Creating an Outdoor Shower Paradise

Creating a shower outside will be an improvement to any home. With so many choices of stone and block to choose from, custom designing will not be difficult. Within this article there are directions on how to use existing plumbing from the outside faucet and pointers on different materials to use when creating the walls of the shower enclosure.

Making a post to mount the shower head

For this part all you will need is a posthole digger and a post. If you are using wood make sure it is pressure treated and sealed to protect it from water rot. Choose the place you want to position the shower at and secure the post deep in the ground when you dig the hole using some quick set concrete mix in the hole will help the post stay affixed.

Gathering Materials for the Plumbing

Use half inch diameter piping, you may choose from galvanized piping, PVC or recycled piping. You will need:

Plumbers Tape

2 Straight pipes that are threaded at both ends 3 foot long each

2 Elbow shaped pipes

1 Eight inch long pipe

1 three-quarter inch by 12 inch double female water hose coupling, swivel

1 half inch diameter gate valve faucet

Place piping in order of assembly on the ground. Assemble piping using plumbers tape around the threaded ends to ensure a leak free connection, place the faucet valve on the center pipe. Leave off water hose coupling for now.

Putting it all together

Once the post has set and the piping is assembled, drill a three quarter inch hole about 80 inches from the top of the post. Place the short end of the piping through the hole and secure it with C-shaped fasteners. Now you may attach the water hose coupling to the end of the pipe and hook-up the garden hose to test for leaks.

Building the walls and floors

For simple drainage use pea gravel, river rock or egg rock with a platform on top. Make a dug-out about 4x4 and at least 6 inches deep. In the bottom of the dug-out add gravel or lava rock for drainage and cover with soil. Next, river rock or egg rock maybe placed on top of the drainage layer, or stepping stones may be another option. Building the walls is the fun part; here is where you can give your shower a custom look. Cement block, brick, glass block, flag stones or a simple wood slatted partition are a few choices. If you'd like to add an Asian flair you could use bamboo fencing that comes in rolls and is very easy to install. Last, adding plants and foliage around the shower area really will give an oasis feeling.