Waterfall in the country with their own hands
Want to give a sound to your garden? Make it your pride and decoration of the infield? Then you should think about the construction of the soul of the garden - about the arrangement of the waterfall. And then it does not matter if you have a large piece of land or not, because you can make a reservoir according to your own project. In this article we will describe how to make a babbling miracle on our own, and write down all the stages of work on its arrangement.
Location
The uniqueness of any reservoir lies in the fact that it looks interesting anywhere - on sunny glades and in the shade of trees. It looks very nice if flower beds are planted around.
For the falling water a collector is needed - this is an artificial pond. And here comes the standard for this situation problem - lowering the water level. At the same time, large leaks will lead to subsidence of the soil, which is not very desirable when building a pool with flowing water. In order to avoid such a problem, you need to properly conduct waterproofing of the reservoir. But, about it a bit later.
Choosing the location of the waterfall, remember that the ideal surface for it will be a slope. This will only highlight the natural beauty of the landscape. However, even if you do not have a suitable place, you can easily build an artificial embankment. This is important for stimulating the movement of water. The surface of the embankment should resemble natural relief. It is not necessary to scrupulously create all the pits and bulges, because in nature there are no slides with ideal forms.
The main nuances when choosing the shape of the reservoir
Gracefully curved configurations and bowls of irregular shape look more attractive, because they resemble the natural landscape. Therefore, it is worth thinking about such a geometry of the waterfall, which would be a smooth continuation of your land plot, merging with its relief.
In accordance with the purpose of the reservoir should be determined and its depth. If its sole purpose is the accumulation of water, then the depth of the reservoir does not matter. However, if you have a desire to start ornamental fish or plant aquatic plants, the depth of the bowl should not be less than 0.5 m. Only in this way can you save animals and plants from dying in winter, because in this case the water will not freeze to bottom. If the intended reservoir will be used for swimming, then it should be arranged so that all family members have a comfortable rest in the pool.
Stages of work
The pool under the water flow should have two tanks. The volume of each of them should be considered in detail. However, there are some nuances. The volume of the tank located below must exceed the size of the one on top. Waterfalls in the country can be constructed from ready-made blocks or natural stone. Materials can be bought in a specialized store or found somewhere in nature, for example, near the river.
Materials you may need:
- Primer.
- Sand.
- Pebble.
- Water insulating mixture.
- Quartzite.
- Cement.
- Water pump.
- Fiberglass.
- Glue construction mix.
On the outlined contour of the pit, hammer in the pegs and stretch the ropes. The ground, which is formed in the process of digging, clean from the roots, stones and debris. The fact is that when arranging a waterfall, it will be very useful to you. If the foundation pit is ready, put a 12-cm layer of sand on the bottom, and then carefully tamp it down.
Base arrangement
The base or bottom of the reservoir can be made of concrete, film or brick. In addition, you have the opportunity to purchase a finished form of PVC. It comes in different sizes and shapes.
If you are going to make a concrete base for a pond with a waterfall, then you will first have to install waterproofing. Then, a layer of concrete is poured, from which the metal reinforcement mesh should be pressed. Now the foundation should be concreted again, the thickness of the second layer should be at least 5 cm. If you are not completely satisfied with the concrete foundation, then you can use brickwork as the first layer. It must be done along the contour of the future reservoir. Such an arrangement takes a lot of time.
If you use a special film, then at the bottom of the pit you need to pour moistened sand, about 3 cm, then lay the film, pressing it along the edges with stones. The coating will take the desired shape after filling the pit with water. At this stage, you can trim the edges, leaving 20 cm of the film, which you need to pin to the soil with metal pins. They will then need to be covered with earth. Cover the bottom of the tank with primer, lay stones of natural origin.
The most practical solution in the matter of waterproofing and arranging the pit will be PVC film, it has a long service life of almost 15 years. In addition, you can isolate the bottom with butyl rubber, it has an even longer service life - 30 years.
It is worth considering one fact: when freezing in the winter time, the water expands, and even the most high-strength film breaks! Because of this, in the winter should drain the water from the reservoir.
Cascade. How to organize a waterfall is beautiful and natural?
Stone steps look the most natural. For this purpose it is best to select flat and wide stones. As for the nature and height of the water fall, then everything depends on your preferences and plans. Stones you will need to be bonded together with cement mortar. Today there are ready-made cascades on sale. Also, a decorative item, for example, a flower, a jug or a frog, or maybe something else, can also act as a source.
The easiest way is to create a rigid form, say, a vessel and decorate it using stones. If you prefer to remain individual in everything, then there will be no room for blanks, everything should be done personally. For the aspiration of water flow down, with the effect of breaking it into streams and streams, consider possible obstacles. These can be ledges of small height — about 30 cm. It is better to start creating the ledge from below, smoothly lifting it above the water. The optimal cascade size is 1.5 m.
Decoration
The process of making ledges depends on how you imagine the finished waterfall. If on the upper tier you make a narrow space between the stones, then the water will run more rapidly. Thus, a wave with noise and foam will break on the stones.
If you want the water stream to fall down evenly, forming a flat line, make a cascade with flat stones that have smooth edges. Spread them on the principle of the pyramid. If you are attracted to the jet of water, breaking into streams, arrange the waterfall with chipped, uneven and even sharp stones. If you like a slowly flowing and pacifying stream of flowing water, then use stones with indentations in the middle to create a cascade. When filled, the water from such natural bowls will smoothly pour into the next tier, which is slightly lower in level. Whatever it was, all the ledges you have to put on the cement solution. Think over special bumpers in the lower door, so you prevent the possibility of a large splashing of water from an artificial source.
Pump installation
Of course, the water will not fall on the upper tier itself, so after decorating the pool and building a cascade to it, you will have to install a pump. Before you go to the store to buy a unit, measure the height of the cascade. If the structure is not more than 1.5 m, then the pump power may not exceed 70 watts. However, if the design came out higher and more massive, then you will need a more powerful device.
If you choose a model equipped with a flow regulator, you can regulate the water flow in the future, making it weaker or stronger. To power the pumping system, you also need a low-voltage transformer. It can not be installed on the street, so make room for it in the utility room. Usually, cables used for connection are longer than 9 m, which is why they are most often needed to be lengthened. For this purpose you will need connectors that are not afraid of water.
It should also be noted that if the cable has a length of more than 12 m, this will affect the working capacity of the pump. From this unit will work worse. Given this, you should purchase a pump with more power.
The device is mounted on the bottom of the reservoir so that it is invisible to others. The same applies to the cable and the water supply hose. Design feature of the pump are available 2 holes. In one of them water is absorbed, and from the second it is pushed out. Hoses must be connected to both holes. At the bottom of the reservoir there is a hose that draws in water, and the one that pushes it out is fed to the top of the cascade.
Now you can fill the pool with water and start the pump. If you are planning to start a fish, then after running water they can be released into the pond. On the cascade moss and decorative flowers grow very beautiful. At the end of the preparatory work, you can refine the waterfall with decorative plantings. Your work will be appreciated by households.
Have you done similar structures in the country? What difficulties did you have during the execution of the work? What helped you cope with them? Have you invented an innovative technology? Share your experience with us! We appreciate your skills and knowledge.
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