Parts You Need to Build a Rain Barrel
Building a rain barrel is an easy and cost-effective way not only to water your vegetable or flower garden, but to help save the environment too. It really is not hard or even expensive to make a rain barrel and there are only five parts you will need to round up before you can begin. Does this Spark an idea?
55-Gallon Drum
Although any type of 55-gallon drum will do (as long as it was not used to store chemicals), the blue drums used by food establishments are perfect for building rain barrels. Heavy-duty and made of durable plastic, these barrels are easy to move when empty, and since they are plastic, there is no need to worry about them rusting from the rain water inside.
Downspout
Downspouts located on the side of the house can provide a fast and effective way to quickly fill a rain barrel. There is the disadvantage that once you have cut away part of the downspout to fit the barrel underneath, you will have to replace it if you remove the barrel, but the trade-off for the amount of money you can save may make the sacrifice worth it.
Four Cinder Blocks
Since gravity is the key to getting the water out of the barrel, it needs to be placed on something that allows the water to flow downward. Four cinder blocks with two stacked side-by-side on the ground and the next two placed crosswise on top of them will provide a solid foundation for the barrel to sit on and is the right height to let the water flow.
Hose Spigot
A 3/4-inch hose spigot placed about 3 inches from the bottom of the rain barrel provides enough height to attach a water hose for watering, but also allows any debris that has gotten into the barrel to go to the bottom, helping to keep the spigot from becoming clogged.
Screen Wire
When there is no lid for a barrel, using screen wire across the top can help keep bugs, leaves and other debris out of the water and also prevents small animals, such as squirrels or possums from falling in.
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