How to Build an Outdoor Shower

An outdoor shower can come in handy for the entire family, especially when they come back from a swim in their backyard. The presence of a shower enclosure ensures that you can freshen up outside before stepping back into your home. 

At times, when your home is filled with guests and the bathrooms are occupied, an outdoor shower proves to be very handy. Although the type of shower enclosure is a matter of choice, wooden shower enclosures look neat and are cost-effective.

Before you start building a shower enclosure, make sure you mark the dimensions of the enclosure on a piece of paper. This will be helpful while constructing the actual shower.

Here are a few steps that you will have to keep in mind when you start building an outdoor shower. Remember that depending on the area you live in, and where you are planning to build the shower, you might need permission for the same.

Also there are various rules and codes that you will have to abide by, so it is better to get all this in advance before you get started with your project. Once you have the necessary permissions and the required materials, you can carry on with the rest of the steps mentioned here.

After you decide the location for the outdoor shower enclosure, mark the area where the concrete pad, which forms the basis of the shower floor needs to be laid. Depending upon the width of the shower enclosure, use a concrete mix cement to lay the floor of the shower. 

When you lay the cement make sure you smoothen the surface with a trowel, so as to ensure that it is does not have any loose ends and bumps. Use flat river rock as tiles over the concrete pad.

When you take a shower, it is of utmost importance to see to it that the water used needs to pass through a hole used for drainage. There are various laws regarding the drainage and sewage systems, and you will have to ensure that you do not flout these while constructing your shower enclosure.

Your shower water should not seep or mix with the groundwater or the soil, and should pass directly to the drainage system on your street. While building the floor for the shower enclosure, you also have to ensure that the water does not stagnate in any particular area.

It is a requisite for any outdoor shower to have a floor that is slightly sloping to ensure that the water does not accumulate anywhere.

The post that you set up in the ground needs to be eight to ten feet tall. Get the help of a plumber to install the PVC pipes through the posts. Get the plumber to drill a hole for a stop lever in the pipe. Once that's done, attach a shower head to the top end of the PVC pipe to ensure free flow of water.

In this step you will also need to figure out the water source for your shower. You need to check if there are any water lines close to the location of your outdoor shower. If not, you will have to get a water line added to reach the shower enclosure.

Remember, this will need special permissions as well, so make sure you notify your utility company about your plans.

Although most outdoor showers prefer to be without a roof, you can opt to have a thatched roof that would go well with the outdoors. You can use latches that match the woodwork of the enclosure for the door.

If there is ample space in your enclosure, you can make a seating area with rough granite. A compact mirror hanging in an area away from the shower head is a great option. You can go ahead and add lights with a dim glow which will be helpful especially at night. Often, people ignore towel racks and leave towels hanging on the latches of doors.

Although it suits the purpose, it a good idea to install towel racks. You can also have a compartment to keep your toiletries which will ensure that you wouldn't need to make frequent trips to other areas in order to get them.

Once you've completed the process of building your outdoor shower, take a moment and marvel your accomplishment. The efforts you put in building your shower will make you sweat, so get in there and take a long shower and freshen up!