you need to know

The summer shower is a necessary element of the minimally well-equipped summer cottage, because without it, your rest will be spoiled by the constant difficulties associated with personal hygiene, and the inability to refresh quickly in hot weather. In this article we want to touch on the moments that you should know to build a summer shower on the site.

Shower for the dacha

Special features

Despite the fact that a trip to the cottage involves a rest from the city rush and closer to nature, most of us are not ready to give up urban comforts. One of the most important among these amenities is the opportunity to wash after a hot day in the garden or in the workshop, or just to refresh yourself in the midst of daytime summer heat.

But, as a rule, there is no sewage and running water in the cottages, so providing a set of basic amenities is not as easy as it seems. Not everybody is ready to invest quite impressive means in drilling a well; in addition, in this case it is necessary to solve the issues of sewage and water heating.

Moreover, in most cases, summer houses are designed for summer operation and do not imply serious communications and facilities for their maintenance.

The way out of such a situation will be the construction of a summer shower, which will at least minimally satisfy one of the basic needs of modern man.

In this case, the structure must meet the following features:

• Autonomy. The absence of any communications does not leave us a choice, and our shower must be provided with everything necessary;
• Simplicity. As it is necessary to work with our own hands, we must design the most simple construction so that its implementation can be done by us;
• Reliability. The construction will be on the street, therefore it is necessary to take into account all the negative environmental impacts to which the materials will be exposed. For our building to stand for many years, it must be as reliable as possible;
• Availability. Accessories for summer showers should be available both in price and in availability in nearby stores;
• Convenience. Our task is to facilitate the washing process as much as possible; what's the point of wasting energy and money if, as a result, you still have to dodge? It's easier to pour yourself from the watering can

Note! When choosing a specific variant of construction, materials and form of the booth, one should take into account the features characteristic of this class of structures. Guided by the characteristics of urban bathrooms are not worth it.

Popular options

You are the owner of your plot of land, and in the choice of the method of construction, the type of construction and its features, no one and nothing is limited. You can build a summer shower from bottles, remnants of building materials, dry slugs or reeds, and if you feel the creative potential for this, we fully support you and only wish you success.

However, if you, like most other summer residents, are primarily concerned with the fastest, most inexpensive and effective solution of basic amenities on the site, then you better pay attention to the proven solutions and the successful experience of other people. This will help determine the choice of the type of shower and its features.

Let's look at the main types of structures:

Note! In addition, all listed models can be closed or open. The first is warmer and more comfortable, the second is fresher and closer to nature. Choose you.

Most often build showers of wood or metal. The metal frame is sheathed with clapboard, board, professional sheet, polycarbonate and other materials. Polymers are durable, they are not afraid of moisture and corrosion, but wood paneling is much more beautiful and more appropriate outside the city.

Regarding the finished factory models, you can only say that this is an option for the lazy. Most buyers consider them as a temporary solution, others understand it during the operation. Plus these booths - high mobility and, as a rule, low weight.

Carefully study the characteristics of the product and make sure it is reliable.

Note! When buying a finished structure, study the reviews of those who have already used it, carefully look at the quality of the joints, coatings, thickness and strength of metal parts, stability in the wind.

Stages of construction

Foundation

Despite the fact that the shower is an easy construction, the instructions for its construction require the construction of the foundation. Of course, this is not a classic foundation for a house, but still, without a solid foundation, no building will last for long.

As a rule, two main types are used:

1. Columnar. In the corners of a future building, they dig holes in which stone or concrete pillars are installed. If a metal frame is planned, then vertical stands are built into the concrete immediately;
2. Slab. To form the base under the building, a concrete slab is poured, which will serve as a floor. Depth of laying usually does not exceed 40 - 50 cm, taking into account bedding.

The columnar foundation requires less effort and materials, while it is quite reliable and quite suitable for our purposes. Concrete slabs are usually placed under massive structures.

Note! One of the most simple and effective methods is the installation and concreting of chrysotile cement pipes. They are not afraid of moisture and are very durable, which makes them an excellent permanent formwork for poles.

Cab

The booth is made simple: four or more vertical posts are put up, which are tied with horizontal elements at the top and bottom. This will be the frame for the cabin.

Then the racks are reinforced with additional transverse lintels and sheathed with any available material: edged board, clapboard, siding, profiled steel sheet, polycarbonate, etc. The most acceptable should be considered wood paneling, as in the garden it will look best.

As the roof use flat tanks for water. It also looks great roof made of transparent polycarbonate, organic glass, natural materials. However, many prefer open cabins, where the roof is not provided.

The door can be knocked down from the same plank with which the walls are sheathed, or confined to a curtain. Some models are not equipped with a door at all and hide you from prying eyes due to the configuration of the walls.

Sewage

To make your project “excellent”, it is necessary to provide effective drainage for the summer shower. Of course, if the structure will be used once a month, and then - not for long, then you can safely drain the water on the ground. However, if you come with your family and guests for a week or two, this approach will quickly provide you with a swamp on the site and dampness with mosquitoes in the shower stall.

Here different approaches are possible. The most reliable and convenient installation of the pallet will be with the diversion of water into the septic tank or sewer. This will require some effort and cost to purchase several meters of pipe, pallet and barrel for a septic tank, but there will be no problems with liquid disposal.

You can also make the base in the form of a concrete slab with a slight bias to one side. Next to the slab, we dig a drainage pit and equip it with a gravel-sand filter like a septic tank.

Finally, it is possible to arrange such a pit directly under the shower, and make the floor permeable to water. But this is fraught with increased humidity in the cabin, the penetration of unpleasant odors and weed germination.

Note! The septic tank is usually located at a distance of 2 - 3 meters from the shower, but it is better to construct it even further. To filter the water, the tank is filled first with sand, then fine gravel and coarse gravel. The walls are made waterproof, the water goes through the thickness of the filter and the bottom.

Conclusion

You can build a summer shower from scrap materials or buy a finished structure, but it’s better to approach the matter more responsibly and use the materials from our site to build a reliable and convenient homemade shower.

The video in this article will help you in this important and useful lesson.