Hi,
I’d like to put a rain barrel on a deck. Will the deck need any strengthening or additional support?
The barrel is 60 gallons and will weigh 500 lbs when full. It is round with a diameter of 23″, giving a load of about 170 lbs/ft2 right under the barrel. The barrel will of course not be full all the time, and will be empty all winter.
I believe the deck has 2X10 joists 16″ OC. It is probably a 10X20′ deck.
I would think the total deck load is not an issue, since the deck will support more than 500 lbs of snow in the winter when the rain barrel is empty.
But what about the peak load right under the barrel? I think the barrel can be placed in a corner, so it will be close to a post, and further the barrel footprint will extend out beyond the first joist so that the load will not be concentrated on the decking itself.
Any advice is appreciated!
Thanks,
Mark
Replies
Advice ? Yeah.
Drill a 1" hole in the barrel about a foot off the bottom.
Greg
any of those chicks from Petty Coat Junction gonna be skinny dippin' in it by chance?
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Yeah, right. That would be the moment when the whole assembly plunges through the deck and dumps them onto the ground. Of course, I would be there to lend assistance.
Gosh, I guess my eyesight is going faster than I thought...I could have sworn I logged on to Fine Homebuilding, not Yahoo...
Mark
Mark,
I sunk my two rain barrels in the ground and draw the water up with a hand pump. Sure it takes a bit of elbow grease but it got them out of sight and I didn't have to worry about the weight load of whatever I put them on.
Plus everyone wonders where that water comes from!!!
Just a thought.
Mike
Yes, that would be a possibility. But in this case, the rain barrel is actually for an older lady who would not be interested in hand pumping water.
Initially we had talked about putting a single bigger tank (1000 or 1500 gallons) somewhere and using a pump to supply pressurized water. But that got a little complicated and expensive, especially if the tank is buried, because then you need an strengthened tank and a LOT of digging.
Thanks,
Mark
500 pounds? That sounds like me and my brother standing on my deck swilling a couple of beers. Then suppose my neighbor comes over and grabs one too, stands there with us jawing. He weighs 300, easy. No, the deck isn't going to fall in. I suppose if you're really concerned you could buy a precast concrete pier from the lumber yard, stick it under the deck, and throw in a 4x4 leg supporting the nearest joist. That would hold up an additional few tons, at least.
If the deck was built right in the first place, it won't be a problem, but you have said nothing about the structure other than that it handles some snow
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My concern would be creating a permanently cool damp place on the deck, ideal for termites and dry rot. Just like having a big potted plant, that's where it'll rot out.
-- J.S.
Yes, that could be a concern, just from water getting trapped under the barrel and taking longer than normal to evaporate. Maybe I should build a little elevated platform for it. A platform with a wider footprint could help spread the load across another joist, too.
Mark