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How to Build a PVC Shower Chair

Erin Ringwald

Shower chairs allow your loved ones to shower independently if they are disabled or injured. Store-bought shower chairs are expensive. Making your own allows you to save money while imparting independence to the user.

PVC is made to withstand damage from the moisture in a shower.

Unlike traditional chairs, shower chairs cannot be made from wood or metal, since wood will mildew and metal will rust in the moisture of the shower. The preferred material for a shower chair is polyvinyl chloride, or PVC.

  1. Cut two pieces of woven mesh measuring 28 by 28 inches. Cut a 3-by-3-inch square out of each corner of both pieces of fabric. Wrap all four sides of both squares around a 2-by-22-inch PVC pipe. Overlap the fabric 1 inch and secure it with straight pins. Remove the pipes and sew along the straight pins with a sewing machine set on a straight stitch. Remove the straight pins.

  2. Reinsert the PVC pipes into the four pockets on one of the mesh squares. Connect the four pipes together using two four-way PVC pipe fittings and two three-way PVC pipe fittings to create the chair’s seat.

  3. Reinsert three PVC pipes into three of the pockets on the second mesh square. Use two 90-degree angle pipe fittings to connect the three pipes together, creating the back of the chair. Connect the back of the chair with the seat you created in Step 2 by inserting the open ends of the two back pipes into the open ends of the four-way pipe fittings of the seat.

  4. Create a square out of four 22-by-2-inch PVC pipes. Connect the four pipes together using four three-way pipe fittings. Insert an 18-by-2-inch PVC pipe into each of the open ends of the three-way connectors, creating a chair base and four legs.

  5. Place the seat of the chair onto the legs by inserting the 18-inch pipes into the open joints on the seat.

  6. Tip

    For a more secure connection, use PVC glue on the ends of each pipe before connecting them. If you choose to use PVC glue, let the glue dry a minimum of 24 hours before using the chair. Adjust the height and seat width as necessary for your specific needs.

The Drip Cap

  • Shower chairs allow your loved ones to shower independently if they are disabled or injured.
  • Cut a 3-by-3-inch square out of each corner of both pieces of fabric.
  • Use two 90-degree angle pipe fittings to connect the three pipes together, creating the back of the chair.