How to Build a Backyard Waterfall - Gardening Tips

Backyard Waterfall Overview: Project Design

A backyard waterfall can be built in a variety of ways. However, if you're searching for simplicity, this strategy is unbeatable. Simply dig a hole in the ground, line it with rubber membrane, and fill it with pebbles. The backyard waterfall is lovely, but the sound is even better. It's simple to envision yourself sitting next to a bubbling creek in the middle of the woods if you close your eyes. This is why one of our favorite small backyard waterfalls is this one.

The waterfall took less than a day to build once the materials were in hand. In light of the reservoir's size, we were amazed at how much excavating there was. This, however, was the only difficult aspect. It was enjoyable to stack the stones. We had to move the stones a few times before the water flowed gently over the sides and produced the desired appearance.

Step 1 - Gather Waterfall Stones and Other Supplies

 

To find the stone, pump, and pond liner, go to your local landscape supply or home center. A pump can also be ordered online. Discount-pumps.biz is one such resource. Treated lumber, rebar, hardware cloth, and miscellaneous hardware can all be found at a home center or lumberyard.

Begin by locating a large, flat stone for the base in the stone yard. Ours was around 24 inches in diameter. Then place the stones on top in a pleasing pattern. Add a few more for good measure when you think you've got enough. Remember to buy three or four 5-gallon buckets of crushed stone for the foundation.

A pump with a flow rate of at least 300 gallons per hour and a "lift" or "head" of at least 6 feet is recommended. Consider getting a low-voltage pump instead if you don't have a GFCI outlet within reach of the pump cable.

Low-voltage pumps can be purchased online at discount-pumps.biz or from a local garden supply store. You can place the transformer near the outlet and connect it to the pump with low-voltage cable. Low-voltage wire just requires a few inches of burying. For a 120-volt pump, new wiring necessitates an electrical permit and a significantly deeper trench.

Step 2 - Dig the Hole and Build the Frame

To level the frame, add or remove dirt from underneath it. Remove any pebbles, soil pieces, or other debris from the dirt, then rake it to a rough level. Cover the dirt with a 1/2- to 1-inch layer of sand and smooth it evenly.

You'll need an 8-inch-deep hole if you're using 2x8s like we did. Stone walls limited the size of our reservoir in our garden to about 30 in. across, but if you have the space, go greater. The larger the reservoir, the less frequently you'll need to refill it.

The 2x8s must first be cut to length and then nailed or screwed together. Use corrosion-resistant screws or stainless-steel screws. Place the frame in the hole and make sure it's level. Then cover the bottom with a 1-inch layer of sand. Lay a square of pond liner in place that is 2 feet wider and longer than the interior measurements of the frame. Fold the pond liner to fit the inside corners of the frame and drape the excess down the outside. Cut a 20-in. square of pond liner from the excess material and place it in the center as cushioning for the two concrete blocks. Then wriggle the two concrete blocks into the sand until the tops of the blocks are level with the frame's edges. The stones will be supported by the blocks.

Step 3 - Assemble the Mesh Support Grid

Line the frame and add rebar

 

 

Fold the corners of the pond liner and place it in the frame. In the center, place the two concrete blocks. Rebar lengths should be attached every 8 in. Add a layer of hardware cloth to the reservoir to finish it up. To cross the reservoir, cut sections of 1/2-inch rebar. A hacksaw will do the job, but it will take a long time. A metal-cutting disc on an angle grinder is a superior solution. 1/2-inch copper plumbing straps are used to secure the rebar. Cover the rebar with galvanized 1/4-in. hardware cloth after you're finished. To keep the box in place and hide sharp edges, bend the hardware cloth down around the outside edges.

Cut an 8-inch square access hole in the hardware cloth between two sections of rebar. Fold the edges of the hardware cloth down to hide any sharp edges once again. Install the pump through this hole. To fill the hole with gravel, cut another piece of hardware cloth to fit over it. If you live in a cold area, you'll utilize this access hole to clean out the reservoir and remove the pump in the winter.

Step 4 - Stack the Stone

Build the backyard waterfall look

Cover the hardware cloth with a layer of gravel. After that, begin stacking the stones. Pour water over the stones every now and again to check how they're flowing. Now comes the exciting part: creating the waterfall. Spread the stones out near the reservoir so that you can pick the size and form that you wish. Begin by stacking your large base stone on top of it. Stack a few stones and then pour water over them to see how the water flows. You can move the stone around or switch it out until you find a flow pattern that you like.

Step 5 - Install the Pump and Watch the Water Flow

Using a hose clamp, secure the pump to a length of tubing. Allow enough tubing to stretch from the reservoir's bottom to the stone stack's top center. Place the pump in the reservoir and run the tubing to the top in the least visible location. The duct seal putty also protects the top stone from crushing the tubing. Now it's time for the truth to be revealed. Fill the reservoir with water and connect the pump to the outlet. The pump may take a few seconds to start moving the water at first. When it's done, have a look at how it flows and make any necessary tweaks by shifting the stones.

For the first day or two, keep an eye on the waterfall to get a sense of how often you'll need to refill the reservoir. It may quickly deplete on hot, windy days. Remember to bring the pump inside in the winter if you live in a cold region so it doesn't freeze.

Fine Tuning Techniques

A. Cut a drip groove for better flow

Here are some suggestions to try if the water isn't flowing as you'd like. Cutting a drip groove on the underside of the stone will cause the water to drip rather than follow the underside of the stone. Shim under the stone to tilt it and divert the water flow if the water isn't flowing in the appropriate direction. You can also use duct seal putty to make a dam to stop or change the flow of water.

Cut a groove in the bottom of flat stones to improve the waterfall appearance. The groove causes the water to drip instead of flowing back over the stone's underside.

Step 6

B. Shim with small stones

Tilt the stones with little shims to redirect the water. Simply lift the stone and place the shim beneath it.

Step 7

C. Reroute water with a dam

To keep water from rolling off the back of the waterfall, build a dam out of duct seal putty. The putty was also utilized to fix the tubing between the top two stones here.

 

Step 8 - Final