05-24-2011, 01:36 PM
I feel like I need to put this somewhere...
I've been sadly distracted from my model adventures for the last couple of weeks. Trying to get stuff around the house, inside and outside. Re-painting the living/dining area, trying to do yard work in-between torrential rain storms etc. The grass got so bloody high that when the weather finally broke last week I had to trim it three times! The first time was done holding the mover up on its back wheels lest it clog from the uber sized grass clippings. So the grass is cut, the living room is almost done... just some trim work and then finally the irony of it all I got some rain barrels installed on my eaves.
The City of Toronto is enacting a by-law that will require all single home dwelling owners to disconnect their eaves troughs from the weeping tile around the foundation of the homes. Presently the weeping tile from our homes is connected to the city storm drains. They - The City - say that this is to minimize run off from rain storms into the city's water treatment systems... sure, I guess.
Long and the short of it is I don't want to get fined by the City next year because I didn't do this. :| Besides there is something almost benign about collecting rain water to use for your flower beds and garden. The rain barrels are food grade 55 gallon plastic drums. They cost me 50 bucks each, which I consider a steal as the fancy, commercially available ones at Lowes or Home Depot run about 70 - 100 dollars which is ridiculous!
Not exactly an easy job in my case. The eaves on the North side of my house was located dead center along the wall right next to the back door. So I had to traverse a ladder more times then I dare to recall to relocate the downspout and drop the eaves along the wall towards the back N/E corner of the house. The downspout on the South side, thankfully was located closer to the front corner of the house and just involved a simple chop and modification. Some forty five degree elbows plus a small piece to reach the water "intake" at the top and presto. The rain barrels are up off the ground about 10 inches supported by some cinder blocks and a single patio stone to sit on.
[album]3955[/album]
My gals posing with the one install on the infamous North corner of the house.
[album]3956[/album]
The second one which was a piece of cake compared to the first one.
[album]3957[/album]
...and just in the nick of time. About an hour after I cleaned up and put away my tools this bad boy of a storm front came rolling in. It rained buckets for about an hour and a half. At one point during the middle I wandered outside with an umbrella to see how effective my set up was working. The water was literally spewing out of the downspout and the barrels were already full to the point that water was pouring out of the overflow hose.
Today I am a little sun burnt and sore but happy with a job well done.
Thanks for looking.
I've been sadly distracted from my model adventures for the last couple of weeks. Trying to get stuff around the house, inside and outside. Re-painting the living/dining area, trying to do yard work in-between torrential rain storms etc. The grass got so bloody high that when the weather finally broke last week I had to trim it three times! The first time was done holding the mover up on its back wheels lest it clog from the uber sized grass clippings. So the grass is cut, the living room is almost done... just some trim work and then finally the irony of it all I got some rain barrels installed on my eaves.
The City of Toronto is enacting a by-law that will require all single home dwelling owners to disconnect their eaves troughs from the weeping tile around the foundation of the homes. Presently the weeping tile from our homes is connected to the city storm drains. They - The City - say that this is to minimize run off from rain storms into the city's water treatment systems... sure, I guess.
Long and the short of it is I don't want to get fined by the City next year because I didn't do this. :| Besides there is something almost benign about collecting rain water to use for your flower beds and garden. The rain barrels are food grade 55 gallon plastic drums. They cost me 50 bucks each, which I consider a steal as the fancy, commercially available ones at Lowes or Home Depot run about 70 - 100 dollars which is ridiculous! Not exactly an easy job in my case. The eaves on the North side of my house was located dead center along the wall right next to the back door. So I had to traverse a ladder more times then I dare to recall to relocate the downspout and drop the eaves along the wall towards the back N/E corner of the house. The downspout on the South side, thankfully was located closer to the front corner of the house and just involved a simple chop and modification. Some forty five degree elbows plus a small piece to reach the water "intake" at the top and presto. The rain barrels are up off the ground about 10 inches supported by some cinder blocks and a single patio stone to sit on.
[album]3955[/album]
My gals posing with the one install on the infamous North corner of the house.
[album]3956[/album]
The second one which was a piece of cake compared to the first one.
[album]3957[/album]
...and just in the nick of time. About an hour after I cleaned up and put away my tools this bad boy of a storm front came rolling in. It rained buckets for about an hour and a half. At one point during the middle I wandered outside with an umbrella to see how effective my set up was working. The water was literally spewing out of the downspout and the barrels were already full to the point that water was pouring out of the overflow hose.
Today I am a little sun burnt and sore but happy with a job well done.
Thanks for looking.