No one wants dirty, sandy feet traipsing through the cottage door. I built this outdoor shower for my family so they could clean up after a day of swimming in the lake and playing in the sand. Hook it up to a hot-water source, and your kids can use it to take off the lake's chill as they rinse.
The details that separate this shower from the commercially available ones are the foot-friendly deck slats that have hidden fasteners and the generous 6' height of the shower head. The copper and brass water fittings and solid-cedar construction should last outdoors for a long time-no maintenance required.
All of the parts for the shower were cut from standard-size lumber. I used 6"-wide 5/4 boards for the deck slats, and the rest of the parts were cut from cedar 2x6s.
Download the outdoor shower illustrated plans here!
Plumbing checklist
Elbow: 3/4"-dia. x 90ยบ copper, 1
Hose adaptor: female hose thread to 3/4" dia. copper, 1
Foot wash valve: 3/4" boiler drain, 1
Foot wash adaptor: 3/4" male to 1/2" male pipe thread, 1
Tee fitting: 3/4", copper, 1
Foot wash shower head: small, low-flow style, brass, 1
Main valve: 3/4" stop valve, 1
Main shower head adaptor: 3/4" copper to 1/2" female pipe thread, 1
Main shower head: 4"-dia. rainshower, brass, 1
Pipe: 3/4"-dia. x 120"*, copper, 1
Pipe straps: 1
*Total length required
Feet first
Cut the two feet to length with a chop saw, then mark out the curved bottom edge. To lay out a smooth curve, drive a couple of nails into the face of each board, 3 1/2" from each end. Using these nails as stops, bend a thin strip of wood up to a mark 1 1/2" from the edge, centred on the board. Run a pencil along the bent strip to mark the curve. Cut along the curved line using a bandsaw or handheld jigsaw, and smooth the edge with a stationary spindle sander or handheld belt sander spinning a 150-grit abrasive.
Next, lay out and cut the notches that will receive the side and middle joists according to the locations shown on the plans. I used a handsaw to make the vertical cuts, then I knocked the waste free with a hammer. Cedar splits easily along the grain, but any rough edges will be hidden when the joint is assembled later. Repeat the process for the other foot.
Move on to the joists. Start by cutting the three pieces of 2x6 cedar to length. Next, make a template of the decorative end pattern. Draw the profile onto a sheet of 1/4"-thick plywood. To create the pattern, you can use the grid diagram in the plans or you can download and print a full-size version from our website.
Cut out the profile using a bandsaw or jigsaw, then sand the edges smooth. This plywood template makes it easy to transfer the profile to the ends of all three joists. Cut the ends to shape and sand all edges smooth. Next, mark and cut notches on the joists as you did for the feet.
Hidden fasteners
It would be faster and easier to secure deck boards with screws driven down from the top, but invisible fastening looks much nicer, so it's well worth the extra trouble, especially for such a small project. Start by sawing a 1"-wide strip off the top edge of both side joists. Dry-fit the side joists and the feet together, then place the freshly sawn 1" strips back on top of the joists. Hold these temporarily in place with a couple strips of masking tape. Next, cut your deck boards from 5/4 stock, making each one 2 1/2" wide by 24" long. Roundover all edges with sandpaper.
Arrange the deck boards on top of the joists using 1/2"-wide scraps as spacers. Once you're happy with the positioning, carefully add a drop of weatherproof glue to each joint between your deck board and the top strips of the joist material. Let the glue dry, then flip the assembly over to access the underside.
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