Barrel also called as cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of vertical wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. Barrels often have a convex shape, bulging at the middle and this makes it easier to roll a well built wooden barrel on its side, changing directions with little friction. Barrels are available in a wide range of sizes, colors and shapes. Barrels are used for different purposes and they also have wide range of applications. Barrels are often prepared from different types of materials which are discussed here under:
Metal Barrels:
Barrels made up of metals have flexible membrane liners and these are intended as more permanent structure and they are suitable for the commercial settings not for the residential settings.
Plastic Barrels:
Plastic barrels are the easiest to use and these are the popular types of barrels because of their light weight, affordability, and wide assortment of shapes and colors. These plastic barrels are often made up of recycled materials. While purchasing the plastic rain barrels it is important to consider the thickness of the barrel.
Wood Barrels:
Wood barrels are made up of the wood like oak, cherry, walnut, chestnut, pine and redwood etc. Wooden barrels are attractive and also act as functional fixtures. Wooden barrels can be used as a functional and decorative item in the home. Barrels made up of wood can also used for the fermentation of the wine. Wooden barrels are heavy and are more expensive than the plastic barrels.
Ceramic Barrels:
These type of barrels add attractiveness to the flower and vegetable gardens. Setting of these barrels some times can be difficult because of unwieldy nature of natural or ceramic stone. They are heavy and can break easily. Ceramic barrels are nice, but heavy and vulnerable.
The above are the different types of materials used to prepare barrels.