An artificial waterfall will become the original visual center of the landscape of any summer cottage or garden. Water falling in spectacular cascades or slowly flowing from ledge to ledge will add charm to the surrounding space and create an atmosphere of relaxation. You can build a small waterfall on your own.
Equipment and materials
The choice of materials for creating a man-made waterfall is dictated by the characteristics of the site, the size of the future structure, and the chosen design style. To arrange the waterfall, you will need:
- circulation pump for pumping water (submersible or surface), electric cable, hose, filter;
- a supply pump and equipment for feeding the reservoir;
- waterproofing material (film or concrete, ready-made plastic bowl);
- materials for decoration (stone, ceramics, glass, wood, etc.) and the formation of a slide (cement, clay).
Key moment – pump selection. A dedicated waterfall pump is required, and submersible models are cheaper. For a surface unit, you need to find a suitable place and figure out how to aesthetically disguise it or hide it up a hill. Specialized pumps for waterfalls are designed for long-term continuous operation, they are characterized by high performance, while creating a relatively low head – the water should flow with natural deliberation. The pump power is selected based on the volume of water to be pumped and the height of its rise. For a miniature structure, you can use a powerful aquarium pump.
Choosing a location and design
The man-made waterfall consists of two main parts – bed (reservoir) and slide. The waterfall will organically fit into the landscape with high natural drops. In this case, a bowl is prepared in the lower part, and ledges are formed on the slope, from which water will fall. On a sufficiently high natural slope, a cascade of several bowls can be performed.
On a flat area, you will need to build a slide. The easiest way is to build it from boulders, smaller stones and pebbles, or use flat slate tiles, sandstone, and other materials. The slide can be installed on the edge of the bowl or in the center of a spacious reservoir.
For a summer cottage, they are most suitable free outline ponds, they fit well on any site, go well with alpine slides and rockeries, but surrounded by geometrically correct flower beds, a waterfall with a round, oval or rectangular bed will look better.
When choosing a place for a waterfall, you must take into account how convenient it will be to lay communications. When calculating the depth of the bed, the height of the fall of water, the dimensions of the submersible pump are taken into account. If you plan to plant algae, start fish, the depth of the reservoir should exceed a meter.
The main stages of construction
Before taking on the development of a waterfall project in the country, it is recommended to figure out what to face during the construction process. This will help to correctly calculate the forces and select the appropriate materials..
Site planning and bed preparation
On the selected site, you need to perform markup according to the project, cut off the sod layer, dig a pit for the bed. For a miniature structure, it is enough to dig in a finished bowl made of polymer material. In other cases, a pit with beveled walls or «stepping stone» around the perimeter.
The bottom of the pit should be tamped very tightly, poured sand layer and rubble layer, spilling them well with water so that the bulk materials completely settle. Then it is laid waterproofing film PVC or butyl rubber. Please note that PVC film tolerates frost worse, so it should not be used for large structures.
If the film is used as a self-sufficient waterproofing material, it is advisable to lay it in two layers and fix it with stones and pebbles in horizontal areas. When building a durable structure, the bed of the waterfall concreted over the waterproofing and decorated with stone or tiles.
Construction of a slide
The waterfall differs from a calm reservoir by its intense evaporation of water, therefore it will have to be constantly added. This will not be a big problem if you minimize the loss of water when it runs off the slide. To prevent the structure from absorbing water like a sponge, boulders of stone with a dense structure are required to build a slide. If the decision is made to use an attractive-looking slate, sandstone or other porous stone, it must be treated water-repellent primer deep penetration.
Slide base it is desirable to be made of concrete or (in order to reduce the cost of construction) to use oily clay. Butyl rubber film will help to waterproof the base of the slide. The base should be made with a slight inclination towards the bed, so that the water seeped between the stones flows into the reservoir. The stones are fastened together with cement mortar.
Installation of equipment
A submersible pump is installed at the bottom of the reservoir and a hose is laid to supply water to the upper part of the slide. Or communications are installed for the operation of a surface pump. A filter is placed at the outlet of the water circulation hose. It is important to arrange all the elements of the system so that they function properly, are hidden from view and at the same time are available for maintenance and repair. At the same stage, the backlight is mounted, if it is provided for by the project..
Decorating
Pumping equipment, hoses and cables must be aesthetically covered with materials pond finishes. If desired, on the slopes of the slide, you can install containers with ampelous plants and vines that are suitable in style, add other decorative elements, or plant plants by combining a waterfall with an alpine slide. Also at the final stage, aquatic plants are planted – it is best to place them in special containers on the ledges of the waterfall bed.
Decor features
You can decorate a country waterfall with a variety of materials, choosing them in color and texture. Imitation of rocks will help to create a wild stone with uneven edges, such a waterfall looks spectacular surrounded by dark juicy greenery, conifers.
Rounded boulders and water-rolled pebbles go well with sculptures and ceramics – For example, water may fall from a large, broken jug. Bright flowers and vines will add an entourage to a similar waterfall..
For cladding a stock of the correct shape is ideal tile, mosaic, glass. It is better to make a slide for such a waterfall in a stepwise manner, using materials clearly processed by a human hand – for example, install polished granite slabs from which water will fall.
In its style, the waterfall should be in harmony with the general design of the site and the architectural appearance of the buildings.
