Support for a water butt

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With the house we inherited three water butts, all c. 200L but one with a circular c/s one and two with a roughly rectangular c/s, picture here

WaterButts.jpg

showing the circular one in use and one of the others next to it for comparison.

Neither of the rectangular ones was really doing anything so I just disconnected them. I want to get them into use now, one next to the circular one and one lower down the garden.

To be able to get a watering can underneath them I need to raise them up at least 300mm but because of the shape I cannot buy supports for the rectangular ones.

I had thought about making a small tower of building blocks on their side. As the base of the water butt is 600x400mm, I would need two blocks (each 440x215x100mm) per layer and three layers high, so six per tower and 12 in total.

However 12 blocks is over £27, plus the cost of mortar and render (I assume that these block would need render to protect them) and the time & effort involved, and this does not look cheap.

I quickly checked and the at the first site I looked at I can buy two new 200L water butts, with stands, a downpipe connector, a joining kit and delivery for £51. So not much more, quicker & easier to and much easier to move if & when necessary.

Can anyone think of another way of raising these water butts up sufficiently that would be cheaper than using blocks?
 
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Just stack a few blocks up, why do they have to be built with mortar and rendered? Portable that way and b&q are cheaper BTW if you must use a shed.
 
Just stack a few blocks up, why do they have to be built with mortar and rendered?

Three high, with 200kg on top, I really don't think they would be that stable. And, AFAIUI, aerated blocks aren't designed to be exposed, and wet & frost will damage them quite quickly.

Portable that way and b&q are cheaper BTW if you must use a shed.

So they are, thanks. Not wedded to a shed but I really don't know any builders merchants round here, except for a very good timber place.
 
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You can very likely get away with just 3 concrete blocks, 1 on the left of the butt, and 2 on the right, one of them being laid on their side. And possibly a bit of wood across the top to spread the weight. Concerete blocks don't need protecting, and as long as you set it up carefuly, they shouldn't need any cement to keep them in place.
 
1 on the left of the butt, and 2 on the right, one of them being laid on their side.

I'm sorry I can't visualise that. Can you please explain a bit more clearly? Maybe saying which side is down to the ground.

Concerete blocks don't need protecting

Thanks. I thought I read that they did. Maybe what I read was only referring to the aerated blocks.

as long as you set it up carefuly, they shouldn't need any cement to keep them in place.

Okay. My concern was if it went sideways, then 200kg landing on someone would give them a very bad day.
 
How high is the step. The concrete blocks are 100x225x440, so it's just a case of playing around with the blocks to get them the same height as the step. If the steps 200mm high, then put 2 blocks etc etc, and then you move the blcoks around to get the support/height/whatever you want.
 
@Doggit The rectangular water butt will not go where it is in the photo, that is a door behind it that would not open if it did. I just took the photo I did to show the circular one (similar to most common ones) in use and the rectangular one next to it for comparison.

The rectangular water butt will go to the left of the circular one (or the circular one will move left and the rectangular one will take its place). I could not photo them in the right place as the area to the left needs to be dug out and levelled first.
 
Well thanks for now explaining things. 6 concrete blocks will do the job safely, or 4 and a piece of wood across the top.
 
Your 2 blocks per layer will only give 440x440 unless your having a 200 gap between them.
 
@Ian H

Yes, that is right, well actually 440x430. 430 is more than enough for the depth (front to back) and I think that 440 would be enough to support the width of 600. There would be an unsupported 80mm at each side, which is not that much. I propped one up on a couple of paving slabs (450x450) and the unsupported part did not look worrying.

However, even without render, 12 blocks (plus a joining kit which I had omitted from my calculations) is still c. £30. Factor in the time & effort and the immobility and £51 for two new ones still looks good value.

Fully supporting the base would require three blocks per layer, nine per tower, 18 in total. So over c. £33 just for the blocks and buying two new ones looks even better value.
 
I would happily give you the blocks if you can give me back the 3 minutes of my life I wasted reading this thread.
 
@r896neo

I'm sorry. I thought the purpose of this site was for people to ask questions and other people who choose to read them to try and offer answers.

I asked what I thought was a straightforward & reasonable question. In response I have received some mild abuse but (apart from a slightly cheaper source of blocks) no helpful answers to that question.

No-one has said why it is not a sensible question. Maybe that is obvious to you. However it isn't obvious to me otherwise I would not have asked it in the first place.
 
Now r896neo is going to waste more time reading your post and then have to waste even more time reading my own pointless post.
 

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