Help with water barrel?

[Mike]

Hey everyone! Seeing as I recently built a raised garden, making sure everything is water is now a priority. As such, I also want to help minimize my water bill during this summer. I've done research online and found that what I would want to do is make a rain barrel to collect water from my roof and gutters of my house.

Assuming that I am unable to obtain a barrel to use, I am willing to go the route of building a large wooden box that, lined with some type of waterproofing material, would contain the water. Can anyone recommend a good material to line wood with so that it will be able to contain water?

Also, please comment on my thoughts for designing the barrel (regardless of whether or not I obtain an actual barrel or build one myself):

The barrel will be placed on some brick pavers so that it is raised. Two spigots will be attached near the bottom of the barrel, one for filling a water can and one for a drip irrigation-type system. Ideally for the drip irrigation system, I would have a hose connected to the spigot that would be lined with holes and it would snake underneath my garden. For an overflow, I will be attaching a PVC pipe at the top to route water into a nearby sump pump system.

So, can anyone help me out or comment? Thanks!

[Cody Wellard]

I think your plan sounds excellent, unless you can get a plastic barrel new, you are never sure what chemical might be stored in them. Let us know how it turns out. Some photos would be great!

[gardengurl]

I'd check out this link it might have some ideas for you.
http://58a9ejo0onmgoj7jmytesypq7f.hop.clickbank.net/

Also places like Lowes may have a DIY project on their site.


Save on your Grocery Bill!
http://47f11uqykyray79jbdsf3way45.hop.clickbank.net/

[miles.o]

Hey everyone! Seeing as I recently built a raised garden, making sure everything is water is now a priority. As such, I also want to help minimize my water bill during this summer. I've done research online and found that what I would want to do is make a rain barrel to collect water from my roof and gutters of my house.

Assuming that I am unable to obtain a barrel to use, I am willing to go the route of building a large wooden box that, lined with some type of waterproofing material, would contain the water. Can anyone recommend a good material to line wood with so that it will be able to contain water?

Also, please comment on my thoughts for designing the barrel (regardless of whether or not I obtain an actual barrel or build one myself):

The barrel will be placed on some brick pavers so that it is raised. Two spigots will be attached near the bottom of the barrel, one for filling a water can and one for a drip irrigation-type system. Ideally for the drip irrigation system, I would have a hose connected to the spigot that would be lined with holes and it would snake underneath my garden. For an overflow, I will be attaching a PVC pipe at the top to route water into a nearby sump pump system.

So, can anyone help me out or comment? Thanks!

Hey Mike,

Did you ever find a way to waterproof your barrels? I actually found someone else with a similar problem... apparently he had paraffin lining his wooden water barrel. Someone else suggested Brewers Pitch.

Anyways, hope you were successful!

[Mr Yan]

I went redneck on this one and have two 32 gallon plastic trash cans as my rain barrel.

For the last three seasons I was just dipping the watering can into the rain pig and it worked well.

This year I coupled two cans together using two electrical-box bulkheads designed for watertight coupling to flexible conduit, a length of hose, and some hose clamps. I did this about 100 mm above the bottom so that as one barrel fills the second seeks the same level.

If you sneak a T fitting into the hose between the barrels you can have a hose to fill watering cans with using the natural pressure.

The trash cans were about $10 each on sale, the bulkheads were about $1.75 each, and I had the hose clamps around the shop.