Clever backyard waterfall designs now combine comfort and eye appeal, all in a minimized model suitable for outdoor space and personal approaches.
While natural waterfalls have long been celebrated for their amazing beauty, smaller landscapes make a more intimate and calming appearance.
Backyard waterfalls are simple and easy to install, if you choose the DIY route, and with a little attention and carefulness will lend years of unparalleled grace and style to your outer space.
With an endless source of inspiration for water features, including (but certainly not limited to) traditional English and elegant Asian gardens, island-influenced exotica, and even industrial motifs, your backyard waterfall is an opportunity to set extensions unique and memorable from home.
Meetings in the backyard and romantic nights under the stars will have a totally new meaning with this charming landscape change.
Each of us deserves a little beauty and tranquility in the corner of our world, and a backyard waterfall is a reminder that one does not need to travel to the ends of the earth for an eternal holiday.
There are a million ways to build a backyard waterfall by yourself. But if you are looking for simplicity, you cannot defeat this approach.
You basically dig a hole in the ground, cover it with a rubber membrane and cover it with a pile of stones. If you close your eyes, easily imagine yourself sitting next to a small river in the middle of the forest.
Waterfall Backyard
Once the ingredients are in hand, the waterfall takes less than a day. We were a little surprised at how much excavation there was, given the size of the reservoir.
But this is the only difficult part. Arranging stones is fun. We have to reset the rocks several times, but in the end the water flows well on the edge and creates the effect we want.
Gather Waterfall Stones and Other Supplies
If you want to make backyard waterfall by your own, you need to provide this tools like 4-in-1 screwdriver, Angle grinder, Circular saw, Drill/driver – cordless, Hacksaw, Hammer, Level, Safety glasses, Spade, Tape measure, Tin snips, Utility knife.
Also leather gloves and metal-cutting disc or diamond disc. Check local landscape suppliers and home centers to find rocks, pumps and pool liners. You can also order pumps online.
The center of the house or wooden yard will have wood, rebar, hardware fabric, and other hardware that you need. We spend around $ 150 to 700 lbs. from bluestone and $ 125 for remaining items.
You will need a minivan or truck to transport this much stone, or you have to take several trips with your car. On the stone courtyard, start by finding a large flat stone for the base. Ours is around 24 inches. Then arrange stones on top of it in a setting that you like. When you feel it’s enough, add a few more for a good size.
Don’t forget to take three or four 5 gallon buckets full of crushed stones for the base. For this we use gray stones that range from 2 to 2-1 / 2 inches in diameter.
Buying Pump
We recommend a pump with a flow rate of at least 300 gallons per hour and an “elevator” or “head” of at least 6 ft. If you don’t have a GFCI outlet within reach of the pump cord, consider buying a low-voltage pump instead.
It’s cost little more because you have to purchase a transformer (about $ 35), but that’s a small price to pay for avoiding a deep trench.
You can ask at the local landscape supplier. Low voltage wire only to be buried a few inches. Running new wiring for a 120-volt pump requires an electrical permit and a much deeper trench.
Dig the Hole and Build the Frame
By using 2×8 like we do, you will need a hole with a depth of about 8 inches. In our garden, stone walls limit the size of our reservoir to around 30 inches, but if you have space, make it bigger. The larger the reservoir, the more often you have to fill it with water.
The first step is to cut the length of the 2x8s and nail them. Use stainless steel screws or corrosion resistant. Set the frame in the hole and flatten it. Then spread 1-in. layer of sand at the bottom.
Cut a square liner about 2 feet wider and longer than the dimensions of the inner frame and place it in place. Fold the pool liner to fit the inner corners and let the extra hang outside the frame.
From the remaining ingredients, cut 20-in. square pool liner and place it in the middle as a bearing for two concrete blocks. Then arrange the two concrete beams into place and shake them into the sand until the top is parallel to the edge of the frame.
Assemble the Mesh Support Grid
The next 1/2-in cut. rebar to reach the reservoir. The hacksaw will work, but it’s slow. Angle grinders with metal cutting discs are a better choice. Install rebar with 1/2-in. copper pipe rope.
When finished, cover 1/4-in rebar with galvanized. hardware fabric. Bend the hardware fabric around the outer edge of the box to hold it and hide the sharp edges.
Cut the access hole in the fabric of the device for about 8 in. Square and between two rebar lengths. Again, fold the edge of the hardware cloth down to hide the sharp edges. Use this hole to install the pump.
Cut a piece of hardware cloth to put on top of the hole so you can cover it with gravel. You will use this access hole to clean the reservoir occasionally and remove the pump in winter if you live in a cold climate.
Stack the Stone
Now for the fun part – build a waterfall. Spread stones near the reservoir so you can choose the size and shape you want.
Start the stack with your big stepping stone. Pile up a few stones, then pour water over it to see how it flows. You can adjust the position of the stone, or choose a different one, until you get the flow pattern that you like.
Install the Pump and Watch the Water Flow
Connect the pump to the length of the tube with a hose clamp. Leave the tube enough to reach from the bottom of the reservoir to the center of the rock pile. Set the pump in the reservoir and route the pipe up in the most inconspicuous place.
Photo C shows how we hold the tube in place and directs the water to the front of the waterfall with a channel seal putty. The duct seal seal also prevents the tubing from being destroyed by the upper rock.
Now for the moment of truth. Fill the reservoir with water and install the pump. It may take a few seconds at a time until the pump starts moving water. When that happens, see how it flows and make the final adjustments by shaving the stone.
Keep an eye on the waterfall for the first day or two to feel how often you have to refill the reservoir. On hot and windy days, it may run out quickly. In cold climates, remember to bring the pump inside in winter so that it is not damaged by freezing.
Keyword: Waterfall Backyard