The Door is Open, broken and catching water!

A couple of years ago (two I think) our garage doors took a hit during a storm and one of them wasn't able to be repaired.  So it was time to replace both garage doors!

Below is the new door but gives you an idea of the panels that I mention.

 All the metal materials (the rails that the doors ride on) and all of the pressboard from the panels ended up in a pile in the yard - a lot of the metal was twisted and bent.  I was able to dig right in and use the panel pieces right away as benches for plant growing in the greenhouse - an immediate upcycle!

Below is one of the benches that I made with a pressboard panel.  Of course covered in the upcycled tinfoil that the Senior class gave me!

The below photo shows the twisted pile of metal that used to be the guide rails for the doors.  I just had to find something I could use them for!  I can't stand dumpster only items so.....

I got my trusty saw and my tin snips and I went to work making a way to catch more rainwater from my barrel system.  I have a great water catchment system set up from the greenhouse and my little shed that I put rain gutter on and directed it into a series of barrels.  But when it is really hot and dry I go through all the water from the barrels in a hurry.  The barrels fill up and then just overflow onto the ground - but I wanted to be able to also use rain water to fill up the barrel inside the greenhouse with that great mineral filled rain water as well. 

Below is a chunk of the metal that I started with.  I planned to create a diversion system to a secondary water tub beneath each rain barrel to give me and extra 50 gallons or so of water.  I know that I have a hose and sprinkler, but the sprinkler spray only waters to an inch or two below the surface and it uses a lot of electricity running the pump to try to get the water to the plants.  Its a way better system to have gallons of water on standby - relatively free that I can pour a good quantity onto the area directly where I need it.

I know it doesn't look like much but just wait!

I used the same sealant that I used to keep the rain gutter together (recommended by my Lowe's helper).  My rain barrels are upcycled soap barrels from a car wash.  I paid $25.00 each for them from the local car wash and rinsed them really well before I used them.  Call your local car wash or watch for them on Craigslist.

I measured and cut a rectangle wedge out of the lowest side of the rain barrel.  I used my tin snips to flap the barrel end of the metal trough (see below) to give the water a good path.  I put a seam of the sealant on each edge of the cut and wedged the metal trough part into the space.  After it was dry I used sealant around all of the edges that touch the barrel.

This way when the main barrel becomes full it diverts it into the lower barrel/tub.  The one below is just a Rubbermaid plastic tub that gives me an extra 20 gallons of water, but even if all you have is a 5 gallon bucket its a good thing!

I am thinking I will put this on the base of an old yard cart that the sides are missing from so that I can roll it to the plants I need to get it to.  

The barrel below has two incoming gutter pipes - one from each side of the shed - that is the reason I did this barrel first - it fills up faster than any of the others.  I plan to do this with all of the barrels I have around the greenhouse and house.  Makes great use of the damaged metal and makes my life easier as well!

Simple and fairly easy to DIY!  See what you have to use that can upcycle into a great catchment system for your farm!

*** There are some states that restrict the catchment of water - please do check the regulations where you live - or be a water outlaw!