How To Build a Backyard Waterfall

with the aquascape backyard waterfall landscape fountain kit adding a waterfall to your garden or landscape has never been easier follow this video tutorial for a trouble-free installation the backyard waterfall kit includes all necessary equipment needed to build a one-of-a-kind waterfall in any setting however before you get started you need to collect or purchase 12 to 15 basketball sized rocks and four to six 50-pound bags or buckets of gravel for installation when selecting your rock keep in mind that a variety of manageable shapes and sizes will help naturalize your water feature you also need to identify one rock with a flat surface also known as a spillway rock we'll explain later how this unique Rock will be used when building your waterfall rock and gravel can be purchased at garden centers Rock yards or home improvement stores when selecting the location for your waterfall we recommend choosing an area of your yard that is frequently used water features are often located near decks patios or at the entrance of your home for maximum enjoyment make sure your waterfall is facing the primary viewing or gathering area and visible from a regularly used window or patio door to provide views from both inside and outside of your home once you've identified the location of your waterfall position the Aqua Basin with the pump access panel opposite of the point where the waterfall will enter the basin mark out the area using a can of brightly colored spray paint by tracing the perimeter of the basin then mark out the positioning for the pipe this mark should start at the pre-drilled bulkhead and end at the opposite corner of the basin where the waterfall will be located using the traced area as a guide dig the hole for the Aqua Basin approximately 17 inches deep use the excess soil to create elevation for your waterfall continue the excavation by digging out a shallow trench for the pipe that will eventually connect the Aqua Basin to the waterfall spillway install the included bulkhead into the pre-drilled bulkhead port on the side of the basin push the bulkhead through the inside of the basin and tighten the nut on the outside be sure to install the rubber gasket on the inside of the basin and the rigid plastic washer on the outside of the basin to ensure a watertight seal then tighten the nut approximately one turn past hand tight compact the excavated area using a soil tamper or something heavy with a flat surface like a cinder block use a level to make sure it is level from side to side and front to back place the Aqua basin into the hole that you have created make sure it sits level from side to side and front to back if the basin is not level remove it and correct the excavation coat all PVC threaded fittings with the included black silicone sealant before installation the sealant helps to provide a watertight seal then install the threaded fitting into the outside facing portion of the bulkhead next apply PVC pipe cement to the inside of the fitting and the outside of the pipe quickly inserting the pipe into the fitting and twisting the pipe until it bottoms out in the fitting firmly hold in place for approximately 30 seconds if adding an optional automatic water fill valve install the valve at this time the automatic fill valve automatically adds water when needed due to water loss caused by evaporation remove the included aqua surge mm pond pump from its packaging thread the included aqua surge low suction intake attachment with the flat rubber washer hand tight onto the intake of the pump this attachment minimizes maintenance by allowing the pump to utilize more of the water contained in the basin before topping off the system with water attach the rotational ball to the outlet of the pump with the included flat rubber washer then thread the included aqua basin plumbing adaptor into the bulkhead from the inside of the basin place the pump into the basin and attach the threaded collar of the aqua basin plumbing adapter to the a tional ball output thoroughly backfill around the sides of the basin with sand or dirt as this will prevent future shifting of the basin clear away a small trough around the location where the waterfall will be entering the aqua basin install one of the included strips of geotextile underlayment and backfill the trough to secure the strip into place the geotextile underlayment will help retain and prevent the raised soil from entering the top of the aqua basin position the liner over the basin reaching from corner to corner the liner will retain the water in the waterfall as it travels from the spillway back into the basin be sure to provide enough slack in the liner to drape easily over the lip and onto the surface of the basin now position the second strip of geotextile underlayment the additional layer of geotextile will help protect the liner from being punctured or damaged when setting rocks along the hard plastic edge of the Aqua basin temporarily position the waterfall spillway and be sure that it is no further than 36 inches from the corner of the Basin the length of liner provided will allow for one to two Waterfall drops depending on your design place two larger rocks to act as frame rocks on either side of the intended waterfall location then locate the spillway rock with a flat surface that was found during rock selection and place it between the frame rocks small rocks and gravel can then be used to fill in gaps remaining rocks can be set along the edge of the Basin and gaps can be filled using smaller rocks or gravel the waterfall will be the focal point of the water feature so take your time and be creative if you plan on adding lighting now would be the best time lighting is a great addition to any water feature and ideal for highlighting the beauty of your waterfall and general landscape in the evening cover the remainder of the basin with a layer of rocks and gravel or river pebbles using a soil tamper or something heavy with a flat surface like a cinder block thoroughly compact the soil in the location planed for your waterfall spillway then position the waterfall spillway in front of the spillway rock on top of the liner adjust the height of the waterfall spillway to sit flush with the starting point of the waterfall a bed of gravel can be placed on top of the liner beneath the waterfall spillway to provide a suitable base and raise the height of the spillway to the desired level level the waterfall spillway from side to side and tilt it forward a quarter bubble on your level to ensure proper water flow attach the waterfall spillway to the liner by removing the pre-installed retaining nut and the outer rubber gasket from the bulkhead fitting fold the liner over the top of the waterfall spillway and trace the fitting located on the back of the unit use this mark as a reference point for cutting out a circular hole in the liner with a pair of scissors guide the hole in the liner over the fitting and secure the liner to the spillway by reinstalling the rubber gasket and retaining nut a quarter turn past hand tight should do the trick coat the threads of the second PVC fitting with black silicone sealant and thread the PVC fitting into the spillway fitting the sealant helps to provide a watertight seal next apply PVC pipe cement to the inside of the fitting and the outside of the pipe quickly inserting the pipe into the fitting and twisting the pipe until it bottoms out in the fitting firmly hold in place for approximately 30 seconds once plumbing connections are complete bury the pipe with excavated soil finish the waterfall spillway installation by disguising the spillway using rocks be creative use logs driftwood moss or other landscape materials to disguise the waterfall spillway use the pond and waterfall foam sealant to seal any gaps or joints around the face of the waterfall spillway and the surrounding waterfall forcing the water to run over the waterfall rocks not beneath them this maximizes water flow allow the foam sealant to dry for at least one hour before adding water filled the basin by adding water to the pump access area or by simply placing a running garden hose on top of the basin now for the moment you've been waiting for plug in the pump and test the waterfall keep in mind you can always tweak the waterfall by placing smaller rocks stones or gravel in the waterfall to change the appearance and sound of the cascading water with the waterfall running it's time to trim off any excess liner making sure to trim several inches above the water level the remaining liner edges can be folded and covered with gravel or other suitable landscape material a unique way to naturalize your waterfall is to add plants there are many varieties of aquatic and terrestrial plants available that will help tie the water feature into its environment the area around the basin can now be mulched to blend the feature into the surrounding landscape the installation of your aquascape backyard waterfall landscape fountain kit is now complete and ready to enjoy at aquascape your paradise is our passion we've been creating and field testing water features for over 25 years in order to provide you with the most reliable products at the best value you

Channel: AquascapePonds

Views: 2,259,825

Keywords: Aquascape

Id: F4k0JGeEVI0

Length: 10min 5sec (605 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 26 2017