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How to Line a Barrel

In areas such as urban environments, where there may not be adequate space to plant a garden, empty barrels can be a useful alternative. However, owing to the natural tendency of barrels to swell and shrink with the temperature and moisture levels to which they are exposed, it can be difficult to keep them from leaking soil and water. Fortunately, you can get around this problem by lining the inside of your barrels with an impermeable material, such as a sheet of plastic.

Things You'll Need

  • Large sheet of plastic
  • Heavy-duty staple gun
  • Silicon aquarium caulk
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the liner inside of the barrel and push it down to the bottom. Make sure it fills as much of the space as possible while still leaving enough plastic sticking out of the top to fold over the sides.

    • 2

      Fold the exposed part of the plastic sheet down around the top edge of the barrel and staple it in place all around the rim.

    • 3

      Seal any open spaces between the liner and the barrel with the caulk to make it watertight and complete the lining process.