It's summer, time to play in the beautiful weather! These are the long days filled with fun outdoor activities. Whether you play hard or work hard in the outdoor sun, showering alfresco has to be the best way to end your day! Trust me, you don't have to be at the beach to reap the benefits of showering in the great outdoors!
There are many, many reasons to love showering outside. Here are my top 7, but the list could go on and on and on and on!!!
1. Back to nature: Let's face it, there's something exciting and fun about being naked in your own backyard! Just bear in mind that a bit of modesty topped with some privacy is always a good thing! Your neighbors will thank you!
2. Easy to bathe the kids after a long day of play: Keep the dirt and grime outside by showering your kids before they even step foot inside! It's a win-win!
3. Rinse after a run: After a run in the sun, what's better than rinsing off in your outdoor shower?!
4. Post gardening clean-up: After digging in the dirt, wouldn't it be nice to shower outside?
5. Perfect for the pets: Fido can shower outside too! It's a great way to keep your furry friends clean!
6. It's hot out, why not cool of the natural way?: Rather than hanging out in the air conditioning, take a step closer to nature and cool off outside!
7. Makes your every day routine just a bit more special: We live in NH, so our window of opportunity is short, why not take advantage of the great weather and mix things up a bit?
Don't get me wrong, there are lots of considerations before putting in an outdoor shower. First you will want to consider location, of course! I suggest positioning your shower to take advantage of direct sun. This will help prevent rot and, I hate to say...that slimy stuff called scum. If your shower abuts your house, you will also want to add extra protection for your siding to prevent rot.
Place your shower in a spot close to the water shut off valve. When the weather turns cold again, you are going to want to be able to shut the water off to prevent freezing pipes.
Drainage is a must. Be sure that the water from your "rain room" floats away from your foundation and basement. There are lots of great solutions that look nice too! Keep it natural by using elements close to nature. Use something like rounded beach pebbles and some larger stones for standing on.
Privacy is sort of a no-brainer, right?! There are lots of creative ways to enclose your shower, but you will also want to maintain some air circulation too.
Don't forget to take advantage of the sights if at all possible!
If you aren't up for building an outdoor shower, another great solution is a prefab outdoor shower like this one from Oborain. Based out of Western Mass, Oborain specializes in building handcrafted prefab outdoor showers that are beautiful, functional and durable.
There are lots of great resources out there for you to determine exactly what you need to do prior to installing an outdoor shower. I found this article on Gardenista for lots of great tips.
You can also check out my Pinterest board Outdoor Showers for lots of inspiration!
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Renee possesses a rare combination of artistic creativity and intuitive design. Her warmth and compassion extended beyond working with us to understanding the style and feel of our home and how we live in it. We felt fortunate to work with and get to know Renee and absolutely love the updates she made to our home- from windows and walls to artwork and furniture!
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