A garden is for pottering and working. Creative do-it-yourselfers can let off steam here and create the most beautiful works of art. Do you make a lot of things in your garden yourself? Why not the rain barrel too? With the help of the instructions on this page, you will soon be able to decorate your property with a useful example that will certainly look nicer than the conventional models from specialist shops.

An old barrel makes an excellent rain barrel

Building instructions for a normal rain barrel

material

It is best to use wood for your own water butt. The material is easy to process, weather-resistant and also looks beautiful and natural. You also need some pond liner and fleece for sealing. How to proceed:

  1. Lay wooden boards close together in a vertical position so that there are no gaps between the individual boards.
  2. Screw the boards together at both the top and bottom.
  3. Additional metal rings ensure even more stability.
  4. Screw these once around the barrel to every second board.
  5. Now line the inside of the rain barrel with fleece.
  6. This serves to protect the pond liner.
  7. Also consider the floor.
  8. Place the pond liner over it.
  9. Press the foil to the inside edge of the bin.
  10. Fix the film at the top with a metal ring or environmentally friendly adhesive.
  11. Be careful not to damage the foil.

You may find that you have underestimated your water consumption and the volume of your self-made water butt is simply too small. In this case, the construction of a water collection system is a good idea:

Building instructions for a water collection system

material

To build a water collection system, you need several barrels with a minimum volume of 200 l. Alternatively, you can also use rubbish bins, provided no environmentally harmful substances have been stored in them beforehand. In any case, you should clean the containers thoroughly.

manual

  1. Choose a location in close proximity to a downspout.
  2. Level the ground at the desired location.
  3. Create a gravel bed at this point to promote water drainage.
  4. This should be 2 cm thick in total.
  5. Make a concrete pedestal.
  6. Drill a hole in the water butt and install the spout.
  7. Mount the overflow valve in a second hole in the upper area.
  8. Connect the barrels with more holes at the bottom.
  9. Finally, guide the downpipe into one of the barrels.

Category:

Garden design