Take Your Shower Outdoors

Outdoor showers accent pool areas or backyards, providing a convenient place to clean off and a yard feature that is artistic and functional. “A shower outdoors is one of those things that seems odd at first, but when people see them at someone else’s place, they end up wanting them for their own backyard. We also get a lot of people who come home from a rental where they had one, and it’s the first thing they want at home when they get back,” says Ross Sicote of Walpole Woodworkers, a firm specializing in custom yard and garden features.

Outdoor Shower Types

There are essentially two kinds of outdoor showers — stand-alones and wall mounts. Stand-alones attach to flexible hosing and are mobile. Wall-mounts are stationary. Deciding whether your shower will be a portable or permanent installation is the first step in deciding what type of shower will work for you.

The very simplest of showers can be hooked up directly to a garden hose. Shower seekers can craft their own fittings, using tubing and a showerhead, or purchase a shower package from any number of retail outlets. As with all outdoor showers, the showerhead should be durable stainless steel or brass to stand up to weathering.

Single-hose showers are for the bravest outdoor types, as they typically only use cold water. These showers are usually portable and may come attached to a small platform for drainage. Portable showers are the most inexpensive option, with prices ranging anywhere from $50 to around $300, but some sell for as much as $2,000.