The waterfall at the summer cottage looks very unusual. And if it is made of natural stone, it is also beautiful. At the same time, the size of the waterfall does not matter, the delight of the guests is still guaranteed. And for its construction, not only building materials are needed, but also correct calculations and imagination.
Where to start construction
It will be much easier to build a waterfall if the site already has a pond where water will drain. If there is no reservoir, you need to find a place for it. The pond can be of any shape - oval, round or rectangular.
Having decided on the shape and size of the bowl, it is necessary to draw a contour on the ground, drive pegs along its edge and stretch a rope along them. Next, you should dig a pit. Its depth depends on how you will use the pond. If your plans include keeping fish and some plants in it, a small bowl is enough. For richer flora and fauna, a foundation pit with a depth of at least a meter is required.
When making a pit, the walls of the bowl can crumble, so from time to time they need to be moistened and tamped. When the pit bowl is ready, sand 10-15 cm high should be poured onto the bottom and tamped thoroughly. The land that remains after this work must be sifted from debris and abandoned - it will still be useful when arranging a pond and a waterfall.
Pond waterproofing
An important element in the construction of a waterfall is high-quality waterproofing. The service life of the structure will depend on it. As a waterproofing material, you can use PVC film or butyl rubber. Thanks to these materials, the waterfall will last for more than a decade. In this case, the waterproofing layer in the pit must be positioned so that most of the material lies outside the pit - about 1.5 meters.
A more practical option is concrete waterproofing. For its device, a plastic wrap is first laid on the bottom, and a wire frame covering the bottom and walls of the pit is placed on it. Then the bottom is poured with concrete, and after a day, the walls.
Waterfall device
The next step is to build the waterfall itself. In this case, you can use a ready-made form purchased in a specialized store, or a natural stone for a cascading waterfall. The stones must be laid in several layers with steps, fastening them with a cement mortar.
Consider the height of the waterfall when choosing a pump. If the structure does not exceed one and a half meters, a power of 70 W will be enough. Please note that there is a flow control function. With its help, it will be possible to decrease and increase the power of the jet.
The pumping structure is placed at the bottom of the pond, covered with pebbles. The hose, connected to the water ejection port on the pump, is pulled up and secured between the stones. The second hose is left at the bottom of the pond to draw in water.
Waterfall decoration
After the waterfall is fully built, you can think about decorating it. Particular attention must be paid to the place where the water flows fall. This is the main decorative element of the overall composition. Usually it is decorated with boulders, stones, sandstone slabs. Plants are planted around the waterfall, small pebbles and pebbles are laid.
