Underwater window box
April 19, 2018 6:10 AM Subscribe
Seeking a reasonably priced rectangular planter that can be used underwater. Length: will be creating the perimeter of a 12x12 foot square so would prefer to use eight 6ft but could do other permutations.
Depth: should be 12 inches but could go down to 9 inches
Width: can be as little as 9 but would prefer 9-12 inches
Will be completely submerged but must be a dark and unobtrusive color (dark brown, black or dark grey)
The total cost should be less than $500. (beware of shipping costs)
As a business, we can purchase wholesale.
I need to have the items within the month and we are located in the NYC area of the US.
I am ok with an item that isn't designed to go underwater as long as it doesn't warp horribly and visibly within weeks.
Metal and plastic are ok.
If you know a place that would do this custom, I'm definitely interested.
Also seeking suggestions on materials and construction that I could give to custom business.
Total long shot: If you have materials and could make it yourself, memail me.
The total cost should be less than $500. (beware of shipping costs)
As a business, we can purchase wholesale.
I need to have the items within the month and we are located in the NYC area of the US.
I am ok with an item that isn't designed to go underwater as long as it doesn't warp horribly and visibly within weeks.
Metal and plastic are ok.
If you know a place that would do this custom, I'm definitely interested.
Also seeking suggestions on materials and construction that I could give to custom business.
Total long shot: If you have materials and could make it yourself, memail me.
Could you just use dark-colored storage bins? If they're underwater, presumably they don't need drainage holes (or maybe I am having a failure of imagination).
posted by mskyle at 7:34 AM on April 19, 2018
posted by mskyle at 7:34 AM on April 19, 2018
I think planters that large might be hard to come by because you'd run into strength/weight issues filling them with soil for the usual outdoor use. What about something as simple as milk crates lined with landscaping fabric or burlap and then filled? (Also will this be permanent or temporary? I might be concerned about plastic degrading into my pond or whatever.)
posted by gennessee at 7:36 AM on April 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by gennessee at 7:36 AM on April 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
If it's a 12 x 12 square box, then 8 x 6ft probably won't work, as you'll need to factor in the width of the box at each corner, which will eat into the available space on the other sides.
So if you use 2 x 6ft x 9" deep boxes on two sides of the square which face each other, you'll have 18" less space on the two opposite sides.
posted by essexjan at 7:38 AM on April 19, 2018
So if you use 2 x 6ft x 9" deep boxes on two sides of the square which face each other, you'll have 18" less space on the two opposite sides.
posted by essexjan at 7:38 AM on April 19, 2018
Response by poster: Not permanent. But would like to reuse pieces of it.
Not concerned about moving it. It will be dissembles in situ when we drain the water at the end of the year.
Milk crates and landscape fabric look crappy as the water depth is around 18 inches.
Square dimensions aren’t mission critical. Can overlap ends in a circular way.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen storage bins in reasonable dimensions.
posted by sciencegeek at 9:31 AM on April 19, 2018
Not concerned about moving it. It will be dissembles in situ when we drain the water at the end of the year.
Milk crates and landscape fabric look crappy as the water depth is around 18 inches.
Square dimensions aren’t mission critical. Can overlap ends in a circular way.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen storage bins in reasonable dimensions.
posted by sciencegeek at 9:31 AM on April 19, 2018
Looks like you can get 10' of 12" diameter grey "thinwall PVC duct pipe" for $215 or so, if you can find a local supplier of it (the web page I'm looking at has a $125 minimum shipping price). I don't know if this'd be strong enough when cut in half to hold its shape, but if you've got a neighbor with a jigsaw or a Sawzall, that could give you 20' of tray.
You'd still need a material for stands and end caps (without looking too deeply, I'd use Starboard brand HDPE, and screw it in with stainless fasteners, but that stuff's not cheap, there may be a cheaper plastic you can screw into...).
Assuming free labor and borrowed tools, that'd get you in pretty close to your $500 target price.
posted by straw at 11:14 AM on April 19, 2018
You'd still need a material for stands and end caps (without looking too deeply, I'd use Starboard brand HDPE, and screw it in with stainless fasteners, but that stuff's not cheap, there may be a cheaper plastic you can screw into...).
Assuming free labor and borrowed tools, that'd get you in pretty close to your $500 target price.
posted by straw at 11:14 AM on April 19, 2018
Have you considered making it out of fiber-cement siding, like Hardiplank? It's not designed for underwater use, but I don't think it would rot, since it's inorganic. The thicker sizes should be strong enough for submerged use.
posted by monotreme at 11:22 AM on April 19, 2018
posted by monotreme at 11:22 AM on April 19, 2018
Cement tileboard on a 2x2 frame would probably work. Sturdy, heavy, plain grey. You can paint it. Won’t last forever but doesn’t have to.
posted by seanmpuckett at 11:39 AM on April 19, 2018
posted by seanmpuckett at 11:39 AM on April 19, 2018
Response by poster: Would the cement-based materials have an effect on the pH of the soil in the planter?
Plants care about pH.
We have tools (sawzall, etc). And since the labor is me, it is "free."
posted by sciencegeek at 2:21 PM on April 19, 2018
Plants care about pH.
We have tools (sawzall, etc). And since the labor is me, it is "free."
posted by sciencegeek at 2:21 PM on April 19, 2018
Here we go: 12" x 20' corrugated drain or culvert pipe seems to be readily available, even from big box stores, for about $170 a length (1, 2). I don't know if it's strong enough when cut in half, or how much other flex you could tolerate from it, but if that works: that'd give you 40' of tray, leaving money left over for the ends and supports. If you get 1/2" or 3/8" HDPE (Starboard, preferable 'cause you can get it in black, but even HDPE cutting boards), cut out a semicircle, use the inside for the end-cap/structural support and the outside for a stand...
I think you could build it in a few hours. The hard part will be ripping the tube in half, but one side is probably striped. 6 square feet of end cap material cut into 12 half circles plus stands would give you one on each end and one in the middle of each length, some stainless screws to hold things together. It isn't 12' long, but with 1' occupied by width it gives you a 1'x1' hole in the corner, you could always just get a plastic pot to fill those spots.
In my area, Starboard is available from my local marine electronics dealer (he builds a lot of mounts and enclosures to mount those electronics in boats), by the square foot. Looks like 3/8" is available for $10/sq.ft., but check your local dealer for prices, thicknesses and colors. So that's $60 for the endcap and stand material, $170 for the pipe, another couple of bucks for some stainless screws, sub $250 for materials and you've got a bunch left over for lunch and hydration. Or more stands and caps if you need to strengthen the troughs.
posted by straw at 3:47 PM on April 19, 2018
I think you could build it in a few hours. The hard part will be ripping the tube in half, but one side is probably striped. 6 square feet of end cap material cut into 12 half circles plus stands would give you one on each end and one in the middle of each length, some stainless screws to hold things together. It isn't 12' long, but with 1' occupied by width it gives you a 1'x1' hole in the corner, you could always just get a plastic pot to fill those spots.
In my area, Starboard is available from my local marine electronics dealer (he builds a lot of mounts and enclosures to mount those electronics in boats), by the square foot. Looks like 3/8" is available for $10/sq.ft., but check your local dealer for prices, thicknesses and colors. So that's $60 for the endcap and stand material, $170 for the pipe, another couple of bucks for some stainless screws, sub $250 for materials and you've got a bunch left over for lunch and hydration. Or more stands and caps if you need to strengthen the troughs.
posted by straw at 3:47 PM on April 19, 2018
The cement tileboard, aka Wonderboard, has been used for planters by other people according to Google search. There's a couple DIY pages and a video. Also there's a patent on using it for planters? I guess that's pretty cool. Concrete should cure out around ph10-11 or so, which should be fine.
Looks like Home Depot has Wonderboard 7/16" for about $11 for a 3x5' panel, which you'll just cut down into strips/squares as needed (score it with a knife/straightedge and snap). 1 1/2" drywall screws into an interior wooden frame you pre-assemble with longer screws.
Wouldn't worry about stainless or fancy wood if it only has to last a year.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:05 PM on April 19, 2018
Looks like Home Depot has Wonderboard 7/16" for about $11 for a 3x5' panel, which you'll just cut down into strips/squares as needed (score it with a knife/straightedge and snap). 1 1/2" drywall screws into an interior wooden frame you pre-assemble with longer screws.
Wouldn't worry about stainless or fancy wood if it only has to last a year.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:05 PM on April 19, 2018
8'X2'X2' galvanized steel watering troughs for ~$140 are out there; and Crate and Barrel is currently selling 9"X10"X30" galvanized water trough planters for $48.
You could conceivably use 8 C&B planters pairwise as corners of the 12'X12' square, and 4 8'X~3' galvanized sheets each bent into a 'U' shape to bridge the gaps between the planters.
The bending would be tough, but you could fill a couple of planters with dirt and use them as forms to bend the sheet metal around.
posted by jamjam at 5:53 PM on April 19, 2018
You could conceivably use 8 C&B planters pairwise as corners of the 12'X12' square, and 4 8'X~3' galvanized sheets each bent into a 'U' shape to bridge the gaps between the planters.
The bending would be tough, but you could fill a couple of planters with dirt and use them as forms to bend the sheet metal around.
posted by jamjam at 5:53 PM on April 19, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jon1270 at 7:24 AM on April 19, 2018