Even if summer residents do not live in a country house all year round, they spend a lot of time there in the summer. That’s why many people think about how to properly improve their home and grounds and create at least minimal comfort. One of the first things to do at the dacha is usually a summer shower - the simplest without insulation or a more convenient warm shower with heated water.
After the forum member Foxic from Moscow rotted, unable to withstand the next winter tests, the owner decided to build a more reliable new one. The old building, which lasted ten years, was a plank cabin with a frame made of 50x50 cm timber, a black barrel on the roof and a drain from below.
The inhabitants of the house presented a number of requirements for the new building: it had to be warm, with heated water and a full-fledged dressing room. Considering the limited budget for a warm shower for the dacha and the lack of running water on the site, Foxic decided that it was possible to insulate the shower stall and build a wood-burning hot water heater into it. According to the instructions, this device must be connected to the water supply. To create the required water pressure, the owner came up with the idea of raising the barrel of water higher.
In this way, the height of the future building was calculated, the remaining dimensions were determined based on the size of the shower tray, the column and the dimensions of the owners themselves. The dimensions of the shower were 2.5x1.6x2.5 m. For the base, laid on foundation blocks and paving slabs, 150x100 cm timber, pre-treated with a protective compound, was used.
Supports were laid under the column for heating water in the shower at the dacha and for the tray, and boards were cut for the floor. By flipping them over, Foxic had a subfloor. Then a frame was erected from 50x50 timber, which the forum member covered with clapboard on the outside. Then the structure was put under the roof.
Since a barrel of water had to be installed on top of the shower, the owner decided to make a roof similar to the trunk on the roof of a car. Above the pitched sloping roof, she made a base of timber for a level platform. A barrel will subsequently be installed on it, which will be filled with water from the well using a pump.
Finally, it was time to insulate the shower stall, build the interior walls and lay the floor. The owner insulated it with stone wool, laying it between the beams. I secured the vapor barrier over it with a furniture stapler. I insulated the entire building: the ceiling, walls and even the door.
Foxic treated the pipe passages through the ceiling and chimney with pine-colored parquet sealant. The remaining cracks are near the pan, windows, etc. sealed it with clear silicone bathtub sealant.
The windows were made of cellular polycarbonate, which was left over from the reconstruction of the greenhouse. The forum member laid the roof with European tiles, covered the outer walls with Neomid, and installed siding on top of it. The internal walls are covered with two layers of Dufatex.
Foxic made the thermal insulation of the walls near the heater using heat-insulating material for chimneys, and screwed sheets of aluminum foil on top of it. Near the entrance there is a coat rack and a woodshed bench. The frame of the box is made from leftover timber and lined with scraps of clapboard. The seat is made of floorboard.
The walls from the inside were covered with clapboard, the floor was laid, sanded and varnished, a water heater was installed and water was supplied to it, the walls near the water heater were insulated, a chimney was installed and a locker room was equipped.
The plans include making external porch steps, shelves, a mount for a watering can, a mirror for the door, and on the roof - a platform for access to the barrel and a staircase to it. Foxic is going to tile the area in front of the shower.
Materials:
- unplaned timber 150x100;
- unplaned timber 50x50 for the frame;
- planed timber 50x50 for the doorway and door frame;
- three-meter eurolining class C;
- floorboard x36;
- vapor barrier "Plenex";
- Rockwool insulation;
- Euro slate "Ondulin";
- cream siding “Alta-profile” and accessories for it;
- foundation blocks;
- paving slabs 50x50 cm;
- sheets for thermal insulation of chimneys;
- aluminum sheets for thermal insulation of walls near the column;
- clear silicone bathtub sealant;
- parquet sealant “Pine”;
Equipment:
- wood-burning water heater "Silistra";
- chimney with sandwich type thermal insulation;
- flexible water hose;
- container for water;
- shower tray.
Results
The heated shower for the cottage was built by Foxic independently in 3.5 weeks. The building passed the first tests successfully: warmth and beauty! The water in the boiler heats up quickly enough: to properly heat 80 liters, 20-30 minutes are enough. The shower is very warm thanks to the heating by the stove and chimney. Lights and electricity were provided - the hostess made an outlet for a hairdryer and hung an energy-saving lamp. Electric heating is not planned yet. Wastewater does not linger in the drainage pit.
Based on materials from “Home and Dacha” forum participant Foxic
I saw a circle with sandpaper on your grinder, my advice is to move this circle to a 1 kW drill, the speed is lower and safer, and the sandpaper lasts longer. Otherwise, it was torn off from me by the speed, I almost lost my eyes, it flies edge-on, very painfully.
Why was it spent on lining? If they sewed it up with siding?, you could take a budget edged board or USB plywood.I only “grinded” the bottom beam with a grinder - it had very rough and large burrs on the surface.
I do finer grinding and polishing with a drill. I don’t remember the brand of the device (friends gave me a drill), but my drill is small in size and light, 1.5 kW. I hang the handle on it under the grip of my second hand - and I work. The bench in the shower was processed using a drill, calm, unhurried turns, sandpaper grit - 180.
On the grinder in the photo there is 36 grit sandpaper.
As for the flights of sandpaper and other “Bulgarian gifts” - I always work in PPE. When grinding wood or cutting stone, slate - a respirator and glasses, when cutting metal - a turner's shield. If there is no respirator, then I put on at least a banal bandana in the style of Wild West cowboys. A hat and work gloves are required. The rest of the clothing depends on the situation and the weather. In hot weather I can get by with a long apron. This is from flying sandpaper.
In general, the “volatility” of the sandpaper greatly depends on the sandpaper itself and the condition of the Velcro fastening. I buy already proven sandpaper and Velcro. Not the most expensive, but not the cheapest either. IMHO, it’s better this way than treating bruises, scars, and burns later.As for the lining...
You won’t believe it, but at the time of purchasing building materials, in the vicinity of the dacha, in all construction yards and construction stores, the clapboard and other decent boards were licked off like a cow’s tongue. There was nothing! No imitation timber, no blockhouse, no ordinary lining, no euro lining, and not even classes A and B!
I miraculously picked up the LAST (!) packs of lining from a distant construction site. By the way, I spat at the quality. I DO NOT recommend Vyatka Eurolining class C. Knots are knocked out almost everywhere, the ridges and grooves on the boards are demolished, and some boards are sawn so that they crack in half even in the bundle.
But, nevertheless, due to a shortage of building materials, the ENTIRE shower had to be made from eurolining. Although the original project did not provide for this.
However, I already said: the building is located in the farthest, northern corner of the site. And in winter there is a lot of snow there. And this snow takes a very long time to melt. So, the lining treated with "neomid", covered with siding, inspires a little more confidence...There are women in Russian villages... the men were probably eaten by wolves... Respect and respect.
I would like to add on my own behalf, I have been using a similar structure for 4 years now, my wife, child and I am head over heels happy, you can look at the topic: .
Among the improvements I can recommend:
1. a homemade mixer made from ball valves, increases the flow of water, otherwise the standard one is made under pressure.
2. Laying a line from a pump, water supply, etc. in a barrel (so as not to jump on the roofs)
3. Installing a water level sensor, for example, buy a fishing mug at a fishing store, it is made of dense foam plastic, screw a thin hard rod to it just above the barrel, I have an antenna from a CB radio (road trophy) and bring it out through a guide tube by attaching markers. Another option transported the barrel over the side on a cord roller with 2 counterweights, from the inside on the water the load in the vitamin jar is heavier
Thank you for the kind words..And THANK YOU SO MUCH for the level sensor idea!
As for the water pressure, the standard one seemed quite acceptable to me..
But laying a highway is impossible due to the crime situation. Simply put, they will remove the pump from the well. Together with the supply hoses and the well itself. ALAS!
So - let there be a platform for servicing the barrel. After all, it can be used as a solarium and a platform for observing the Moon!
Country life attracts people with the opportunity to enjoy fresh air and unity with nature. Outside the city everything is fine, except for difficulties with hygiene procedures. Agree, would it be nice to make a heated summer shower with your own hands to solve this problem?
This option will help increase the comfort of staying at the dacha, but will not greatly affect the family budget. We will show you how to realize this idea.
The article examines in detail the best design solutions and technologies for constructing booths. Helpful advice on choosing the materials required in construction, arranging drainage, and simply and quickly heating water will provide effective assistance. The information presented is supported by photo and video applications.
The comfort and ease of use of the structure depends on how well the summer shower is designed. The task of a thrifty owner is to build an economical, easily constructed and at the same time maximally functional shower, equipped with heating.
The easiest option to implement is an open shower.
An open summer shower is a framed, collapsible block or a modular container, one of the walls of which is adjacent to the main building
When choosing this arrangement option, the tank is installed on the load-bearing wall of the building, positioning it in such a way that the sun's rays hit it at a right angle.
Do you prefer closed designs that are convenient to use both in the warm season and in the cold months? Build a stationary summer shower with a simple heating system. It can be a frame structure or a permanent structure.
The main advantage of this solution is that in warm times the water in the tank is heated by the sun's rays, and in cold months by means of a heating element
Traditionally, when building a shower with enough space for an adult to bathe, they focus on the following parameters:
- height– 2-3 m;
- width– 1.5 m;
- length– 1.9-2 m.
These dimensions are convenient when building a structure from wooden boards. Taking into account the thickness of the walls in its finished form, the area of the structure is approximately 2 * 1.5 m, of which an area of 1 sq. m will be allocated for the shower stall. m, and for the locker room - 60*40 cm.
When using boards of standard sizes, the material is consumed with virtually no residue.
In addition to wooden planks, the most commonly used building materials for the construction of cabins are:
- polycarbonate sheets;
- moisture-resistant plywood;
- sheet metal;
- flat slate;
- lining;
- brick.
When choosing a facing material, it is important to focus on the exterior of the site so that the building harmoniously complements the already created architectural ensemble.
Polycarbonate shower cubicle:
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You can buy a water tank ready-made by choosing one of the models you like, or from available materials, for example, from a 200-liter barrel.
The tanks on the market, depending on the shape, come in several types: square and rectangular, flat and oval
Ready-made tanks can be made of plastic, metal or galvanized steel. On sale there are containers of simple design, the design of which has a bevel and holes for installing heating elements, and models that are already equipped with heating elements.
When choosing a tank, you should be guided by two criteria:
- the material from which it is made;
- capacity of the tank.
A 100 liter tank is enough for a family of two. And for water procedures to be carried out by three or four family members, it is better to install the 200 liter option.
Do you want to make a heated tank yourself? There is nothing complicated about it. Buy any suitable container. You purchase heating elements separately on the construction market.
A 1-2 kW heating element equipped with a temperature controller is suitable as a heating element, for installation of which you will need two nuts and a ½ inch bend.
On sale you can find heating elements with remote power regulators, in which the adjustment varies from 0.5 to 2 kW. Their only drawback is that they are not able to maintain the set temperature.
To install the heating element in the center of the tank, maintaining 15 cm from the bottom, make a hole. At the bottom of the container, closer to the edge or in the center of the bottom, another hole is made for arranging a drain. The outer part of the heating element is hidden in an electrical box.
To drill a hole for a heating element with a nut, you will need a drill D 40 mm, for an overflow of ½ inch - a drill D 20-21 mm.
Determining the location of the building
To ensure rapid drainage of water, it is better to place the building on a slightly elevated area. A flat part of the site is quite suitable for this purpose. The main thing is that it is not in a strong depression.
The best option for placing a summer shower is an open area well lit by the sun, which is located at a short distance from other buildings
By choosing a sunny area for the construction of a shower, you will ensure that the tank can warm up well naturally. This solution will reduce costs by combining forced heating of water in cloudy weather and natural heating of the water container from the sun on fine days.
When choosing a location, take into account the moment that electricity is supplied to the future building. It will be needed to power the heating element, which will serve as a heating element.
Wooden shower on a slope:
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Drain pit equipment
From a biochemical point of view, draining wastewater from the shower and street toilet into a common pit is a gross mistake. It is necessary to build a separate pit under the cabin. To equip a summer shower, which is supposed to be used only from time to time, a drainage hole with a capacity of no more than two cubes is sufficient.
When calculating the required volume of a structure, adhere to the rule that its capacity should be 2.5 times greater than the contents of the water tank
The drain should not be located under the shower building itself or even near its walls, but two to three meters from the building.
This arrangement allows you to solve two problems at once:
- prevent the appearance of unpleasant odors of decaying organic matter;
- minimize the risk of foundation failure.
To construct a drainage pit, dig a pit 2-2.5 m deep. At this depth, wastewater will be discharged into the soil below the fertile layer. Thanks to this, soil microliving creatures will not suffer from such a “neighborhood”.
To make drainage, the bottom is lined with gravel and sand. The thickness of the drainage layer should be 20-30 cm.
When creating a waterproof layer, you should not use clay, since during operation, as a result of the natural erosion process, it can simply break the drainage system.
To avoid shedding of the walls of the drainage pit, they must be laid out in several rows with bricks or decorated with used tires.
The upper part of the drainage pit must be tightly closed. The lid can be made from a wooden panel or a piece of sheet metal.
The technology for constructing a drainage pit from tires is described in.
Purchasing the necessary materials
In addition to making or purchasing a heating tank, you must purchase plastic water pipes D 50 mm. It is convenient to use a flexible silicone hose to supply water.
To set up a system of materials you will also need:
- gutter reinforced with metal mesh;
- valve with float;
- divider
To make a foundation pour when constructing a cesspool, you will need cement marked M150 and higher. The drain can be covered with waterproofing roll materials or hydroglass insulation.
To make a wooden floor in the shower, it is best to use a tongue-and-groove board, treated with a water-polymer emulsion or oil white.
For the final finishing and arrangement of the bathroom, you will need paint for exterior and interior work, spacious shelves for bathroom accessories and hooks for clothes.
To erect the structure you will need the following tools:
- building level;
- roulette;
- corner;
- screwdriver;
- self-tapping screws
To pre-mark the area, you also need to stock up on a skein of twine and wooden pegs.
Instructions for building a summer shower
There is no particular difficulty in building a summer shower in your dacha yourself. The only stumbling block for a novice master may be the question of how to install a heated tank and how to organize a wastewater disposal system.
Step 1: Carrying out preparatory work
The scope of work during site preparation depends on the type of building being built. If you plan to build a temporary frame structure, to prepare the foundation, it is enough to remove a 15-centimeter layer of earth from the marked area, and then level the bottom of the dug “pit” and fill it with sifted sand.
When installing a shower stall on very heaving soils, in order to reduce the risk of it tipping over, the thickness of the non-heaving “cushion” of gravel and sand should be increased to 30-40 cm.
When constructing a wooden pouring floor over a gravel fill, be prepared for the fact that while swimming you will experience some discomfort due to a slight draft
Are you planning to build a major heated country shower? To erect it, you will need to lay the foundation. The depth of the foundation depends on the type of materials used. For example, for a brick building, a foundation buried 30-40 cm is sufficient.
The foundation is laid in the following sequence:
- Territory marking. To create the correct foundation, wooden stakes are driven into the outer corners of the future building and string is pulled between them.
- Digging a pit. A layer of soil is removed from the marked area, going 15-40 cm deep depending on the type of building.
- Preparing the site for laying pipes. Dig trenches and level the bottom in such a way as to ensure unimpeded flow of waste water in the direction of the drainage hole.
- Installation of drain and discharge pipes. A reinforced gutter is installed on the leveled and compacted bottom, not forgetting to maintain the angle of inclination.
- Pouring concrete mortar. To create a level base, pouring is carried out using a level and guides.
The cabin is ready. All that remains is to install the water tank and connect for heating.
Image gallery
Photo In the summer, the water in the tank heats up naturally, and in early spring or autumn it can be connected to the electrical network by plugging the plug into the extension cord socket Step 10 - Water Tank
Step 4: Ventilation and insulation of the shower
One of the common mistakes when arranging a summer shower is the construction of thick walls that absolutely do not allow air to pass through. Insufficient air flow contributes to the formation of mold in the corners and the spread of fungus on the walls.
To ensure air circulation and water drainage, the floor is made with gaps between the boards, and a gap is left at the top of the wall.
When arranging the drain and laying the floor, you can use ready-made pallets.
For a summer shower, steel pallets of 1000*1000 mm in size are most often chosen, which have a simple shape with low sides
To seal the pallet at the installation stage, construction foam is applied along the contour of the cutout. Immediately, before the foam hardens, lay the pallet. The squeezed out excess is carefully removed.
At the installation stage, it is also important to think about how to ensure the water supply.
You can fill the tank with water in one of three ways:
- manually with buckets;
- by pumping with a circulation pump;
- if there is a water supply system by connecting to it.
If funds allow, it is better to make the water supply automated so that every time you need to fill the tank you do not have to climb up a stepladder with a bucket of water.
When planning to use a shower stall in the cold months, you should take care of insulating the structure. The easiest way to solve this problem is to cover the walls with slabs.
For interior decoration, choose facing materials that have increased moisture resistance: PVC film, linoleum, plastic. When choosing wooden cladding, the surface must be treated with drying oil and painted.
To make hygiene procedures more convenient and safe, a grid made of wooden boards is installed on the floor, on top of which a rubber mat is laid.
The grid is assembled from wooden slats measuring 30-50 mm. Wood preparation is the same. If you want to increase its resistance to shoe wear, treat the material with an acrylic compound used for repairing bathtubs.
It is advisable to separate the dressing room and the bathing compartment with a curtain made of waterproof textile fabric or polyvinyl chloride film
If desired, both the internal and external walls of the facing material can be painted and decorated with designs. The original design will allow you to turn the shower not only into a place for taking water procedures, but also into a decorative element of a suburban area.
Creating a warm shower at the dacha: figuring out the technical issues
Of course, before starting construction, you will have to make drawings of a warm shower in the country with your own hands in order to calculate all the materials, and in addition, the technical capabilities that you are going to endow this structure with.
After all, heated water is often available in such buildings only in hot weather, that is, it is heated naturally depending on weather conditions, but it can also be forced heating.
Heated country shower
It is this forced method of heating water, as well as the insulation of the architectural structure itself, that we want to tell you about and bring to your attention in this article.
Warm shower box
How to supply hot water
- The main problem for a shower separate from the house is hot or at least warm water - if in a building this can be organized from a common system, then autonomy is needed here. In this case, the most convenient option is a flow-through electric heater, because almost any country house is connected to the electrical network, therefore, installing such a device is a minor technical problem, where safety instructions against electric shock must be followed.
- Let’s say right away that this is not some kind of super option - the device does not heat the water to a very high temperature, especially if it is cold, but given the very specifics of a country shower, warm water will be quite enough for you. In most cases, even if the device is expensive, it will not heat water above 40 ⁰C, but you are unlikely to need more.
- Another option is to supply hot water from the house– the pipes are laid underground and insulated, but during transportation too much heat loss occurs and if this does not bother you, then this option is better than the first.
How to heat a shower stall
Infrared wall heaters
Of course, in the summer you will not have a question about how to heat the shower stall - it will already be warm or even hot there, but in the spring or autumn, when you plant a garden or harvest, your shower will most likely seem too chilly. But you can make such a box with heating here too, infrared heaters are ideal for heating and there are good reasons for this.
Firstly, the IR panel will very quickly heat up a small room, since there is a special principle of heat-calorie transfer - the panel will heat not the air, but nearby objects, which will become the source of heat.
Secondly, such devices can be installed in any place convenient for you - on the floor, on the ceiling and on the wall and, thirdly, they can be easily turned off and removed. This very “thirdly”, perhaps, is the dominant factor in favor of IR systems - they will not be stolen, since you will have the opportunity to bring them into the house for the winter, or even take them to the city.
Note. Infrared heaters come not only in different capacities, but also in different configurations.
That is, it can be a device in the form of a panel, but it can also be of a film type - the latest models can be installed under the cladding of walls and ceilings.
How to keep warm in a country shower
Insulation of boxing with polystyrene foam
So, we need an insulated shower in the country, that is, given that our design will be quite simple, most likely made of boards or OSB, this will not be enough to keep the cold from the street out. The two best materials for thermal insulation here are mineral wool (glass or stone (basalt), but not slag) and polystyrene foam (in extreme cases, extruded polystyrene foam, but it is much more expensive).
The process of laying such insulation is actually no different from installation in other rooms - the same frame and fastenings are most suitable for the material used.
But there is one very important nuance that arises in connection with the specifics of the shower box - it is constantly humid there, therefore, the thermal insulation must be protected from water splashes. If you are installing from the street side, then this question disappears by itself, but inside it is extremely important, otherwise you risk developing fungus and mold there.
Foil - excellent waterproofing
So, it is best to cover the insulation with ordinary thick cellophane film, and then cover this entire structure with foil or any thin foil insulation, as shown in the photo above. Here you will immediately, as it were, “kill two birds with one stone” - protect the insulation from moisture penetration and create an infrared reflector.
The fact is that foil has an excellent property - it reflects infrared rays, therefore, the excess consumption of heat calories in the box will be minimal.
Note. It is very important that you insulate not only the walls, but also the ceiling, since according to the laws of physics, heated air rises and if there is poor thermal insulation, the warm air will evaporate very quickly.
The same applies to ceiling waterproofing - steam, rising upward, will be reflected by foil insulation.
Plumbing nuances
Since we are insulating the shower box outside, it is quite natural that we will not make a drain (grid) floor there, since cold air will flow from below and all heating will be useless. In such cases, of course, it is best to fill the floor with a concrete screed with insulation, which is most often used as an expanded clay cushion laid on a layer of sand.
That is, the screed here is poured according to all the rules - the soil is planned, then a waterproofing film is laid with a fold on the walls, then a layer of sand of 2-3 cm is poured and after that - an expanded clay cushion, the thickness of which depends on the coldness of the soil, but not less than 4-5 cm.
Don’t think that we made a reservation about waterproofing the shower floor - the film is needed here not to prevent water from getting into the soil, but to keep the cushion dry - thereby reducing the thermal conductivity of the materials.
You will need to install a drain into the floor and take it to the general sewer system, a septic tank, or dig a cesspool nearby, but it should only be used for soapy water. But still, the best option would be a septic tank - not only will you not pollute the soil, but you will also not dilute the unpleasant odors that stagnant water gives off.
Conclusion
You understand that building a wooden box is quite easy, but how to make it so that you can wash in it during the cold season is a completely different question. So such a seemingly insignificant structure in this case will turn out to be a capital facility, but if you supply water underground, you will be able to wash there at any time of the year.
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