You can well do and equip a summer shower in the country with your own hands. You will find photos and sizes, as well as recommendations on choosing a place for construction in this article. After all, there is nothing better in the summer heat than refreshing yourself with cool water, especially after active work on a personal plot. With the onset of hot days, the presence of a shower in the country becomes an urgent and necessary requirement. This factor is especially important if your house is under repair, and the water supply has not yet been failed.
In any case, the inner space of the soul should be spacious so that a bathing person comfortably accommodates himself and with it all the things necessary for this procedure. The most common parameters of country shower buildings are 2.5 meters high and 190 / 140-160 / 100 cm wide. It is necessary to plan the construction of a summer shower in the spring, at the very beginning, so that it is ready for the coming of summer.
There are no particularly strict criteria regarding the arrangement of such a soul. If you have the imagination and the ability to hold construction tools in your hands, you will be able to translate your ideas into reality and build such a thing necessary for giving. Depending on the complexity of the plan, it is possible to equip a simple summer shower in one day. A more detailed project will take more time, but it will also serve you for more than one year.
Shower for a summer residence, what place to choose for him
So that the water in the tank is not cold, it is more logical to place the shower building in a place illuminated by sunlight. If you prefer to take a shower in the afternoon or late afternoon, you should choose a part of the area where the concentration of solar activity is observed in the afternoon. It is important that this place is protected from wind blowing.
A second important factor is the availability of a drain for used water. Summer shower for summer cottage should be installed on a hill so that the water drains quickly and does not stagnate, attracting insects. The operation of any shower involves the use of large quantities of water, and if a lot of people (a large family) wash it, then this nuance needs to be calculated and properly equipped.
If the capacity of your shower tank is approximately 1-2 m³, then a drain pit will be required. When arranging a place for water runoff, it is important that it is correctly placed - it should in no case be located under the building itself. The sewage pit or septic tank with drainage should be located at some distance from the cabin, in turn, the slope should go in their direction.
The presence of a waterproof layer for runoff is highly desirable: hydroglass glass, PVC film, roofing felt or concrete screed are suitable for this purpose. The drainage pit should be at a distance of at least 3 meters from the cabin, its depth should be 2.5-3 meters, the bottom is covered with gravel or a thick layer of sand. The top of the pit must be covered and fenced.
How to make a shower in the country - an example of a simple design
There can be a great variety of options for this useful summer cottage building - here it depends on your creative approach. As an example, we will consider the features of the "standard" version of a summer cottage shower.
The shower should be comfortable, therefore the most minimal dimensions of the internal space should be at least 100 × 100 cm. Movements should not be constrained - a person should freely raise his hands and bend down in the process of bathing. A small space for clothes and towels (locker room) should also be allocated, 50-60 cm will be enough for him. Thus, in the total footage, the dimensions of the shower will be 160 × 100 cm and 2-3 m in height.
Country Shower - Arrangement Tips
- Install sturdy and reliable racks - this is your safety, as the tank filled with water for the summer shower has a huge weight. For this purpose, a wooden beam 100 × 100 is ideal.
- It is better to dig up racks in the earth, previously having processed with tar or a fat-containing means. Pour them with concrete mortar, by the way, will be best.
- For the tank at the top, a horizontal platform should be equipped.
- The cabin is made of any materials, the main thing is that it should hide the swimmer from prying eyes and protect from drafts.
- Capacities for a summer shower can be metal or plastic. It is worth considering that the metal tank will heat up faster, but it will also rust. In order for the water to heat up quickly, it is recommended to paint the tank with black paint.
- If you make a frame over the tank and cover it with plastic wrap, the process of heating the water will occur much faster.
- A faucet for a tank can be anything, but a ball valve is most suitable.
The whole process begins with the marking of the perimeter of the future shower, the racks are installed in the corners and connected from above by dressing from a similar beam. After this, there is the turn of the lower dressing, keep in mind that it should be located 10-15 cm from the ground.
To fasten all fragments of the frame, use long bolts - this will positively affect the overall strength of the structure.
The following is the arrangement of the lag (floor), for this the board is laid at a certain interval, forming gaps through which water will come out of the cabin.
However, you can do it easier and install a metal or acrylic tray, while the waste water will be carried out using a hose.
To seal the shower door tightly, use gaskets. The shower compartment and the locker room can be separated with a special curtain, and it would be better if the threshold between these two compartments is slightly overestimated (to prevent water from flowing into a dry room).
Summer shower, as already mentioned, the outside can be finished with absolutely any material. Lining, plastic, polycarbonate, moisture-proof plywood, fiberboard, slate, metal sheets, siding - the main thing is that the building is harmoniously combined with the rest of the buildings on the site.
Wooden materials will not prevent preliminary opening with protective compounds.
If the frame is welded from metal, then it must also be coated with anti-corrosive agents or painted with paint.
In order for the water in the tank to be heated several times faster, rafters can be placed on top of the upper harness and a sheet of roofing iron placed on top of them. The metal will reflect the rays of the sun, making the process of heating water more active.
Tank for a summer shower, which one to choose
Separately, it is worth paying attention to water tanks or shower tanks - their choice is determined by the individual requirements and preferences of the builder. They are small and small, flat and round, iron and plastic. The size of the tank depends on how many people will wash in this shower, often a volume of 100-200 liters is enough for an average family. As mentioned above, it is better to choose a tank of dark color or even black - so the water will more likely heat up.
Such a container must have a lid so that various debris and insects do not get inside. In the lower part of the tank, a tap for the crane is mounted, to which the diffuser is screwed.
There is an important point here - the tap should be located at the very bottom of the tank, so that all the water drains from the tank and does not stagnate.
Equipping a summer shower with your own hands, you can purchase a ready-made tank in a specialized department of the construction market. On sale there are also tanks specifically for such showers, with all the necessary details in the kit.
If you have a suitable metal or plastic barrel available, then after certain manipulations it can make a completely acceptable tank for the shower. For these purposes, a hatch for pouring water is cut out from the top of the barrel laid on its side, and it is treated with acrylic enamel (or a bath repair agent) from the inside - this applies to metal containers.
And you can not put the barrel on its side. You can do anything if "hands grow from where you need to."
Also in this role tanks “from” deteriorating washing machines become “good”. Despite the fact that their volume is enough for 2 washes, they very quickly adapt to the shower tank, due to the presence of inlet and outlet pipes, as well as the necessary technical holes. Corrosion is not afraid of such tanks.
Equipping a summer shower at the cottage with your own hands, it is better to prepare photos and sizes, as well as approximate drawings, in advance. So you will see all the work steps clearly and you can extremely accurately calculate the final result. Having such a plan of work before your eyes, you will know how much material you will need for the external and internal decoration of the booth and the drain pit.
Paying attention to the functional part, do not forget about the aesthetics of the appearance of your summer shower - everything should be not only comfortable, but also pleasing to the eye.