Installing a (Manufactured) Rain Harvesting Barrel

$130
2 Hours
Medium
I installed half round gutters and corrugated downspouts on my house recently ... (I have an old house and I wanted to maintain this look). As I was doing this, and since I knew I had some nearby yard work planned, I incorporated a rain barrel. After some research (through which I learned there is no shortage of techniques for making rain barrels nor in the shear number of rain barrels now on the market), I chose a 60 gallon rain barrel made by a company called EarthMinded. I picked it because 1) it looked good 2) it was comparatively large 3) it looked easy to install and 4) it could be bought through a local conservancy that subsidized the barrels bringing their cost down. With rain barrels (like real estate) location location location is everything. Screened (at least partially) from the road, I set the barrel just downhill of last year's Vinca planting and just uphill from a bit of grass I intended to overseed (I completed this this past weekend and plan to post on it). I purchased 2 bags of pea gravel, used scrap (ground-contact-rated) 4x4s (further treated) and a spare piece of blue stone. Together, this/these provided a solid, level and elevated base (all very important). Assembling and installing the barrel was a snap (Earthminded's instructions were excellent) BUT I did have to request beforehand a kit that would work with my new round downspouts. I may write more about this project on my blog in the coming weeks but for now if you have questions, don't be afraid to ping me. Thanks for reading. ~jb
Rain Barrel.
selection of barrels at local conservancy Blue Water Baltimore.
prepping for overseeding, a slope downhill of the rain barrel.
Half round gutters corrugated downspout.
rain barrel screened from the road.
parts that came with EarthMinded's rain barrel kit.
pressure treated 4x4s treated further with copper-based wood preservative.
leveling and setting the base (outside edge 24" apart).
leveling and marking the downspout for the barrel's diverter cut in.
a look at the rain barrel's diverter.
hose cut brought tight and leveled.
A scrap piece of hose was fitted with hose repair menders ... perfect for watering nearby.
Building Moxie
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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