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My old rain barrel split at the seam last Tuesday after 8 summers of use

I bought that plastic barrel back in 2016 from a local garden shop in Portland, and it finally gave out during that big storm we had. The seam just opened up and dumped 50 gallons of water right onto my foundation. Has anyone switched to a metal or concrete rain collection system that lasted longer?

2 comments

2 Comments

martinez.kim1mo ago

Have you looked into those old school terracotta urn setups? I had a neighbor in Seattle who swore by his hand-thrown clay cistern from some artisan down in Mexico. Thing lasted like 12 years until a tree branch crashed through it during a windstorm, but the crack was just a hairline and he patched it with some epoxy and it held for another 3 seasons. My plastic barrel only made it 6 summers before the bottom rotted out from standing water and moss growth. The metal ones I've seen around look sharp but they rust where the spigot connects if you don't drain them properly before winter. What kind of setup are you thinking about trying?

lee_reed1mo ago

Haven't you tried sealing the crack with flex tape? I always thought plastic was fine till a friend's split last spring.