Complete List of Materials
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A few rolls of heavy-duty, very adhesive, water-resistant duct tape
(Note: I am investigating other options in the event that tape is not readily available.)
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Screws or nails for attaching the system
Note: A 1-inch (2.5 cm) nail should work in most instances
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A screwdriver or a hammer
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String/twine for support
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Sharp scissors that can cut plastic
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A piece of cardboard (to use as a safe surface when cutting the bottles)
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A receptacle, such as a bucket, barrel, or even a garbage bin, that can hold about 100 gallons
(Note: The receptacle size might need adjustment depending on (a) the surface area of the structure, (b) the amount of rainfall, and (c) the frequency with which the receptacle is emptied.)
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If mosquitoes are an issue, then mosquito netting or cloth will be important
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A tape measure, yard stick, and/or ruler could be helpful to measure the length of the surface used
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Plastic bottles (preferably reused from the collection that otherwise would pollute the environment):
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1.5 liters plastic bottles (the less indentation, the better for these bottles)
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0.5 liter (500mL) (preferably similarly sized/shaped bottles so that they can easily be interlocked—bottles with ribbing can support the ability to “screw” a bottle into the other).
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A ladder
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A long, relatively straight tree branch, stick, and/or beam for downspout support
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Depending on how far the edge roofline is from the structure, it might be necessary to affix a piece of wood (or a 2x4) to the structure to accurately align the system with the edge of the roofline to capture the maximum amount of water
Tips for Estimating the Number of Bottles Needed
The number of bottles needed for this system will vary depending on both the surface utilized and the types of bottles available. Nonetheless, the number of bottles needed can be estimated by using these steps:
For the gutter:
Step One: Measure the length of the surface that is used.
Step Two: After appropriately cutting one bottle (following the instructional videos), measure the length of the bottle.
Step Three: Divide the length of the surface by the length of the cut bottle. The result is the minimum number of bottles needed. After connecting all the bottles, additional bottles likely will be needed.
Note: The length of the structure I used was 355.6 cm and the length of my cut bottles was approximately 22 cm. When I divided 355.6 cm by 22 cm, I learned that I needed a minimum of 16 bottles. However, due to the required overlap that occurs when connecting the bottles, I needed 18 bottles total.
For the downspout:
Step One: Measure the height of the structure. Then measure the height of the receptacle.
Step Two: Subtract the height of the receptacle from the height of the structure.
Step Three: After appropriately cutting one bottle (following the instructional videos), measure the length of the bottle.
Step Four: Divide the height of the structure (minus the receptacle) by the length of the cut bottle. The result is the minimum number of bottles needed. After connecting all the bottles, additional bottles likely will be needed.
Note: The number of bottles needed for the downspout will be dependent on the height of the receptacle. Because I started with a small bucket and progressively exchanged the bucket for a larger receptacle, the length of my downspout continued to decrease.
Additionally, depending on the angle of the gutter's decline and the way in which the downspout goes into the receptacle (remember: it needs to go into the receptacle), the number of downspout bottles might vary. It will be helpful to have a few extra bottles on hand in the event that you need to adjust the downspout accordingly.