Take a weekend to design, plan, and build an outdoor shower for your home.
This home addition is also a great way for swimmers to clean off before diving in the pool.
And after swimming, a quick rinse can get rid of the chlorinated water before you head inside.
Credit:Rachel McGinn
Use this guide to learn how to build an outdoor shower for your home.
Before Getting Started
The location of the shower will affect the complexity of the job.
At each of the four points, use a post hole digger to dig down about 3 feet.
Use a bubble level toensure each post is plumb, then mix and pour concrete into each hole.
Use a 10-foot 4x4 post for this purpose to ensure the showerhead is mounted high enough for all users.
After pouring the concrete, it will take about 24 to 48 hours to fully set.
Those that are not comfortable working with solder should leave this part of the job to a professional plumber.
Cut a piece of pipe that can run from the bottom of the shower up to the showerhead.
The isolation valves are necessary for turning the water off during colder months to avoid freezing.
Use the shower handle to test the shower assembly to ensure it’s working properly.
Create a Drainage Area
Use a shovel to dig out the 4-foot by 4-foot space.
Dig down about 1 foot, thenuse a miter sawto cut two 8-foot 2x4s in half.
Cut another 8-foot 2x4 board in half for the top and bottom of the frame.
Use the drill and 2-inch screws to build the wood floor frame.
Cut five 8-foot 2x4s in half to get ten 4-foot floorboards.
Attach the floorboards to the frame with 2-inch construction screws.
There should be no need to cut these boards.
Use 1-inch screws to attach the 6-foot-5/8-inch by 5-1/2-inch privacy wall boards.
Ensure the gate sits at least one to two inches off the ground so that it swings freely.
Once you’ve installed your DIY outdoor shower, the project is complete.
