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2 piece lid vs 1 piece lid - Which is better?
25 July 2007
As of a result of our experimentation we have determined that for our use, the 55 Gallon (220 L) olive barrels are the best option for the do it yourself rain barrel builder. They are the least expensive and require the least amount of modification.
Generally these food grade barrels come with either a one piece lid or a 2 piece lid (mason jar style). Which kind of barrel should you get? Well it depends…
We have found that there is a greater availability of the one piece lids in Ottawa so for that reason alone it is just easier to get the one piece. There is a catch, unless you want to do more elaborate downspout modification where you get tubing that will fit directly into “fill hole” (for lack of a better term) you will have to do some cutting. We cut a hole that is 6-8 inches in diameter in the center of the lid using a drill to create a starter hole and then use a small saw or reciprocating saw. Doing this manually does require a bit of elbow grease so if you have a power saw use it, this will cut down your build time considerably. Having the extra plastic around the edge makes attaching the screening easier as you do not have to be as precise.
The 2 piece lids are nice because the allow for a larger opening for water to pour in and cleaning debris off is a bit easier. You do need to be more precise when attaching the screen to the edges because you have a lot less edge to work with.
So far we have had success with both lids although I do prefer the method that requires less work, the 2 piece lid but I would not sacrifice barrel quality just to get the 2 piece lid for our rain barrels.
One piece barrel lid with no screen installed
One piece lid with screen installed
Two piece lid with screen installed
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