Rain Barrel Installation: Part 2

Ok, so we have a stand. Next step, actually hooking up the rain barrel to the gutter. We started by getting the stand where we wanted (and leveled) and then put the rain barrel on top. The next step is to get a hacksaw and cut the downspout at least 12 inches above the top of the rain barrel.










So far, pretty easy. Now, we have to trim the cut-off part of the downspout so that it will fit back on to the diverter. We followed the directions for size, but we actually used regular scissors to cut the gutter.





Next, we slipped the diverter onto the hanging downspout.





Then we placed the cut off downspout onto the overflow and strapped it back down, using the gutter strap that was already there. The kit came with about 3 ft of white tubing to connect the diverter to the rainbarrel, so we had to trim it down.














And that's it! The rain barrel is ready to use.

In the final episode of "Rain Barrel Installation", I'll tell you about the watering system I'm using for my veggie garden.

Rain Barrel Installation: Building a Stand

It's a beautiful Sunday morning in my backyard - the birds are singing, the lilacs smell amazing - and I can see our newly installed rain barrel. While it was a big project, now that it's all done, I feel that I can say that most people would be able to get this done with a little help from a friend. Doing a project together is always more fun than going it alone anyway.

So, the first step to installing a rain barrel is building a stand - unless you live on a hill. Since rain barrels have no water pressure, elevating them uses gravity to push water through the hose. We decided to make our stand about 2 ft high.


Supplies:
1 - 4" x 4" x 8'
2" x 4" (we have a bunch of these that were used for a project & then disassembled. We ended up using about 28' worth.)
Outdoor rated screws - 3" long
Wood stain/treatment - we used a color called Canyon Brown
Table saw
Drill/screwdriver
Paintbrush
Measuring tape
T-square (or something that helps you see when things are at nice 90 degree angles)

Unfortunately, Lowe's can't cut 4" x 4"s. We used our table saw, but quite possibly you could find a local lumber yard that would be willing to help you out for a small fee.

First, we built the base. Obviously, the 4" x 4"s were the legs.



We left the front bottom open because eventually, overflow from the gutter will end up coming out there. Our cuts weren't perfectly straight, but they were close enough. Even though we used our angle checker thing-a-ma-bob, we still had to tweak it a little - but that was easy enough.




Then we added the top. We left spaces in between the 2" to keep the weight down a little, and to keep water from puddling up on top. I'm sure you could use 1" x 4"s instead, we just have the 2"x 4"s already, and we like to reuse.
















Finally, we stained the whole thing - we want it to be pretty water-resistant & last a long time, so we covered the stand pretty thoroughly.
Huge thanks to Steve for all of his work on this project. He is patient & thoughtful, and I couldn't ask for a better partner for any kind of project!

Up next: Installing the rain barrel!

Earth Day Sale from the Etsy Trashoin Team

To promote environmental awareness and celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day,
the Etsy Trashion Team is having a sale on Etsy for just one week:
April 16th through April 22nd.



The Trashion Team is a group of artists that creates art, jewelry, fashion and objects for the home from materials that were leftover, discarded, or found, and sell them on Etsy.

Trashion Team members will run promotions in their Etsy shops ranging from free shipping, to free gift with purchase, to up to 20% off. Visit these shops on Etsy for specific details about each participating artist’s sale:

SewTrendy.etsy.com
clairebabydesigns.etsy.com
ink4yoursole.etsy.com
anyonesguess.etsy.com
oddartist.etsy.com
slyraccoon.etsy.com
greenworks.etsy.com
lilgreenshop.etsy.com
MonkeyDogStudio.etsy.com
junck.etsy.com
candycalamity.etsy.com
bellavioletta.etsy.com
leslietsy.etsy.com
siragwatkins.etsy.com
alexkeller.etsy.com
vintagebyalexkeller.etsy.com
funkybutchic.etsy.com
auclairdelalune.etsy.com
remaker.etsy.com
zJayne.etsy.com
petitedancer25.etsy.com
creativecastaways.etsy.com
eyepopart.etsy.com
ecokaren.etsy.com
metamorphosi.etsy.com
jakboutique.etsy.com
maram.etsy.com
chinadoodle.etsy.com
bprdesigns.etsy.com
catpainter.etsy.com
goodgirlsstudio.etsy.com

Help promote environmental awareness. Visit the Etsy Trashion team blog
and the team Facebook Fan page during the Earth Day Sale Event April 16-22.

Trashion is all about bringing out the beauty in unconventional objects and materials. For team members, recycling is an art and an ideal. The Etsy Trashion Team is a group on Etsy for those interested in trashion. Etsy is a website which provides the general public with a way to buy and sell handmade items as well as vintage items and craft supplies.

An eco-tip that's a little ... batty.

Yesterday, my honey and I installed a bat box! (And by 'I', I mean that I handed him tools while he was 10 ft. up on the ladder.) We are really excited about this because in past summers, our yard has been overtaken by mosquitoes. Since we live in an urban area, it's hard for us to control things (like standing water) that encourages mosquito breeding.

A few bat facts ...
Most US bats eat insects. A single bat can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in one hour.
Fewer than 0.5% of bats have rabies. Since 1960 there have only been 40 reported cases of humans getting rabies from bats.
Bats like to come out to eat at night around dusk. Bats flight pattern is much more erratic than birds so look for this pattern.

We bought our bat house at Lowe's, but there are plans to help you build your own! Here's a link to several plans: http://www.eparks.org/wildlife_protection/wildlife_facts/bats/bat_house.asp

Toilet flushing is responsible for about 30 percent of all water used by the average American household, which means that almost 44,000 gallons of quality water is flushed away per family every year.

Upgrading to a high-efficiency toilet would be ideal, but since you & I live in the real world, there are some simple things you can do to improve your current model.
I've used something called a tank bag to reduce the amount of water my toilet uses per flush. It's basically a plastic bag that you fill with water and hook to the side of the tank. You could also submerge a filled water bottle - but add some rocks or sand for extra weight, and place them carefully!

Don't use a brick - this will degrade over time and can harm the toilet.

A leaky toilet can waste up to 200 gallons per day! To see if your toilet is leaking, drop some food coloring in the tank & wait 15 min. If the color shows up in the bowl, you've got a leak. There are some things you can do to fix it, but you might need to call a plumber.

Eco Tip #3! Recycled Paper Products

Conventional paper products use massive quantities of trees! Here's the facts on replacing virgin fiber products with recycled:

Toilet Paper
If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper (500 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 423,900 trees.

Facial Tissue
If every household in the United States replaced just one box of virgin fiber facial tissues (175 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 163,000 trees.

Paper Towels
If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber paper towels (70 sheets) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 544,000 trees.

Napkins
If every household in the United States replaced just one package of virgin fiber napkins (250 count) with 100% recycled ones, we could save 1 million trees.

Of course, cloth hankerchiefs, rags, sponges, and cloth napkins are even better than recycled paper - but there are some messes you just don't ever want to think about washing off a rag. (I'm sure other pet owners know what I mean.)

Easy to find brands (using at least 60% PCW (post-consumer waste) and processed chlorine-free(PCF)): Whole Foods 365, Trader Joe's, CVS Earth Essentials, & Seventh Generation.

Eco tip of the week - Biodegradable soaps

Start replacing conventional soaps & detergents with plant-based, biodegradable ones. Biodegradable products of any kind will break down into elements found in nature within a reasonable amount of time. 'Conventional' products are made with petroleum and chemicals that will take years to break down, and also contaminate our water supply.

Fortunately, biodegradable soaps are easy to find these days at just about any grocery store. You do need to look a little more closely - and be sure to read the labels. If a product claiming to be biodegradable doesn't have an ingredient list, it almost certainly includes unpronouncable chemicals.
EXTRA CREDIT: look for products that use recycled plastic for their containers - especially those that are using some Post-Consumer-Waste (PCW).

Some easy to find biodegradable products include: Method, Mrs. Meyer's, Ecover, and Seventh Generation. Trader Joe's also has biodegradable cleaning products.

It's easy being green, baby!