See Our Rain Barrels Available!

Flat Back Plastic Rain Barrel — Baton Rouge, LA — Pioneer Gutters

White Oak Rain Barrel — Baton Rouge, LA — Pioneer Gutters

Column 40 Gallon Vinyl Rain Barrel — Baton Rouge, LA — Pioneer Gutters

Urn 50 Gallon Rain Barrel — Baton Rouge, LA — Pioneer Gutters

Small Decanter 50 Gallon — Baton Rouge, LA — Pioneer Gutters

Large Decanter Molded Plastic Rain Barrel — Baton Rouge, LA — Pioneer Gutters

Rough Rock 42 Gallon Resin — Baton Rouge, LA — Pioneer Gutters

Resin Rock Fountain — Baton Rouge, LA — Pioneer Gutters

49 Gallon Plastic Rain Barrel — Baton Rouge, LA — Pioneer Gutters

Planter Polyethylene Rain Barrel — Baton Rouge, LA — Pioneer Gutters

Firewood Resin Rain Barrel — Baton Rouge, LA — Pioneer Gutters

Rain Barrel FAQ

How long does it take to fill my rain barrel?

It depends on how much roof area drains into your barrel. The average size roof area that drains into one downspout is 300 sq ft or 30 ft long by 10 ft wide. It takes only 0.3 inches of rainfall to fill one, 55 gal barrel off of 300 sq ft of roof!
Can I run a sprinkler with my rain barrel?

Rain barrels operate by gravity, which means it is not pressurized to efficiently run a sprinkler or through a long section of garden hose. However, the more elevated you place your barrel, the more pressure you will get, which is why we recommend raising your barrel off the ground. Rain barrels do provide enough pressure to operate drip irrigation and soaker hoses without too much effort. If you do want to run a sprinkler, exterior pumps are available.
What about mosquitoes?

Our barrels feature small screen or completely enclosed tops making it extremely difficult for mosquitoes to infiltrate your barrel. Regular use of the rain barrel will make your rain barrel less attractive to breeding mosquitoes, since they need standing water for at least 10 days to reproduce. If you do notice a few mosquitoes, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the rain barrel. It creates a skim layer on the top of the water that mosquitoes don’t like & they will leave.
How heavy is a rain barrel?

Our oak rain barrels weigh 130lbs empty and 625lbs when full. Plastic rain barrels weigh about 20lbs empty and 400lbs or more when full. Always make sure your rain barrel is on a secure, level surface.
Is the rain barrel water safe to drink?

We never recommend drinking rainwater from a rain barrel.
Why is rainwater better for my plants?

Rainwater is better because it does not contain the chemicals & additives that many cities add to drinking water to make it safe for human consumption. Well-water often has a lot of minerals and other deposits that affect plant growth. Rainwater contains nitrates, which contain nitrogen, a vital ingredient to plant health & vigor! Once you switch to rainwater, you will notice your indoor & outdoor plants grow bigger & healthier
My oak rain barrel leaks a little, is it defective?

95% of leaks from oak rain barrels are due to extended periods of sitting void of liquid, or “empty”. This occurs during summer months where we experience extended periods of dry weather or after winter storage. Simply fill your rain barrel to capacity and let the wood soak the water up. The oak will naturally expand back and close the leaks, usually within a few hours.
I’m getting little flow out of the spigot, what’s wrong?

Sometimes a piece of charcoal from the inside of the wood barrel or other piece of debris such as leaves will clog the spigot. Simply unscrew the spigot and remove the obstruction.
Does the water become stagnant if I don’t use it right away?

For rainwater to stagnate, it needs to have organic matter in it. The decomposing organic matter such as leaves or twigs will cause bacteria and other microorganisms to call your rain barrel water “home”. Make sure to keep your gutters clean and the screen on your rain barrel secure to prevent debris from entering the barrel.
We don’t have gutters on our house, can we still use a rain barrel?

Yes! Simply order a wooden rain barrel with the open screen option or utilize one of our plastic barrels by placing it where you normally receive a lot of runoff from your roof. Good locations are usually where the roof line creates a valley that directs the water onto the ground.

Rain Barrel Care

Rain barrels require a little care

All of our wooden barrels are made to hold liquids and have done so for many years. If barrels are allowed to dry out the wood will shrink and the hoops will loosen. To prevent this don’t let the barrel drain completely.

Wood Rain Barrels are made of untreated white oak and therefore wood boring insects may attack your barrel. Lift your barrel off the ground to prevent infestations.

Elevating your rain barrel on a stand or blocks makes water retrieval easier and improves water flow. If you do elevate, make sure everything is level, stable, and secure. A full rain water barrel may weigh more than 300 lbs.

If you are not connecting multiple barrels together, attach a 6 foot flexible hose to the over flow valve and extend it away from your building to prevent water infiltration into your foundation.

Plastic barrels: a once a month application of Amour-all will help protect against UV damage.

Often times debris will clog the screen on the downspout adapter, clean out the screen to prevent water backup.

Wood Rain Barrels held whiskey and then beer, there will be a slight odor from time to time. We do not recommend putting barrels inside at any time.

Empty wood barrels weigh approx. 130 lbs. full barrels can easily exceed 500 lbs.

Winter Storage

If left outside, drain wood barrel to spigot level then leave spigot open to prevent damage.

Barrels may be brought inside a garage or storage shed but should still be drained to spigot level.

DO NOT tip wood barrel upside down to drain water, a small amount of water must be left inside wood barrel at all times.

Plastic barrels should be tipped upside down to drain all water out, it is recommended to put plastic barrels inside a garage or barn to protect from harsh winter conditions.