Take a weekend to design , plan , and build an outdoor shower for your home .
Rachel McGinn
After relaxing in the syndicate , work in the railway yard , or playing with the Thomas Kyd or pets , anoutdoor showercan help forbid dirt , guts , and other debris from getting chase after inside . This home plate addition is also a great way for swimmers to pick off before dive in the pool . And after swim , a quick rinse can get free of the chlorinated water before you channelise indoors . Use this usher to learn how to work up an outdoor shower for your home .
Credit:Rachel McGinn
Local Building Permit Requirements
Before starting a DIY outdoor shower undertaking , talk to local municipality officials to learn if you ’re grant to progress an outdoor shower in your neighborhood and if you require a construction permit before proceedings . Typically , any Modern plumbery installment will need a license , so if you are running water lines from inside the home to the out-of-door shower , it ’s likely you will need a licence .
However , if you ’re simply connecting the out-of-door shower to an live exterior spigot with a garden hosepipe , you may not necessitate a license to put up the shower cubicle . Additionally , it ’s a good idea to observe out if the outdoor shower is allowed to drain into a crushed rock layer or if the cascade must be connected to thehome ’s thriftlessness arrangement .
Before Getting Started
The location of the shower will affect the complexity of the occupation . to boot , it ’s important to decide whether this will be a cold water exhibitor stall for rinsing off , or if the outdoor shower will have both hot and cold water . If the outside rain shower will only utilise cold water system , you may be able to connect the shower assembly to an existing outside spigot with agarden hose , concentrate the amount of plumbing required for the occupation .
However , if you want your DIY outdoor shower to have both live and cold water , it ’s recommended to find the water supplying line indoors , so that you could position the outdoor shower close to where the piddle supply bloodline run away through the home . This will make it well-fixed to execute the cold and red-hot water system supply lines from inside the home to the outdoor shower .
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
Materials
Instructions
How to Build an Outdoor Shower
Locate the Water Supply Lines
If you ’re connecting your outdoor shower bath to an existing exterior spigot , you only need to determine the canonic view and layout of the outside shower in intercourse to where the faucet cash in one’s chips the home .
If you need an outside shower with both red-hot and cold water system , you ’ll call for to locate the hot and cold weewee supply lines inside the dwelling . This is comparatively well-off if you have an bare basement or crawl space , but for a ruined home base , you may want to use a metallic element detector or even rent professional pipe fitter to locate the urine lines with logical argument tracing equipment .
Once you locate the water lines , use a dry wall knife to cut an gap in the rampart , debunk the hot and cold-blooded water lines . Keep in mind , if the weewee lines are atomic number 29 , you will need enough space inside the wall cavity to use a blow common mullein safely . If you do not have experience with this work , it ’s recommended to hire a plumber to complete this portion of the job .
Set the Posts for the Privacy Wall
quantify an area about 4 feet in length by 4 foot in width . At each of the four item , utilize a Charles William Post gob digger to dig down about 3 foot . decant about 6 inches of drainage gravel into each hole , then place an 8 - foundation 4x4 post into each hole . Use a house of cards level toensure each post is plumb , then mix and pour concrete into each hole .
Keep in mind , if you ’re building a freestanding exhibitor , the showerhead and shower valve assemblage will necessitate a spot for bread and butter . Use a 10 - foot 4x4 post for this purpose to ensure the showerhead is mounted mellow enough for all exploiter . This mail should be positioned in the centre of attention of two support posts where you desire the showerhead to be mounted . After pouring the concrete , it will take about 24 to 48 60 minutes to amply typeset .
Connect the Water Supply Lines
Once the posts have had time to set , you may proceed with the plumbing . PEX plumbery business line are relatively easy to work with as long as you have a PEX clinch puppet , PEX ignore pecker , and the necessary part . If the water line are atomic number 29 , you will need to use a blow torch , flux paste , and solder to install any fittings . Those that are not easy working with solder should leave this part of the Book of Job to a professional pipe fitter .
inhuman Shower : If you ’re instal a cold body of water shower , the next step is to mount the showerhead and shower down valve assembly . ignore a piece of pipage that can run from the bottom of the shower up to the showerhead .
establish a 90 - degree FIP at the top , present in toward the center of the cascade , and a 90 - degree MIP or hose adapter at the bottom of the pipe , facing out away from the cascade . bond the piping to the post with century - shaped pipe hangers , thenconnect the showerheadat the top and the garden hose at the bottom .
red-hot and Cold Shower : If you ’re putting in a red-hot and frigid shower , you ’ll ask to drill hole through the bulwark of the home for the water supply descent to go out base on the subsist position of the hot and moth-eaten water provision lines . Next , turn off the water supply to the home plate , and use a pipe pinnace to slew the cold and hot water system supply business line .
set up a bathymetry golf tee and an isolation valve on each water supply supply logical argument before running the water line to the outside of the home . The closing off valve are necessary for turn the water off during colder calendar month to avoid freeze .
Use 90 - degree fittings to redirect the piping to the outdoor shower and bond the cold and blistering piss provision lines to the exhibitioner valve assembly concord to the manufacturer ’s instructions . black market an extra length of pipe from the cascade valve to the showerhead , and instal a 90 - arcdegree wind FIP .
impound the shower handle and showerhead to the shower assembly , thenuse silicone caulkto seal the holes where the body of water supply lines exited the home .
Turn the water on and check the entire plumbing setup from inside the abode to the showerhead for any leaks . Use the shower deal to essay the cascade forum to check it ’s working properly .
Create a Drainage Area
Use a shovelful to dig out the 4 - foot by 4 - animal foot space . Dig down about 1 ft , thenuse a miter sawto make out two 8 - foot 2x4s in one-half . Use the four board to build a build for the drainage arena , then slide the frame into the hole . Fill the form with drainage gravel , then use a tamp cock to pack down on the gravel until it ’s constrict tightly together .
Build the Wood Floor
measuring stick and reduce three 44 - 1/2 - inch length of 2x4 boards to serve as the rightfulness , left , and mall backup for the wood floor form . edit another 8 - metrical unit 2x4 board in half for the top and bottom of the frame . Use the drill and 2 - inch screws to build the woods storey frame .
Place the wood trading floor over the drain country , ensuring that it lays flat and stage , then secure the frame to the support post . Cut five 8 - human foot 2x4s in half to get ten 4 - foot floorboards . Lay each board down on the floor frame and position them so that they are spaced about 1/8 - inch from each other . Attach the floor board to the frame with 2 - column inch construction screw propeller .
Cut and Attach Privacy Wall Stringers
The number of stringers you need bet on the telephone number of rampart the shower stall will have . If the shower is positioned directly against the paries of the place and you do n’t require a gate or threshold for the stall , you only need to cut four 44 - 1/2 - in length of 2x4 boards for the stringer .
If you ’re building a freestanding exhibitor cubicle with no logic gate or threshold , cut six 44 - 1/2 - inch lengths of 2x4 boards for the stringers . For freestanding shower stalls that have a room access , you need to cut eight 44 - 1/2 - inch lengths of 2x4 boards for the stringer . However , the two additional stringers for the gate or door will not be put in until the privateness wall boards are put in .
After cutting the stringer , use the joist hangers and 1 - column inch screws to mount each stringer to the living mail . employ a tapeline measure to ensure the bottom stringers are mounted about 24 column inch off the basis and the top stringers are mounted about 56 inches off the undercoat .
Install Privacy Wall Boards
Use 1 - column inch shag and a drill to embark on installing the 6 - foot-5/8 - inch by 5 - 1/2 - column inch concealment wall boards . There should be no pauperism to cut these panel . Screw each board across the stringers using two 1 - inch screws at the top and two at the bottom per panel .
If you are instal a threshold or logic gate , rest out the two continue stringers horizontally , ensuring they ’re space about 32 inches apart . Position the first wall board so that the lower stringer will sit about 24 inches from the bottom of the gate and the top stringer will posture about 56 inches from the bottom of the gate . Use 1 - inch nookie to attach the 6 - foot-5/8 - in by 5 - 1/2 - column inch privacy wall control board .
Attach the door or gate to the outdoor shower stall with logic gate hinges on one side and a gate latch assembly to keep the door closed on the other side . Ensure the gate sit at least one to two in off the earth so that it sway freely .
Once you ’ve installed your DIY outdoor shower , the project is utter . Clean up the tools and construction material , then snaffle a towel and take advantage of the young shower to wash off before heading indoors .
