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The modern concept of landscape design refers to a large number of architectural buildings, both small and large. On the Internet you can find many original ideas on how best to design your site. And the construction of a reservoir is a very common solution, because the murmur of water calms and fills the area with the necessary moisture and a pleasant atmosphere. Today there are many solutions on how to design a pond. One of the original solutions is the installation of a waterfall. You will be pleasantly surprised that making a waterfall at your dacha with your own hands will not be particularly difficult. Of course, this requires work and a lot of effort. However, you will be pleased with the end result. In this article we will try to tell you about all the nuances of how to make a waterfall.
Appropriate place
First of all, you need to choose an appropriate place for the future waterfall in your country house. If you choose the wrong location in your dacha, this can cause a number of difficulties. So, the following nuances are taken into account:
- Even if your waterfall at your dacha is small, it is a hydraulic structure.Therefore, large bushes and trees should not be nearby. Why? In hot weather, plant roots, sensing moisture, will definitely rush to this body of water. As a result, the waterproofing protection may be destroyed. And if you poured a concrete bowl and put in a lot of effort, it would be a shame if the roots simply destroyed the entire structure. For this reason, it is better to sacrifice a tree or shrub in the country.
- It is not recommended to place a waterfall in a dacha in close proximity to the foundation of the house. If suddenly there is a malfunction in its operation, then the foundation may become wet, and this can provoke mold, mildew and other negative consequences from a wet foundation.
- If there is a hill at the dacha of your site, then it is at this place that the waterfall made will look very impressive. If there is no hill, then the plain will do. The only condition is that it is not lowland. This is explained by the fact that the wind will drive all the foliage and other debris to the lowest point. Thus, the waterfall at the dacha and the reservoir will become heavily polluted.
- The view of the waterfall at the dacha should be good. Often in all landscape design, artificial waterfalls become a key figure. If this is your case, then the waterfall should be visible from different sides of the dacha.
Having decided on the location at the dacha, you should proceed to other technical issues, for example, selection of materials.
Required material
It’s clear that you won’t build a huge waterfall at your dacha; most likely, it will be a mini-waterfall. But even its manufacture requires special material. In some cases, the following set of materials is required:
- PVC film.
- Fiberglass.
- Plastic container.
- Reinforcement mesh.
- Cement.
- Sand.
- Pebbles.
- Quartzite.
- River stone and so on.
That's all about making a pond. Among other things, it is also necessary to select pumping equipment. In this case, a continuous flow of rippling water will be ensured.
Choosing a waterfall pump
The main thing to pay attention to is the power of the device. For a miniature waterfall in the country, a pump power of within 0.1 kW will be sufficient. In addition to the power of the pump, it is worth paying attention to its pressure. The pressure will influence the speed of water flow in the pond at the dacha.
There are two types of pump:
- Submersible.
- Surface.
Submersible pumps are small in size and make virtually no noise during operation. Its installation is carried out directly in the bowl of the reservoir itself.
The surface pump is mounted in a separate place from the reservoir. During operation, it makes noise, so care should be taken to neutralize it. In short, installing a surface pump is more hassle than installing a submersible pump.
Reservoir depth
When choosing a depth, you should clearly understand the goal you are pursuing. If you additionally want to swim in it, then the depth should be at least 1.5 meters. If your house plot in your dacha is small, then this combination will be very effective. If this is an exclusively decorative waterfall at the dacha, then a depth of up to 200 mm will suffice. In this case, you need to worry about decorating the bottom and surrounding area.
Reservoir shape
There are no strict rules or restrictions here. For example, some people are attracted to artificiality. And some prefer strict forms. Moreover, the shape of the bowl is largely determined by what exactly it will be. There are options using a ready-made bowl made of plastic or metal. In this case, it will completely repeat the shape of this liner. If it will not be used, then you can create absolutely any shape of the reservoir with your own hands.
Instructions for making a waterfall
So, we come to the main question of this article. Here we will provide you with a practical guide and step-by-step instructions. You will learn in what sequence certain tasks should be performed.
Marking
First of all, the territory is marked. To do this, you can use twine, red thick thread, or simply dig through the edging with a shovel. That is, it is necessary to make every effort so that before digging a hole you have specific outlines of the future reservoir in the country.
Digging a pit
This is the most difficult process in building a waterfall in the country. Especially if the depth of the reservoir is about 1.5 meters. During the digging process, you should immediately understand in which direction the waterfall will be located. This way, you will pour all the soil into one place. When digging, you should take into account the fact that the bottom will need to be covered with sand and compacted. Therefore, the bottom should be relatively flat.
If the waterfall pump at the dacha is submersible, then immediately dig a small hole for it, as well as for the supply hose.This is important, because otherwise the hose will simply float up. From an aesthetic point of view it is not very beautiful.
Waterproofing
In our case, a thick PVC film will act as waterproofing. Make sure that it is a whole canvas. The entire area of the reservoir should be covered with film. Where a groove is provided, be sure to give the film the appropriate shape. The integrity of the canvas is an important condition. Although it is possible to join PVC film, this will be the weak point of the entire reservoir and waterfall.
As a result, the film should protrude outward by at least 500 mm. The bottom of the film can be gradually laid out with river stones. This way the film will be pressed and also form the bottom and coastline.
All work must be performed carefully. After all, one sudden movement and you will damage the film. At this stage, the film should also extend onto the hill on which the waterfall will be located. As an option, you can lay large stones in the form of a slab. They can be purchased at the nearest quarry. Make sure all stones have no sharp edges. When laying stones on the waterfall, if they are flat, check with a level so that there is an appropriate slope.
This is how the entire reservoir is waterproofed. The main elements here are PVC film, which is pressed against river stones. By the way, they should be laid out so as to completely hide the black film.
Pay special attention to the hoses through which water will flow. Stones should not crush them and the like.
Formation of a cascade
Partially this has already been written above. Using a large stone, you need to create some sort of small areas.It is necessary to decide what step will be between the sites and how many there will be. As for the height of the entire waterfall at the dacha, it would be good if it rose above the soil level by at least 1.5 meters.
If we summarize all the work, it turns out that the process of laying the film, installing pumping equipment and forming the bottom and coastline is carried out simultaneously. Additionally, decoration is carried out, which will be discussed further.
Decorating a pond and waterfall
If desired, the bottom can be additionally equipped with original lighting. The backlight is placed between the stones in a chaotic manner or in a given shape. Also, a small section of the coastline should be lined with stones to give the entire structure some decorative effect. As a result, you will be able to achieve this result:
This DIY waterfall at the dacha in the photo clearly shows that the work process is not so complicated. The most important thing is to strictly follow the technology, purchase reliable pumping equipment and have the desire to create in your dacha! As a result, you will be able to create a beautiful corner in the landscape design area with the direct participation of a waterfall.
Design solutions for decoration
In addition to all the information, we invite you to consider several original design ideas for arranging a waterfall in your dacha with your own hands. Let's consider a few original ideas:
- Waterfall cascade. In this case, the water will go down several steps. They can have different shapes and sizes. Moreover, you can use stones to create steps of different colors. The result will be spectacular.
- Mountain stream waterfall. In this case, the waterfall at the dacha will flow smoothly along an inclined slope made of river boulders.This stream can be meandering. Of course, such a solution will require more space.
- Straight waterfall. If you prefer the classic version of a waterfall, then don’t bother. Water can immediately fall into the pond without any interference. Of course, you will need a powerful waterfall pump. But the result will be impressive.
Conclusion
So, we have looked at all the features of how to make a waterfall in the country with your own hands. If you have your own experience in this work, then share it by leaving comments on this article. In addition, we invite you to watch an interesting video:
