Get water for your garden and a waterfall for your window for free or low-cost with common items from around your house or at a thrift/discount store.
You get natural rainwater to save for watering your garden when needed later and the soothing sound of a waterfall when it rains (so now you'll have another reason to look forward to a rainy day).
Simply place a sheet of material under the lip of your roof, resting across the gutter and about half the sheet hanging over the gutter so the water will cascade into your container below.
All you need is three items:
1) Any large solid container (if there are holes, fill or tape the holes) -- an old garbage can works great.
2) Any thin sheet of metal or plastic that is flexible but does not droop when held up in the air with one hand and similar in width to the width of your container (so, if your container is about 1 foot wide then your sheet could be approximately 1 foot square by one-eighth inch thick) -- a piece of metal from a worn out screen door works well here (and if you do use a screen door, you can place the screen portion over your container to keep out leaves and debris)
3) Two c-clamps or other clamps to secure the middle of the sheet on each side to your gutter.
ENJOY!
By Leo from Portland, OR
By
10/28/2011
Thanks, a great idea and you make it sound so easy! I love rain barrels, they remind me of time spent at my grandparents' house in the country when I was growing up. My cousin and I loved dipping our hands in the cool water in the summer!
By
01/13/2012
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