We’ve decided to have a little, tiny fountain/waterfall- I’ll use some stones and what? Is there some special mortar mix I buy & mix with water or like that? Any words of wisdom that might prove helpful? It’ll be probably two feet tall and four feet long, bent around the corner of the porch next the stairs, not a lot of water with a small recirulating pump- Any feedback will be appreciated- Thank you-
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Performance improvements for the prized homes of an influential developer who wanted us all to be able to own one.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Fine Home Building
Follow
-
Fine Homebuilding
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial Now -
GBA Prime
Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
Neat idea. My DW is in the planning stage for a secret garden. About ten X thirty. We have a St. Francis fountain, but are interested in another water feature.
We will probably look into the freeform neoprene.
live, work, build, ...better with wood
One big problem with anything like mortar is movement/cracking. And absorption...ok two probs. Make sure that there's no likelihood of these - but to safeguard, always have a neoprene or epdm liner.(Purchase at garden centres by the foot.). Sealing any mortar will help, too.
Use pond liner rubber, and stones. Skip the mortar for the most part.
I made one for an artsy type show for the wife to display, copied from a Hunter I saw in Lowes.
A copper pan, a few old slates hung with copper nails and grounding braided wire of copper, all suspended on 3/4'' copper pipe frame. drilled 1/8th in holes fro the dribble effect and a rope light for highlite ...
Sorry no pics till I get it back sometime in the spring.
Watch the pump size, I wound up getting 3 to get it just right and used clear tubing and hose clamps to connect the joints.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"have the cold, comfortably numb"
For Darcy.
you need Jerrald Hayes for this one!!
I'll try and direct him over here.
Creation arises, is sustained for awhile, and then things change. That’s the dance.
Yogi Andy emailed me about your question here to get me to throw my two cents in the pond . Using typical mortar mix for joining stones is fine until and unless those mortar joints are be hit by falling water. Mortar mix is not waterproof and the concussive force of the falling water will eventually wear it through and just a tiny pinhole sized leak or hole will empty a small water effect in no time. We reinforce the area where water hits ( and sculpt and build our own artificial stone) with Surface Bonding Cement. It's a product that is used to repair and waterproof block foundation and contains glass fibers for strength and some other additive to give it is waterproof quality.
Another method we use is a synthetic "mortar" made with epoxy or polyester resin mixed with glass fibers or sand as an aggregate. Expensive and sort of tricky to use but waterproof for sure.
All that said I think you can even ignore those techniques if you build your whole effect inside a waterproof "tub" using a EPDM rubber pond liner and good underlayment (a geotextile that allows the underside of the tub to breath. Try Aquascapedesigns.com or if your in NJ or the New York metropolitan region you might want to visit Waterworld at Monmouth feed for liners, pumps, advice, and ideas. And try Rockways.co.uk and for some stock fiberglass water features (we only build custom designs). And google around and I'm sure you'll find the other suppliers I just can't think of right now.
View Image