Decorating With Stone Waterfalls

Posted on by

To build a waterfall that resembles the type of waterfall you would see pouring out of the ancient stone walls of Roman baths, you need to first find or purchase at least twenty or more rounded stone boulders that are slightly flat on top.

Your first step is to build a stone and mortar brick wall by laying these stones on top of each other. This wall does not have to be perfect. It should almost look like a ceremonial stacking of stones. Be sure to stack the stones so that about three quarters of the way up the wall you have left room to insert a one inch copper pipe. This pipe is inserted into the wall along with PVC tubing that can either be attached to an external pump (hidden behind it) or to a submersible pump. The copper pipe, which oxidizes with time, also looks nice if it is sawed of at an angle to look like a spout.

When you turn on the pump, the water should splash out of the side of the wall. If you want to create the look of moss covered ancient walls in a hurry, try smearing yogurt over the new rocks. This will age them and encourage plant growth quite quickly.

Another easy type of fountain o make is the flat ledge fountain. To create this fountain you will have to acquire at least thirty broken pieces of flat stone slate. Make sure that you have one piece of slate that is at least three times as large as the others. The idea is that this piece of slate will extend laterally out into the pond.

Build a support for this slate by stacking cinder blocks at the desired distance out towards the center of the pond. Stack the largest piece of slate so that it is leveled and supported by both the edge of the pond and the cinder blocks.
You can use an external pump for this waterfall and hide it beneath the slate stone staircase or you can thread PVC through the rocks and use a submersible pump.

Build a supporting wall of cinder blocks a foot or two away from the pond. Now stack the flat pieces of slate on top of each other, using the larger pieces on the bottom and the smaller pieces on top to create a variegated staircase effect. The result will be a lovely cascading flow you can enjoy for years

Decorating Your Yard With a Simple Waterfall

Posted on by

Whether it’s a dramatic waterfall or a quiet pond, water works its magic when it comes to oxygenating your pond. Flowing water also provides a natural ambient noise that masks other sounds from the neighborhood such traffic noise.

However keep in mind that not all koi breeds thrive in a pond with a waterfall. This is because fast flowing fountains lower the temperature of a pond. If you do build a fountain for a pond that contains koi make sure the water is low pressure and not much more than a trickle.

An external pond filter or waterfall tank can be positioned against the shallow edge of the pool to create a waterfall. This can be placed to spill directly into the pond in which case the pond liner is held against the pond filter until you are able to stack stones upwards from the shallow edge of the pond shelf to create a waterfall.

If you want to build a stream is desired then create a trench several inches deep that leads to pond. Line this with pond underlayment and cut to fit pond liner making sure that you allow extra material to overlap several inches into the pond. Streams should be dug wider than the finished size to make room for river stone that can be placed into the stream to make it look natural. Stones and rocks can be secured to the liner using mortar. This will hold back the water allowing it to spill over the stone creating the waterfall.

If you are using a submersible pump, place the where it should be in the liner. Now add some rocks or broken brick around and under the pump, making it level with the top of the liner. It should be in alignment whit your water level. Be sure that your pump is secure. This is ideal for creating a spray in the center of your pond.

You can leave the liner bare or you can fill it with dirt, rocks, sand or river rocks. Fill your pond with water, and allow it to stand for a couple of days before stocking it to allow any chlorine in the water to dissipate. Just make sure that everything is settled before you attempt to operate a pump. You can also add these elements later if you are curious to see if your pump works right away

To test the pump fill the liner with water and hook your pump up to a grounded electric outlet. You will be able to adjust the water flow to make a nice gently flowing fountain, a fine spray or a burble. liner.

Also be sure to keep your liner full of water. The water will evaporate, and if the water level gets too low, a submersible pump starts “burning air” and breaks. Try to keep your submersible pump under water at all time when it is operating. Also be sure to take the pump inside when the water starts to freeze