Most of us look at our roofs as nothing more than a cover for our homes. It surely can protect us from the rain, wind, snow, and the harsh rays of the sun. However, did you know that you can actually turn it into one of the most effective ways to add a beautiful water element to your garden? As a matter of fact, there are now an increasing number of homes that add rain barrels from their roof and into their garden. Here are some of the most compelling reasons why you should, too.
- Rainwater is better than tap water
Did you know that rainwater is actually loaded with all the good stuff like oxygen and nutrients? Compared to tap water, rainwater collected from your roof is free from ammonia, chlorine, and other chemicals that might be harmful to the ground over time. Of course, if you live in a heavily polluted area, then the rainwater you collect may not be entirely safe. The same is true if your roof is made of copper or is treated with chemicals. If you don’t have these, then rainwater can bring a lot of benefits, including beneficial microorganisms to make your garden plants healthier.
- It offers great savings
If you have a garden or a landscape that requires plenty of water such as a really green lawn, understand that this costs money. During the hot summer months or even in unusually long dry spells, you can very well be spending more than twice up to 4 times your average water consumption. If you install a rain barrel from your roof, you can 
collect as much as 1,300 gallons of healthy rainwater, reducing your water bills by at least 30 percent. You can make an educated guess for your savings. For every 1,000 square feet of roof, an inch of rainfall will yield 600 gallons of rainwater. Let us say it rained about 3 inches and you have a 4,000 square foot roof, you’re actually looking at 7,200 gallons of water that you can use for other purposes.
- Versatile use
We mentioned above how collecting rainwater can help reduce your overdependence on water utilities, cutting down your bills. The best part of this is that you can use rainwater for many other purposes such as washing your car, filling your backyard bird bath, and many more. The rain barrel itself can also be used as a trellis or as a base for a solar generator so you can further harness renewable energy sources. The versatility of a rain barrel and rainwater is simply phenomenal.
- Protects your foundation as well as basement
There’s another reason why rain barrels are a must. They can help protect your basement and your foundation by preventing the buildup of moisture in case of a big storm. The barrel can direct rainwater away from your foundation so you get to keep its integrity.
It’s easy to see why people install rain barrels from their roofs. And it would also be understandable if you are going to follow suit real soon.