Do-it-yourself artificial waterfall in the country. How to make a waterfall at your dacha with your own hands - master class with step-by-step photos. Main types of pumps

What could be better for our nerves, frayed by work stress and television, than the elastic rustle of falling water. But this does not mean that you need to buy tickets to stand at the edge of the Reichenbach Falls. You can create a modest, peaceful, but tireless stream with your own hands in a green corner of your own dacha, closed from prying eyes. We offer you a master class on how to transform a simple lawn into a beautiful duet of water and stone, accompanied by photos and even a video.

Choosing the location, shape and depth of the reservoir

Our waterfall will consist of a stone slide and a small reservoir into which the water will flow. For aesthetic reasons, all this should not be adjacent to a fence made of corrugated sheets, a toilet wall and barrels for collecting rainwater. But a decorative bench, a tiny table for drinks, a tiled path and a couple of garden lanterns, on the contrary, would be highly desirable. Therefore, for the entire composition it is necessary to choose a place so that everything fits comfortably.

The duration of direct illumination of the pond by the sun is important. It should be under shade for about half a day, otherwise microscopic algae will multiply excessively in the water and it will turn green. Don’t forget that you will have to connect an electrical wire to the pond to power the pump.

Place a waterfall in the relaxation area of your dacha

The choice of the shape of the pond depends on personal preferences and the presence of other objects in the garden with which the pond should be in harmony. It can be geometrically regular (circle, square, rectangle) or arbitrary, prompted by the imagination and topography of the site.

The depth of the reservoir does not play a noticeable role, but if you want to admire the pebbles at the bottom, then it should be minimal. In addition, the shallower the pond, the easier it is to clean. But if you want to have koi - Japanese multi-colored carp - in the pond, they will need 70-80 cm of depth.

Attention! For carp, it is necessary to think about wintering. This is either a home aquarium or a special wintering pit at least 2 m deep with mandatory aeration.

Setting up a reservoir bowl - step-by-step instructions

When the project is depicted on paper, corrected and approved by all family members, you can proceed to earthworks.

Using pegs and rope we outline the contours of the reservoir. The more often the pegs are placed, the more accurately we will reproduce the drawing.
We remove the earth from the contour. The walls of the pond can be made smooth or stepped. We compact them well.
Pour a layer of sand about 10 cm thick onto the bottom, water it and compact it too. At this stage, you can use the tools that are used when laying paving slabs: a mallet or a vibrating rammer.
We cover the dug hole with a waterproofing film, extending its edges 30-40 cm beyond the bowl. The film is necessary to prevent water from seeping into the deep layers of the soil. But in the winter the pond will have to be drained. If you don’t want to do this, then the bottom will have to be filled with concrete on top of the film.

Preparing the site for a waterfall

Time to collect and lay out stones

Next begins the most creative part of the work - decorating the bowl of the reservoir with stones. We lay the stones from the bottom up, holding them together cement mortar. Carefully cover the edges of the film with stones. If there is a broken jug lying around in the barn, which at one time it was a pity to throw away, it’s time to use it to decorate a waterfall.

In the same way, from bottom to top, we build a cascade. The best stone for it is flat flagstone; it allows you to lay out beautiful ledges and direct streams of water in the right direction. The ledges can be arranged with steps, then the water will gurgle beautifully, or you can make the lower ledge higher and get a real waterfall with foam and splashes.

Fasten the stones together with mortar

How will water get to the top?

The optimal height of the slide is considered to be 1.2-1.5 m; you can buy a 70 W pump for it. When choosing a pump, we keep in mind that there are models with adjustable jet power, which will allow us to change the pressure of the waterfall depending on our mood.

We install the pump in the bowl of the reservoir and camouflage it with stones, checking the reliability and safety of the electrical connection. We place both hoses: the one that takes in water and the one that pushes it out, as discreetly as possible. We lay the push-out hose to the top of the waterfall so that the water flows out from the desired point. Ideally, the design should be equipped with a filter.

Advice. Make a special stand for the pump to prevent it from coming into contact with the sludge that will inevitably appear in the reservoir.

Final decoration of the waterfall

When laying out the slide, several pieces of flagstone should be left to line the edges of the reservoir bowl. It has a noble roughness, which looks good and won’t let you slip. On one of the tiles you can place some kind of fairy-tale figurine associated with aquatic environment: The Frog Princess or the Little Mermaid. It should not stand out too much and distract attention, so it is better to choose a stone or ceramic sculpture in natural tones.

Waterfall arrangement diagram

In nature, around waterfalls that saturate the air with water vapor, there is always a riot of vegetation. Green leaves go great with stone. When choosing plants, we decide how often we want to change them. If you plan to change the scenery several times over the summer, then it is better to place potted specimens on the ledges of the waterfall and around the pond. Otherwise, you can plant the plants directly into the ground.

Any moisture-loving forms will take root well on the shore: ferns, swimmers, sedges. The hosta bush will spread freely. Fresh emerald moss will cover the stones amazingly. And at the bottom of the reservoir you can place arrowhead, whose leaves will protrude from the water and sway in the breeze.

Build a small waterfall at your favorite dacha and soon you will feel that better place There is simply no such thing in the world to relax and take a break from big and small problems.

Artificial waterfalls in the country: video

Do-it-yourself waterfall in the country: photo

Want to add some sound to your garden? Make it your pride and decoration personal plot? Then you should think about building the soul of the garden - about arranging a waterfall. And it doesn’t matter whether your plot of land is large or not, because you can make a pond according to your own design.

Location. Where is the smartest place to build a waterfall?

The uniqueness of any body of water lies in the fact that it looks interesting anywhere - both in sunny meadows and in the shade of trees. It looks very beautiful if flower beds are planted around the waterfall.

We can say that a waterfall is an artificial pond. And here a standard problem for this situation arises - a decrease in the water level. In this case, 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 waterproof the reservoir. But more on that a little later.

When choosing the location of a waterfall, remember that the ideal surface for a waterfall is with a slope. This will only emphasize 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 to stimulate water movement. The surface of the embankment should resemble natural terrain. It is not at all necessary to meticulously create all the holes and bulges, because in nature there are no slides with ideal shapes.

The main nuances when choosing the shape of a reservoir for a waterfall

Gracefully curved configurations and irregularly shaped bowls look more attractive because they resemble the natural landscape. Therefore, it is worth thinking about a waterfall geometry that would be a smooth continuation of your land plot merging with its relief.

In accordance with the purpose of the reservoir, its depth should be determined. If its only purpose is to accumulate water, then the depth of the reservoir does not matter. However, if you want to have ornamental fish or plant aquatic plants, then the depth of the bowl should be no less than 0.5 m. Only in this way can you protect living creatures and plants from death in winter, because in this case the water will not freeze until bottom. If the proposed reservoir with a waterfall will be used for swimming, then it should be arranged so that it is convenient for all family members to relax in the pool.

Start of work on the construction of an artificial reservoir!

The pool under the waterfall must have two tanks. The scope of each of them should be thought through in detail. However, there are some nuances here. The volume of the container located below must exceed the size of the one located above. Waterfalls in the country can be constructed from ready-made blocks or natural stone. Materials can be bought at a specialized store or found somewhere in nature, for example, near a river.

Materials you may need:

Primer.
Sand.
Pebbles.
Waterproofing mixture.
Quartzite.
Cement.
Water pump.
Fiberglass.
Adhesive construction mixture.

Drive in pegs along the outlined contour of the pit and pull the ropes. Clear the soil that is formed during the digging process of roots, stones and debris. The fact is that when arranging a waterfall, it will be very useful to you. If the pit is ready, pour a 12-centimeter layer of sand to the bottom, and then compact it thoroughly.

Arrangement of the base for the waterfall

The base or bottom of the reservoir can be made of concrete, film or brick. In addition, you have the opportunity to purchase a ready-made PVC mold. It happens different sizes and forms.

If you're going to do concrete base for a pond with a waterfall, then first you will have to lay waterproofing. Then a layer of concrete is poured, on top of which a metal reinforcing mesh should be pressed. Now the base should be concreted again, the thickness of the second layer should be at least 5 cm. If you are not satisfied with a completely concrete base, then you can use brickwork as the first layer. It needs to be made along the contour of the future reservoir. This arrangement takes quite a lot of time.

If you use a special film, then pour about 3 cm of moistened sand onto the bottom of the pit, then lay the film, pressing it along the edges with stones. Coverage will accept the required form after filling the pit with water. At this stage, you can trim the edges, leaving 20 cm of film, which needs to be pinned to the soil with metal pins. They will subsequently need to be covered with earth. Fill the bottom of the container for the waterfall with soil and place natural stones.

Most practical solution in the matter of waterproofing and arrangement of the pit there will be PVC film; it has a long service life of almost 15 years. In addition, you can insulate the bottom with butyl rubber, which has an even longer service life of 30 years.

Note! It is worth considering one fact: when freezing in winter time water expands, and this breaks even the most high-strength film! Because of this, water should be drained from the reservoir during the winter.

Cascade. How to organize a waterfall beautifully and naturally?

Stone steps look most natural. For this purpose, it is best to select flat and wide stones. As for the nature and height of the water fall, it all depends on your preferences and plans. You will need to fasten the stones together with cement mortar. Today there are ready-made cascades on sale. It can also serve as a source decorative item, for example, a flower, a jug or a frog, or maybe something else.

The easiest way is to create a rigid shape, say, a vessel and decorate it using stones. If you prefer to remain individual in everything, then there will be no place for blanks; everything should be done yourself. To direct the water flow downward, with the effect of breaking it into streams and trickles, think about possible obstacles. These can be ledges of small height - about 30 cm. It is better to start creating a ledge from the bottom, smoothly raising it above the water. Optimal size the cascade is 1.5 m.

Decorating a waterfall is the most desired process!

The process of making ledges largely depends on how you imagine the finished waterfall. If on the top tier you do narrow space between the stones, the water will flow more rapidly. Thus, the wave will break against the rocks with noise and foam.

If you want the water flow to fall down evenly, forming a flat straight line, make a cascade with flat stones that have smooth edges. They should be laid out according to the principle of a pyramid. If you are attracted by streams of water breaking into streams, equip the waterfall with chipped, uneven and even sharp stones. If you like the slowly flowing and tranquil flow of flowing water, then use stones with depressions in the middle to create a cascade. When filled, water from such natural bowls will smoothly pour into the next tier, located slightly lower in level. Be that as it may, you will have to lay all the ledges on a cement solution. Consider special sides in the lower threshold, this way you will prevent the possibility of large splashes of water from an artificial source.

Final stage: pump installation

Of course, on upper tier water will not get in on its own, 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 no more than 1.5 m, then the pump power may not exceed 70 W. However, if the design is tall and more massive, then you will need a more powerful device.

If you choose a model equipped with a flow regulator, you will be able to adjust the water flow in the future, making it weaker or stronger. For recharge pumping system, you also need a low voltage transformer. It cannot be installed outdoors, so reserve a place for it in the utility room. Typically, the cables used for connection exceed a length of 9 m, which is why they often need to be extended. For this purpose you will need waterproof connectors.

Note! It should also be noted that if the cable is longer than 12 m, this will affect the operating power of the pump. This will make the unit work worse. Considering this, you should purchase a pump with more power.

The device is mounted on the bottom of the reservoir in such a way that it is invisible to others. The same applies to the cable and the water hose. Design feature pump are available 2 holes. Water is sucked into one of them, and from the second it is pushed out. Hoses must be connected to both openings. At the bottom of the reservoir there remains a hose that draws in water, and the one that pushes it out is brought to the top of the cascade.

Now you can fill the pool with water and start the pump. If you plan to have fish, then after starting the water you can release them into the pond. The moss and decorative growing flowers look very beautiful on the cascade. At the end preparatory work you can decorate the waterfall with decorative plantings. Your work will be appreciated by your household.

Have you already made a waterfall at home? What difficulties did you encounter while completing the work? What helped you cope with them? Have you invented an innovative technology? Share your experience with us! We value your skills and knowledge.

Creating ponds, fountains and waterfalls in your own garden - fashion direction in landscape design. A small pond will transform any garden; this is one of the best places to relax on a hot day, when the water is fresh and cool. The pond will be much more picturesque if a stream of water falls into it from a man-made waterfall. You can make a waterfall at your dacha yourself; this requires some construction skills, correct calculations and the presence of creative imagination. If you already have a pond on your property, it will be easier to make a waterfall. If there is no reservoir, you need to find a place for it - the presence of a waterfall always presupposes the presence of at least the smallest pond into which the water will flow.

The shape of the pond into which water from a man-made waterfall will fall can be any shape. If you like clear geometric shapes in garden architecture, the pond can be made round or rectangular. If you prefer natural forms, the contours of the bowl can have any shape, just not too complex so that it is convenient to carry out construction work.

The pond may be shallow if you do not plan to have fish or underwater plants in it. If you want the pond to delight you with underwater flora and fauna, its depth should be at least a meter, or better yet deeper, so that fish and plants can overwinter without freezing.

Stage 2 – digging a pit

You have decided on the size and shape of the bowl, now you need to drive in pegs along the intended contour and pull the rope. The soil formed during the work should be cleared of stones, roots and other debris. Store the soil in a separate place, it will be useful when arranging a waterfall and pond. The earth from the walls of the bowl will crumble, this is inevitable. Therefore, they need to be periodically moistened and compacted. When the pit is ready, add a layer of sand (10-12 cm) to the bottom and compact it thoroughly.

Excavation pit for the correct pond oval shape, the walls and bottom are carefully compacted. The depth of just over a meter will allow it to breed fish and aquatic flora.

Stage 3 - pond waterproofing work

This important stage work, how long a decorative waterfall for a garden will last depends on quality waterproofing.

For waterproofing, it is better to use PVC film - it is durable and strong. And if you choose butyl rubber, your waterfall pond can last for decades. We line the pit with a layer of waterproofing so that a significant part of the material (at least 1.5 meters) is located above the pit so that the film can be well fixed.

If you choose film waterproofing, the water will need to be drained for the winter - when it freezes, the volume of liquid will increase and damage the waterproofing layer.

A layer of film waterproofing protrudes above the surface by long distance, this will guarantee its reliable fastening, so that the film does not slide into the pond, it is secured with stones

Directly along the waterproofing layer, the banks of the pond are trimmed with stone, fastened concrete mortar. It turns out quite nice, and the method of such finishing is simple and practical.

Most practical option– concrete waterproofing of the pond. Initially, the bottom of the pit is lined with durable plastic film, a wire frame is laid on top of the film, covering the walls and bottom of the future pond. First you need to fill the bottom with concrete, strengthening it in concrete layer bottom part frame. When the bottom hardens in about a day, the walls are poured.

To create a pond, you can use a ready-made plastic bowl. It is convenient to fix it, you do not need a waterproofing layer here, and cleaning such a pond will be convenient and easy

Stage 4 - creating a waterfall

There are two options here:

Waterfall in the garden using a ready-made form. It can be bought in a specialized store. It can be a beautiful vessel or a sculptural composition.
Large cascading waterfall. If you decide to make this design, then you will need natural stone. Sandstone for this purpose is the most comfortable material, but you can also use small boulders. In order for the water flow to flow evenly and smoothly, you need to use flat stones for the cascade.

If you want to get a strong stream breaking down on the stones, in the upper tier, pass the stream between the stones that fit tightly to each other, and place the lower tier at a decent distance so that the water stream can break and foam. Thanks to the stones uneven surface The waterfall can be turned into several separate jets.

The selected stones are laid accordingly, the masonry is held together with cement mortar.

A small special jug was used to create this waterfall. You can choose a vessel of any size, it can be a sculpture, or any other composition you like, which you can buy in a store

Sandstone was used to design the waterfall and create the cascade. This is a simple design where flat stones are laid out in several layers and water flows into the waterfall in one stream without obstacles.

Stage 5 - pump selection and installation

If the height of the waterfall is no more than one and a half meters (this option is the most preferable, since such a waterfall is easy to care for), a 70 W pump will be enough for you. A higher cascade will require a more powerful pump. Try to choose a pump with a flow control function, then the jet power can be adjusted as desired.

This diagram shows the location of the pump supplying water to the cascade

The pump will supply water to the top of the waterfall using a hose. It is better to hide the pump structure under stones so that all its parts, cables and hoses, are not visible. The hose connecting to the hole in the pump structure that pushes out water is pulled to the top of the cascade, the second hose that draws in water remains at the bottom of the pond.

Stage 6 - decorating the structure

The most enjoyable stage of the work is decorating the waterfall. Artificial waterfalls in the country are the main decoration of your garden, the most the best place in the summer heat, so the banks of a small reservoir should be attractive and picturesque. Stones, plants and garden decor. Here you will also need the soil that was formed during the digging of the pit.

The framing of the banks can be made of sandstone or rounded boulders, alternating stones, making sandstone masonry on both sides of the cascade like sides so that it holds back the splashes. Good material for decorating the banks of the pond - pebbles.

Crushed stone, boulders, pebbles and alpine rocks were used to decorate this pond with a waterfall. mountain plants. Your garden can have such a cozy corner with a gravel garden and a pond. Pebbles and gravel will prevent plants from growing too much; the area around the pond will always look neat

The pond will be especially beautiful if you use several aquatic plants. In an artificial pond, yellow egg capsules, water lilies (nymphs), and pistia teloresidum will take root well. Flowering plants in the water will turn your pond with a waterfall into a fabulously beautiful corner, and they also purify the water.

The shores of the pond will always be humid, so any flowers will grow well here. If your pond with a waterfall is clearly visible only from one side of the garden, the plants should be planted on the opposite side. If it is clearly visible from everywhere, you can most Leave the banks open and plant the plants in groups.

The material on selecting plants for a pond will also be useful:

A pond with gravel-covered banks will look good, against which the plants will stand out with their greenery and flowers.

Near a pond with a waterfall, you can arrange a corner for relaxation - put garden bench, above which you can place a pergola. Roses will grow well near water, the bush of which can also be used to decorate a pergola. Usually the water corner is a favorite place for all family members. For children, here you can place garden sculptures in the form of gnomes and funny animals.

Just a few colored luminous stones located under water - and your pond with a waterfall at night will become a mysterious beautiful corner

It’s pleasant to create garden waterfalls with your own hands, and relaxing near a reservoir in the summer heat or in the evening, in the shade and coolness, is doubly pleasant. You should also think about the evening decoration of your pond with a waterfall. In the evening and at night, floating lanterns or glowing stones will make your pond look fantastic.

How beautiful the waterfall is and how mesmerizing it is, there is no need to repeat the well-known. As well as the fact that the microclimate created by the waterfall allows you to create a truly paradise near it. Decorative hydraulic structures have been complemented by artificial waterfalls since time immemorial. In ancient times, man-made water cascades were the prerogative of the highest nobility, but today this pleasure is available to almost anyone. Moreover, current technologies make it possible to create artificial waterfalls for extremely small areas in the yard, indoor and apartment, tabletop. Hydrodesign objects that have no natural analogues also come into use. This article is intended to help those who want to try themselves in this difficult but rewarding task.

Where to start?

From determining local conditions and your capabilities; By the way, they do not always and not entirely depend on the state of the bank account. Three, so to speak, pillars on which it stands beautiful waterfall these are water, energy supply and design. You need to deal with them in order to successfully build a waterfall with your own hands. Materials, aesthetic and technical solutions– secondary factors.

Water

Making a waterfall is not all, you need to supply it with water. Through the source waterfall, pos. 1 in Fig. below, 150-250 liters of water (0.15-0.25 cubic meters) flows every hour. If the water is flowing a veil over the waterfall and flows into the reservoir in trickles, pos. 2, you will need to pass 0.4-0.6 cubic meters through it. m/hour. So that the veil of water becomes continuous, pos. 3, its consumption should already be 0.9-1.2 cubic meters. m/hour, and to water curtain acquired an exquisite smoothness, pos. 4, you need 1.5-2.5 cubic meters. m/hour. This is the so-called. laminar jet, see below. Fluffy man-made Niagara, pos. 5, you will need from 3.5-4 cubic meters. m/hour.

In the summer, in the heat, in the 1st cascade of the waterfall per day, 2-5% of the hourly water consumption will be lost to evaporation. You can check by placing the trough outside, pouring water into it and measuring its levels in the morning and evening. In total, we have daily water losses only for evaporation with 1 cascade 3-200 l, with 2 cascades 6-400 l, with 3 cascades 9-600 l. Per month this will be a total of 0.09-18 cubic meters. The throughput of the house water supply is known: it is determined either by the lumen area of the supply pipe and its material, for example. according to the tables of F.A. Shevelev, either by the performance of the supply pump, or simply by the debit of the source of autonomous water supply. That is, knowing your water supply capabilities and your own water needs, you can already choose the design options that the local water supply system will handle. For example, in a dacha it is best to plan a single-cascade waterfall: in addition to the urgent need for water for irrigation, there may simply not be room there for a large structure.

Electricity

Now let's figure out how things are with the power supply. The fall height of an aesthetically quite perfect waterfall can be taken to be approximately 1 m, and the hourly water flow rate in it is 1 cubic meter. m. Then its flow will be 1000/3600 = 0.27 l/s. More will not hurt, but will require a corresponding increase in the amount of work, material consumption and a more powerful pump.

To raise 1 liter of water, which almost exactly weighs 1 kg, to a height of 1 m, you need to do 1 kgm (kilogram meter) or 9.8 J of work. The work done in 1 s is power. In this case, it will be 9.8x0.28 = 2.75 J/s or 2.75 W. good efficiency submersible pump is usually approx. 70%, but taking into account losses in pipes, especially flexible corrugated ones, the pump power must be tripled. So, (2.75/0.7)x3 = 11.8 W. We multiply the resulting value by 5. Why? To take into account the loss of performance due to a clogged pump filter, it is not distillate that is pumped. Total almost 60 watts. Since the waterfall is not considered a life support facility, the operational safety margin can be taken to be minimal, 20%. Then we ultimately reach a power of 75 W; such a pump is enough for a country or home single-cascade waterfall.

Note: V in this example The assumed pipeline length is 10 m. With a length of 15 m, the loss factor will be 4, 20 m – 5.5, 25 m – 6.5, 30 m – 7.2.

Design

Well, everything seems to be in order with electricity: our pump “pumps up” 1.8 kW/h on the meter per day, and 54 kW/h per month. Within our means - beyond our means, but about redoing the wiring and protective devices you don't have to think. Design is another matter. A waterfall is a highly aesthetic product and requires an appropriate environment, just like a Lamborghini or Aston Martin requires a suitable road. In a nook fenced off by a slate fence, he will lose a lot, and instead of reverence for the owner, it can cause irony and irritation in the guest. Hydrodesign of individual properties – separate big topic, so first we suggest watching the video.

Video: hydrodesign - waterfalls, streams, ponds

More about pumps

Pumps for hydraulic design are fundamentally different in their characteristics from household ones for water supply in that they have lower power and are designed to operate in continuous mode, as well as being more adaptable to pumping contaminated liquids. Perhaps the only case when a waterfall can be powered by a cheaper, more reliable and durable household submersible pump will be discussed further, but for now let’s state a fact: a special pump is needed.

Pumps for waterfalls also differ from each other. With the same power, the former have lower productivity and higher pressure. Very significant circumstances follow from this, as a result of which a waterfall pump turns out to be noticeably more expensive than a fountain pump.

Take a look at fig. Why, it would seem, not to take water into the waterfall pump from shallow water through a separate filter, thereby reducing the cost of the entire system and simplifying its maintenance? Because the productivity of a waterfall pump is much greater. The surface stream will immediately be drawn to the filter, part of it will by inertia pass through it and a fairly strong circular circulation will be established in the reservoir. This is a kind of resonance when the power consumed by the pump goes only to compensate for losses in the resonating system.

From the point of view of the pond decorative element and ecosystem, its surface will be restless and will not provide a calming effect, and the population of the reservoir will feel like they are in a communal apartment of bad memory. Cultivars that are demanding in terms of keeping conditions (varietal nymphs, colored koi carps, golden orff ide) most likely will not take root in such a pond at all. Therefore, you have to install the waterfall pump in the deepest place where the turbidity settles, and make it more resistant to clogging, which increases the cost of the product.

Note: in a populated pond, installing a pump for a waterfall in the very depths is also not best option, see below.

About aquarium pumps

In many cases, a mini-waterfall can be powered from a relatively inexpensive aquarium pump. They are produced with a capacity of 0.05-3 cubic meters. m/hour at zero pressure and pressure 0.3-2.5 m at zero productivity. Performance at zero pressure means that the pump pumps from water directly into water, and pressure at zero performance means that the water in the upward-turned supply pipe will stop at this level. At half the pressure, the pump’s performance drops by about 2.7 times. Aquarium pumps are quite reliable, safe and resistant to contamination, so you can choose one suitable for a small single-cascade waterfall. True, mostly indoors, because... The frost resistance of aquarium pumps is not standardized. Or you will need to remove the pump for the winter and store it in a heated room.

What types of waterfalls are there?

Types of artificial waterfalls suitable for self-built, shown in the photo. Pos. 1 – source waterfall. The aesthetic qualities are minimal, but its construction will require little work, and the initial and operating costs will not ruin any budget. The fontanel waterfall itself, as a rule, ecologically fits perfectly into any inhabited body of water. To increase the decorative effect, the outflow of the source waterfall is most often made in the form of a jug, amphora, shell, figurines of nymphs, frogs, etc. The air in the vicinity is practically not humidified in addition to the pond, but the water meter almost “does not see” its loss due to evaporation. Additional area not required.

Fountaining source, pos. 2, this is mainly the source of an artificial stream, which is a separate topic. Powered by a fountain pump.

A simple single-cascade waterfall at pos. 3 can be called a mono-waterfall in a modern way. Its aesthetics are good, water losses are small, and the air is additionally humidified within a radius approximately equal to the height of the fall. The labor intensity and costs are relatively low, and it takes up little space. However, even when the jet falls 0.8-1 m, the soothing splash of water above reverberates in its thickness as an unpleasant rumble or rumble, similar in spectrum to the noise of a working stone crusher. Every diver knows this, and aquatic organisms are much more sensitive to water hammer. Therefore, if a pond with such a waterfall can be inhabited, it will be by unpretentious local savages.

Cascade waterfall, or multi-cascade waterfall, pos. 4, gives perfect aesthetics with a fall of only 25-30 cm per cascade, but is complex, expensive, labor-intensive, requires a lot of space and moisture for evaporation at +30 in the shade, it loses up to 10% of the hourly water consumption per day. On a site in middle-class and lower-class households, it is often replaced with something no less aesthetic, but which fits well into pieces of free space and loses less water artificial stream with rapids.

Also, for the sake of saving space and reducing water loss, the cascade waterfall is replaced by an aesthetically equivalent waterfall-cascade, pos. 5 and 6. Deep spray chambers already reduce evaporation losses by half, and the sides hold a cushion of moist air above the reservoir - the breaker bath. In the garden there is a bookcase waterfall, perhaps optimal solution. Due to the small splashing of the jets with a small fall, it loses even less water than a monowaterfall, and can easily be attached to. True, on open place The freshness of the air in the heat can only be felt directly next to it.

The most beautiful, but also the most expensive and complex decorative waterfall is a chamber waterfall with laminar, i.e. without internal turbulence, in jets, pos. 7. In some manuals, mini-waterfalls with closed reservoirs are called chamber waterfalls; we note this for clarity. The structure of a large chamber waterfall is shown in Fig. below. Each of its cascades consists of a breaker bowl 1, a splash chamber 2 and a water slide-shelf 3, on which a laminar flow is formed. In the breaker bowls, the water calms down after falling, and the spray chambers prevent the jet from sticking (laminar jets are very prone to this) from the undersides of the shelves. The source bath has the same configuration as the breakers, but is larger.

The hydraulic design of a chamber waterfall is very complex. For those familiar with hydrodynamics, let us inform you that it boils down to the fact that, by varying the configuration and dimensions of the chambers with shelves and the height of the fall in the cascades, by the middle of the width of the shelves, reach the Reynolds number Re, corresponding to the laminar flow of a flow of a given value. The calculation procedure is such that even specialists’ brains, as they say, sweat and shrink.

But even for unprepared lovers of chamber waterfalls there is very good news: they are available for sale ready-made kits plastic bathtubs with shelves, and the specifications for them include the dimensions of the slides. Thanks to professional computer modeling, a chamber waterfall slide based on purchased elements is usually quite compact and not very labor-intensive. If you don’t want to decorate the area with plastic or you’re simply not happy with the price, you can take the dimensions from the company brochure and build it yourself. Small errors in the configuration of the cascades are forgivable, but based on rougher material, the depth of the baths must be increased by 10%, and the width of the shelves by 15%.

Note: a type of 1-cascade chamber waterfall - grotto waterfall, pos. 8. This is a more specialized object: the laminar jet sprays just enough so that the most demanding moisture-loving plants can be grown in the grotto chamber.

Waterfall to the pond

From the above, it must be clear that attaching an artificial waterfall with your own hands to a pond that already exists, planted and populated is not so easy. The basic rules that should be followed are illustrated in Fig.

First, in this case the pump is not placed in the wintering pit. Nymphs are planted there, and wild water lilies in natural reservoirs do not tolerate water flows near the rhizomes. Therefore, the pump is placed on the first ledge from the bottom, closer to the drain from the waterfall into the pond. It may be necessary to select the location for its installation in order to avoid continuous water circulation, so initially the underwater part of the pipeline is made of a flexible hose.

Further, the fall of the jet directly into the reservoir is unacceptable, so the slide is built at a certain distance, approx. 1 m, distance. They either place a breaker bath with a spout under the stream, on top of the rice, or make a blind area of gravel or pebbles under it on a clay castle, below it. The jet breaker can be underwater, but buried no more than 2-3 cm, which corresponds to the height of gravitational ripples on the water that do not create local currents. If a wave similar to a wind wave comes from the jet, it will disturb the water.

If the waterfall is cascading or whatnot, then the fall of the last cascade is taken to be 15-25 cm. Then this stream can be launched directly into the water mirror, laying out the underwater coastal slope with pebbles. In this case, varietal nymphs will feel good in the immediate vicinity of the place where the jet falls, see fig. on right.

How to power a waterfall?

In addition to the generally accepted method of continuously feeding a waterfall from a special pump, intermittent (pulse) powering from a household submersible pump and pressure tank is also possible. It is better to take a centrifugal pump with a metal impeller (impeller) and guide vane; they are the most resistant to contamination. These are designed to work in intermittent mode: shake-cool-shake-cool. The pump capacity must be greater than 3 water flow rates by the waterfall, and the tank capacity must be at least 2 hour flow rates. The first condition for household submersible pumps This is almost always done, but you will have to think about the material of the tank and the place for it. IN general instructions for developing pulsed power supply for a waterfall looks like this:

Find a place for a waterfall and a tank. The height of the minimum water level in the tank should be 2 m above the waterfall spout, and the difference between the maximum and minimum levels should not be more than 1.5 m;
Choose the type and design of the waterfall;
Select a suitable pump;
If the pump specification gives not the average hourly performance, but its instantaneous performance, in l/s, then they also look at how many minutes per hour the pump pumps and how long it rests. Then the injection time is multiplied by 10, how much water the pump will pump in 10 hours is determined, and its average hourly productivity is found by dividing the resulting value by 10;
Determine the length of the supply pipe;
Using Shevelev's tables or similar sources, find the cross-sectional area of the pipe lumen at which its throughput will be equal to the required water flow in the waterfall at its minimum level in the tank. For reference: a water level difference of 1 m corresponds to a pressure of 1 kgf/sq. cm;
The tank is equipped with 2 float sensors: the top one is activated when filled to the maximum level, closes the float valve and disconnects the pump from the network. The lower one is triggered when the water level drops to a minimum and supplies power to the pump.

Note: to pp. 5 and 6. It is undesirable to take a pipe of obviously larger diameter and install a ball valve to regulate water flow, because Pond water is not completely clean. If the valve does not clog soon, the pipe will hum and the waterfall will begin to “spit.”

Waterfall elements

Now it’s time to remember that the entire waterfall complex consists of 3 main parts: a slide with a spout, a sump tank, also known as a hydraulic accumulator, and a hydraulic system with a pump that supplies water from the sump/storage tank to the spout. It seems that the hydraulic system has already been sorted out, leaving the remaining two.

Slide

The main problem with it, besides the structural strength, is only one: the slide should not absorb water, otherwise no water supply will be enough to compensate for the losses. Therefore, firstly, the slide is built on a clay castle from as thick clay as possible. The second option - cementing the site under the hill with waterproof concrete - is very expensive.

Secondly, masonry slides should not be run on a regular solution, but on mounting adhesive for foam blocks. He looks like cement-sand mortar, but contains additives that increase its adhesion (stickiness). This is even more important if the slide is high enough on a narrow base. At the end of the masonry, all visible gaps between the stones are sealed with the same glue.

Note: if it is desirable to hide the masonry seams and give the slide a complete natural look, it can be aged until worn out in the same way, for example, .

Thirdly, if the slide is made of sandstone, slate or other stones with high water absorption, the blocks must first be treated with a deep penetration primer for the stone or 2-3 times with a water-polymer emulsion. This is necessary not only to reduce water loss, but, most importantly, to ensure that the moisture-saturated stone does not develop frost cracks during the winter.

Water

There are 4 options for the design of the fountain reservoir: with waterproofing made of film, in a ready-made plastic thicket, concreted or paved with pebbles or unrounded stone. Their advantages and disadvantages are as follows:

The technology for constructing all these types of reservoirs, except for concrete ones, is generally similar. First, a pit is dug and an anti-heaving sand cushion with a thickness (thickness) of 15-20 cm is laid in it. The sand is poured in 2-4 layers; each layer is leveled with a rake, sprayed and compacted or rolled. The pit for the finished bowl is dug with a reserve of approx. 0.3 m along the contour. Further, step by step for acc. types:

Panels of film insulation (film thickness from 120 microns) are laid with an overlap of 25 cm and with wings (bends) at the top of 1 m. The folds are straightened out as carefully as possible. This is necessary, because When the reservoir is filled, the film will stretch under water pressure. It can then tear along the folds and the wings can “crawl away.” Another layer of sand of 10-15 cm, a layer of gravel of 7-10 cm are poured over the film, and the reservoir is filled.
Under the finished bowl, the pillow is first poured only on horizontal planes. Then the lowest gap between the bowl and the wall of the pit is covered with sand in layers, with spraying and tamping. Next, fill the lowest tier of the bowl (wintering pit) with water; after a day or two, fill the next gap in the same way, fill the next tier, and so on until the top. Containers with plants are placed as the reservoir fills.
When building a paved bed, first lay out the slopes, making the sides. When the glue gains 75% strength (after 7-20 days), place wet clay on the bottom and shelves of the ledges, press large stones into it as many as they can be, then smaller ones, and so on until the smallest ones. After the top layer of clay has dried (3-7 days), the pool is ready for installation. nutrient soil, planting and filling.

About plant culture

Water lilies - nymphs - live for decades in natural conditions. But their container culture has to be renewed after 3-7 years, and in a pond with a solid bed and bulk soil after 5-10 years. The lotus, capable of overwintering in the black soil zone, does not take root in such reservoirs at all. The reason is the accumulation of waste products of the pond population in the soil. In natural reservoirs they are gradually filtered into the soil.

In this regard, a reservoir with a bed paved with stones over a clay castle looks especially attractive. Colmatage (natural compaction of soil under water pressure) occurs almost instantly in it, as soon as it is filled. Water losses due to infiltration are negligible, compared to others they are not visible. But still, there is some diffusion of undesirable substances accumulating in the sediment into the underlying soil, and a stable biological equilibrium in such a pond is established in the same way as in a natural reservoir.

About waterfalls without a pond

Sometimes, for a number of reasons, waterfalls are performed with closed ones, i.e. without a visible water surface, a water collector. In such type, water seeps into the underground reservoir through a layer of crushed stone. The main rule in the design of waterfalls with a closed reservoir is not to make them multi-stage. A waterfall like the one in Fig. on the right, it may look cool, but it’s certainly not natural.

Waterfalls near the house and decorative ones in the house and apartment

A home waterfall is built when it is not possible to dig and fill a pond. These are most often performed according to the mini-waterfall scheme with a closed reservoir. The exception is miniature waterfalls with a very tiny flow, in which the forces of surface tension obviously exceed the forces that generate turbulence. Home waterfalls are divided into:

Waterfalls near the house - street and courtyard in small areas or in places that do not allow production earthworks(paved courtyard, playground, etc.) Their reservoir is most often above ground.
Floor waterfalls for residential premises.
Wall decorative waterfalls or painting waterfalls.

Mini waterfalls

How a mini-waterfall works is shown in Fig. The frame material is any decorative, sufficiently resistant to environmental conditions. The slide stand is also waterproof. A mesh supporting the gravel fill, with tray sizes up to approximately 0.4 x 0.4 m, will be suitable for window mosquito repellents, and it is better to take fiberglass support (reinforcing) rods. To prevent the mesh from sagging too much, place them in increments of no more than 10 cm. Water supply is with an aquarium pump at 1000-2500 l/hour. Flow regulation - thyristor regulator. Aquarium pump motors are made with a ferrite magnetized rotor, and “cutting” half-waves of the mains voltage does not affect their reliability.

When the waterfall is made externally, the cushion is made of sand. If the waterfall is in the apartment, it is better to use sheet polyurethane foam or polystyrene foam. The latter is somewhat worse, because not elastic. Waterproofing is needed from butyl rubber or EPDM, because... Water seeps through the PVC film just a little bit. When using EPDM, you don’t have to make a pillow, because... This material is porous and of sufficient thickness.

In quite large room an indoor waterfall can be arranged without a pillow and waterproofing, in a basin, corner bathtub with a plugged drain, etc. But in any case, the waterfall in the room needs a waterproof edge to protect it from splashes. Its height should be at least 1/3 of the height of the jet fall. For aesthetic reasons this is not always desirable; then you need to replace the gravel inlet with a backfill of rounded pebbles, it plastic imitation, beads or something else smooth and round.

Waterfall on the table

Unfortunately, making a micro-waterfall without a pump, for example. based on a Heron fountain, it is impossible: the water consumption is relatively high, and the supply vessels will have to be rearranged or refilled more often than to admire the cascade. Tabletop waterfall powered from a pump for small aquariums with a water-to-water capacity of 50-200 l/hour.

The main problem here is how to completely get rid of splashes and water spray that is invisible to the eye but harmful to furniture, carpets, and finishing. This is solved by releasing a stream of supply pipe into the roof of the cavity with a low side outlet onto the drain.

Technically and aesthetically, it can be a mini-structure made of stone, pos. 1 in the figure, shell, pos. 2, jug, pos. 3, and even a blind pipe, pos. 4. Last option in this case it is quite consistent with general style design: bamboo water pipes have been built in the East since prehistoric times. Quite a few of them have been abandoned, but they are still in operation and they fit perfectly into the natural landscape.

Water on glass

Who hasn’t admired, while sitting inside, warm and dry, the streams of rain whimsically wriggling on the window glass? However, the value of an indoor glass waterfall is not only aesthetic: in places with hot, dry summers, it can help the air conditioner save a lot of electricity, because evaporation from a thin film of water at a relatively large area and, accordingly, the cooling of the air is noticeable.

As for aesthetics, a waterfall painting on glass fits harmoniously into any modern style of interior design. For extremely laconic and/or technical styles, such as, for example. minimalism or high-tech, it will also be a necessary, but not excessively exciting speck: complete rigor and order take on meaning only when there is at least a little disorder in comparison, but clean and controlled.

The appearance of a typical glass waterfall and the diagram of its structure are shown in Fig. This is basically the same mini-waterfall with a closed reservoir, but with a spout in the form of a horizontal tube. It contains nozzle holes with a diameter of 1-2 mm, directed obliquely downwards at the glass. Water supply - with an aquarium pump at 200-600 l/hour “from water to water”. Flow regulation - thyristor regulator. It is better to make all parts in contact with water glass or transparent acrylic. In the first case, they are glued together with aquarium silicone; in the second - dichloroethane, in which approximately 10% by volume of acrylic sawdust or shavings is dissolved.

Note: When working with dichloroethane, take precautions; this liquid and its vapors are very poisonous!

When making a waterfall on glass, two “buts” should be taken into account. The first thing is mandatory: the waterfall must be filled with distilled water or, in as a last resort, passed through an artesian shungite filter with a hardness of no more than 2 German degrees. Otherwise, salt deposits will soon destroy both aesthetics and hydraulics.

Secondly, in order to fully comply with the aesthetic standards of futurism, it is better to replace the gravel or pebble backfill of the reservoir with pieces of glass rods laid across the reservoir in 2-4 layers in a checkerboard pattern. This is especially true when illuminating a fountain from a tank: the refraction of light in the round pieces of glass and the water film enveloping them will give a slightly undulating, exquisite light pattern on the main glass.

About illuminating waterfalls

Illumination of hydrodesign objects is also a separate topic, but we can immediately say: waterfalls especially benefit if they are illuminated by point sources in the stream. To do this, the illuminators are placed either in the bath of the upper cascade and shine sideways, into the source of the jet, or illuminate the jets from bottom to top, as in Fig. on right. Part of the light entering the stream experiences total internal reflection, as in a light guide. The light seems to follow the stream, which allows you to achieve particularly subtle and enchanting effects.

Country house... City residents consider the owners of such real estate to be darlings of fate or stubbornly pursuing their goal. The presence of a country house only means that a person loves nature and is ready to work to make his dream come true. But this applies only to those for whom such a waste of money is not just an investment, but a way to find a place where you can always relax physically and mentally. Such owners put their whole soul into arranging their home and garden; they do not invite designers or craftsmen, but prefer to do everything themselves.

Great offer

Do you belong specifically to this category? Do you want to improve the area and bring a touch of freshness to it? Then why not make a waterfall with your own hands? A master class of this process is outlined in this article. There is nothing super complicated about this. In addition, you will learn how to make a waterfall in an aquarium with your own hands (this is for those who care about the atmosphere inside the house).

Choosing a place

A pond on a personal plot, if done correctly and with soul, will look great anywhere. But ideally, you need to think through a few nuances.

The waterfall should be located on a slope. But if there is no such area, it is quite possible to organize an artificial embankment. This is necessary so that the water flows down naturally.
Don't forget about the practical component of the upcoming process. You will need to deliver to the desired location Construction Materials. Will an excavator (for large structures) or a wheelbarrow for transporting stones fit there?
When creating a waterfall with your own hands, you should remember the need for free access to water and electricity.
Even before starting work, it is worth finding out where the communications are laid underground, so as not to damage them through carelessness.

DIY waterfall: choosing a shape

Designers recommend preferring irregular shapes. They look more natural and attractive. After all, nothing is perfect in nature. Carefully inspect the landscape of your site. The waterfall should become its natural extension.

The purpose of the structure dictates its depth. If the only function of the object is the accumulation of water, then nothing limits you. But if you suddenly decide to have beautiful decorative fish or fill the bowl with plants, then its optimal depth is half a meter. This way you will be able to protect living beings from freezing in cold weather. Many people decide to combine a pool with a waterfall. That is, it is assumed that family members will bathe in it. In this case, of course, the depth should be at least one and a half meters.

Important nuances

Have you decided to build a waterfall with your own hands? Step-by-step instruction will help you with this. And you should start with the selection of the necessary materials. The pool of the future design consists of two parts. To do this, you will need two containers: the lower one is ideally larger in volume than the upper one. You can use ready-made blocks or prefer natural stone. Only you can decide where to get the materials: on the river bank or in a hardware store.

In any case, you cannot do without a primer, sand, pebbles, quartzite, cement. You will also need a waterproofing and adhesive mixture and fiberglass. A required item is a water pump.

To make a waterfall with your own hands, start by driving in pegs and tensioning ropes between them along the previously outlined contour of the pit. When you dig it, you will get a decent amount of soil. It must be cleaned of debris, stones, plant roots, etc. The construction of a waterfall presupposes its further use. When the pit of the chosen depth is ready, you need to pour sand into its bottom. The thickness of the layer is approximately 12 centimeters. The sand should be compacted thoroughly.

Setting up the foundation

When making a waterfall with your own hands, you can choose different materials to create the base of the structure, for example, film, brick, concrete. Ready-made PVC forms are also sold. This is the most convenient option.

Waterproofing must be installed under the concrete base. Only then is concrete poured, and a special reinforcing mesh is pressed on top. A second layer of concrete approximately 5 centimeters thick is also required.
The most time-consuming option is with brick. The laying is done along the contour of the future reservoir.
The use of film assumes that you pour wet sand (a layer of about 3 centimeters) onto the bottom of the pit. The film is pressed against the edges with stones. Don't worry, it will take the desired shape as soon as you fill the pit with water. Don't forget to trim the film around the edges. It is better to do this at this stage. You need to leave a margin of about 20 centimeters. The bottom of the pool is filled with soil and natural stones are placed there.
Those who know how to make a waterfall with their own hands will say that the option with PVC film is the most relevant and simplest. You will just need to buy it in the store and place it at the bottom of the pit. The film benefits from durability (service life more than 15 years). But you'll have to remember one thing important nuance: In winter, the water will need to be drained. This is due to the fact that when water freezes, it expands, and the film, even the highest quality and durable, always breaks.

Let's talk about cascades

For those who make waterfalls with their own hands, the instructions always talk about the possibility of creating different cascades. The options you have are:

Stone steps. Such cascades look natural. Select flat and wide stones for arrangement. But you are free to regulate the height of the water fall yourself during the construction process. The stones are fastened to each other using cement mortar.
Ready-made cascades. This is an option for the lazy. You will find similar designs in any hardware store.
A vessel decorated with stones. This is the simplest option.

If you want to get creative, create different obstacles for the water. For example, make ledges different heights. Designers claim that the most convenient and functional size the cascade is one and a half meters.

Don't forget about the decorations

If you don’t know how to make a waterfall with your own hands, then, after following all the previous recommendations, think about decorating methods. Depending on what materials you use, the effect will be different. For example, water will break into streams if you use chipped, uneven stones. And you will get a slow flow by using slabs with a recess in the middle. This option is more suitable for calm people seeking peace. In any case, each ledge is created using cement mortar.

The pump is the head of everything

Without this element, you won’t be able to create a home waterfall with your own hands. It is necessary so that water somehow gets to the upper tier. The power of the equipment depends on the height of the cascade. For example, at a height of about one and a half meters, the pump power should be 70 W. To feed the system, you will need a low-voltage transformer, usually located in a utility room and not outside. A cable connects the transformer to the pump.

The device is located at the bottom of the reservoir. Water will be sucked into one of its holes and pushed out from the other. Any “hands-on” man can figure this out.

Eventually

After pouring water and starting the pump, your miracle design will begin to work. You can put fish in the waterfall. Don't forget about decorative flowers, moss and other plantings. They will decorate finished design and they will ennoble it.

Finished making changes to your yard landscaping? Now you can go into the house.

Decorating an aquarium is easy

You can create decorative waterfalls with your own hands not only to improve the design of your personal plot. A talented person can always make changes to the interior of an apartment. If you have an aquarium (and such designs can now be found quite often), try to decorate it yourself, without having to go to the store for ready-made products. It is commendable when a home owner improves something with his own hands. We bring to your attention a simple design that will definitely be accessible to you.

Necessary materials

Prepare two plastic bottles(1.5 and 0.5 liters), rubber water hose (choose the diameter yourself - up to 30 centimeters), dropper. You will also need silicone sealant, a plastic water pipe (37 centimeters long), a compressor, narrow tape, sharp knife. That's all, we can get started. As you can see, nothing particularly rare or unavailable.

Sequencing

The plastic water pipe must be cut into 3 parts lengthwise, then bend them. So you have a support for the future structure.
Now the tube should be glued to the hose. Step back from bottom edge hose about 3 centimeters, and then make an oval cut (size 2x1 centimeter).
Take a bottle (1.5 liter capacity), cut it off top part along with the neck. We get a bowl along which we need to make an incision.
Now you can put the hose on the bowl by bending the cut you made earlier (the one 2x1 centimeter).
Adjust the diameter of the bowl and tape the ends together.
Sealant should be applied to the place where the bowl and hose connect.
At the top of the hose you need to make an oval cut diagonally (2.5 x 1 centimeter).
Take the plastic drip tip and glue it to the bottom end of the hose.
Now place the tip on the tube from the dropper, and connect its other end to the compressor.
Testing a waterfall in an aquarium. If everything is fine, make a visor cap from a bottle (0.5 liter capacity) to regulate the release of sand.
Cut the top off the bottle to create a bowl 3 centimeters high. Make a cut on the side and attach it to the top of the hose. The visor is attached with tape and glued to the hose using sealant.
Let the structure dry and decorate it as you wish.

That's all. Just a few hours of work - and the waterfall for the aquarium is ready and makes you happy.

conclusions

If you are used to a creative approach to the design of your home and local area, then making a fountain or waterfall with your own hands will not be a problem. The main thing is to carry out all operations step by step, find necessary materials and don’t forget to use your imagination and ingenuity. This design move is always considered a winner. And you don’t necessarily have to spend huge sums of money hiring professionals for the design. The most you can do is consult a landscape designer. And then all the cards are in your hands.