Undoubtedly, a glass waterfall is a wonderful addition to the interior. Streams of water flowing down glass have a beneficial effect on the human consciousness, pacifying emotions and calming the mind. Moreover, it has a beneficial effect on the microclimate of the room, making the air humidified. Another good news: you can create such a waterfall yourself at home.
Streams of water flowing down glass have a beneficial effect on the human consciousness, pacifying emotions and calming the mind.
Outdoor installation
You should consider a method for making an artificial glass waterfall that will be installed outdoors. This design resembles a real waterfall, with the only difference being that the water in such a waterfall flows over a glass surface.
To create such a waterfall yourself, you need:
- beam;
- wooden boards;
- veneer;
- paraffin paste;
- masking tape;
- tempered glass of the required size;
- low-power sediment for water circulation;
- plastic pipe;
- brackets with fasteners;
- decorative stones.
Using wooden boards, you need to make a box that is the right size for the glass. The inside of this structure should be treated with paraffin paste. This will protect the wood from contact with water. In addition, it is necessary to treat the wood with antiseptic agents .
Wall waterfall: operating features
One of the main features in extending the performance of a home waterfall is its correct installation.
Properly selected, assembled and installed elements should operate reliably and without failure. If the water blooms in the receiving bowl of the waterfall, or plaque appears on it, you can use specialized chemicals, or correct the situation by installing filtration equipment. At the end of each season, it is recommended to remove the pump from the pond and clean it.
The article discussed the issue of home, apartment and garden waterfalls. In addition, a method for making your own design was presented, which every home craftsman can handle.
Sequencing
You can take a frame part as a basis. To make it, you will need timber. The internal dimensions of the structure itself should allow the box to fit inside the frame and take a stable position.
When the box is already placed inside, its bottom and walls are lined with plastic film, preferably dark in color and opaque. The film is used to completely seal the structure. For this purpose, you can lay out the film in several layers.
Then you will need to cut 2 boards the same size as the height of the glass. Their function is to fix the glass wall to the frame. Veneer will be needed as finishing. Wooden lining may also be suitable for this purpose.
Tempered glass is mounted in the center of the box, above which a board is installed to secure the glass. When this work has already been completed, you can proceed to installing the pump and connecting plastic pipes through which water will circulate.
To attach the pipes to the side posts, you need to use special rings, which are sold at a plumbing store. The top pipe is additionally equipped with a hole so that the leaking liquid flows directly to the top of the glass. The hole size can be arbitrary. To begin with, it is usually done small, and then, if necessary, it can be increased.
After this, the frame must be sheathed with a special material intended for these purposes, and then painted. The wooden components of the structure are coated with a transparent water-repellent varnish. Stones are placed inside the box as decoration, after which water is poured into its lower part and the pump is turned on.
After connecting the pump to the electrical network, you should check the operation of the fountain. As an additional decoration, you can create color effects using LED lighting.
After connecting the pump to the electrical network, you should check the operation of the fountain.
How to make a frame for a waterfall
Select ideas on how to make a structure made of stones as a frame for a waterfall, taking into account the size of the fountain and the area of the site. Depending on the shape of the frame, there are 3 types of flows - smooth, cascading and “dry”.
Smooth
An imitation of a stream is built like this:
- Make a smooth mound of soil.
- Install waterproofing film.
- Low steps for pouring water are formed from flat stones, ceramic slabs, and stainless steel sheets.
If you need to slow down the flow, you need to make turns inside the flow.
Cascade
To create the effect of falling water:
- They build a steep hill.
- Bends of the required height are formed and covered with waterproofing.
- Install flat stones so that the upper steps hang over the lower ones.
Instead of stones, you can take ceramic slabs.
"Dry"
This frame is made like this:
- The water collection pool is covered with a durable metal mesh.
- The grate is masked with pebbles and small stones.
- They form a smooth or cascading flow of water.
It gives the impression of a stream flowing into the ground.
DIY home waterfall
You can also create a home waterfall with your own hands, which will look organic in the bedroom or living room.
To create this masterpiece you will need the following materials:
- organic glass (size is selected individually);
- light bulbs and other materials for creating lighting;
- compressor (least noisy);
- vinyl hose;
- check valve
Before starting work, you should make a drawing of the future waterfall. It is necessary to take into account such qualities as compactness and convenient location. The width and height of the product should be calculated based on the room parameters.
The upper part of the structure must be equipped with an additional cover to protect the product from dirt and dust.
To give the waterfall not only aesthetics, but also functionality, you can install lighting in it. For this purpose, you should use neon waterproof lamps , which are sold in hardware stores. Their characteristic feature is a bright light that water cannot drown out. The location of these lamps is also selected at your own discretion.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=YC76IUaxh-k
To create a home waterfall using glass, it is necessary to develop a diagram that will specify its size and parameters, materials for each part, installation locations for lighting and deposits, and the nature of the finish.
The very first foundation for the future glass waterfall is being built. The main requirements for it are good strength and tightness. Its dimensions should allow the glass wall to easily fit into it. Then you need to install a check valve, power supply elements and an air supply system.
Do not forget that the valve turns off the water supply, as well as completely solidifies it. Moreover, you should pre-arrange the lighting. For this you can use both neon and LED lamps. After installation, be sure to check their operation.
Next comes the installation of organic glass, after which the operation of the backlight is additionally checked.
At the bottom of the tray there is a glass container with water. It is imperative to maintain the same water level to ensure proper operation of the system. The oxygen bubbles supplied along with the water must have the same shape and size. To achieve this effect, you will need an acrylic sprayer with additional holes. By adjusting them, you can achieve excellent results during water supply.
Then you need to decide where the water tank will be located. It can be mounted in the upper part of the structure or at the junction of the floor and foundation. First, wash the glass surface using window cleaner. It should also be taken into account that for such a structure you should use only distilled water that has undergone purification.
Interior waterfalls
A decorative waterfall in the interior is an excellent opportunity to create a bright accent, ennoble the room and highlight the refined taste of the owner of a home or office. Thanks to the development of modern technologies, it is possible to construct a decorative waterfall even in limited space. When arranging interior waterfalls, light and durable structures and reliable water supply and drainage systems are used. The construction of waterfalls involves the use of plastic and other polymer materials, as well as natural stone, glass, and natural wood.
| Waterfall on threads | Cascade Falls | Waterfall on the wall | Natural style waterfall |
The water in a decorative waterfall can fall as a continuous film or in thin individual streams, flow down in the form of a plume, or flow into an artificial pond. Bowls can have different shapes; If desired, you can make them in the form of aquariums for fish, decorate them with aquatic plants, creating the most natural look of a waterfall.
| Big waterfall - wall | Small waterfalls | Cascade Falls | Waterfall by steps | Natural style waterfall |
Wall design
To make a wall waterfall on glass, you need to know some nuances. This waterfall will be installed on the wall, and the cost of a hand-made product will be 3-4 times cheaper than one purchased in a store.
You can come up with a waterfall decor based on your own taste. However, the principle of creating such a product will always remain unchanged.
To work you will need:
- pump;
- pipes;
- fittings, gutters, plugs;
- transparent hose;
- plugs for plastic pipes;
- polyurethane glue;
- gloves.
Using glue, the individual parts of the future structure are fastened together. To give a more aesthetic appearance, you can use colored glass, as well as varnish and stain. In addition, you will need tin, wood veneer, waterproof plywood, pieces of wood, rags, wires and lamps.
To give a more aesthetic appearance, you can use colored glass, as well as varnish and stain.
Artificial waterfall on glass panel
This type of waterfall is also found in interior design. To work, you will need a fairly voluminous plastic tray, a frame with a water tube running inside, and corrugated glass.
The pump pump is securely covered inside a tray, which must be treated with sealing materials. There is a tube outlet along the upper edge of the glass, from where water flows along a flat surface into a collecting container.
Each master can come up with an absolutely unique option for the location and design of a decorative waterfall, having only desire and a creative idea in stock.
Manufacturing stages
You should get sandpaper, an antiseptic for wooden surfaces, sealant, LEDs, as well as various screws for fastening parts.
As in the previous case, first of all you will need to build a box from wood using plywood or boards. Its dimensions depend on the size of the glass being mounted. The joints of the wooden elements are attached to each other using tape. Internal joints are treated with paraffin paste.
Before you start working, you need to place paraffin resin and an accelerator in a plastic container, then stir the composition well. Then pre-diluted resin is poured into the box, evenly distributed over the entire surface using a spatula. After this procedure, the product is left to dry. Then, after final drying, this process is repeated again to achieve complete waterproofness of the surface.
It should be noted that even before drying, small pieces of glass are immersed in resin to create decor.
When the last layer of resin has hardened, the wooden mold is disassembled, resulting in the formation of a resin structure that will serve as the bottom. You should step back 2.5 centimeters from the top of the structure and make a hole; a similar hole should be made on the opposite side.
Before you start working, you need to place paraffin resin and an accelerator in a plastic container, then stir the composition well.
It is necessary to prepare boards that will serve as a frame to support the glass. Using them, you need to make 2 boxes, one of which will be located at the top and the other at the bottom. The boards should be treated in advance with an antiseptic substance. By using veneer, you can decorate the planks that serve as partitions. To allow the veneer to dry, you should wait about twelve hours.
Then you need to level the surface with sandpaper and cover it with stain. When the latter is completely dry, you need to remove dust from the surface layer and open it with varnish.
To connect 2 boxes, you will need nails. Roofing felt is laid over these boxes for waterproofing. A hole is made in the back wall for a hose through which water will be supplied. The top of the box is equipped with hook-shaped screws, the distance between which should be identical. A bar is installed that divides the structure in half. A backlight is installed in it.
LED lamps are mounted on the distribution strip, and the extension cord is mounted on the top of the housing.
Next, you need to prepare a polyvinyl chloride pipe, in which 6 holes are made, the distance between which should be 5 cm. A plug is attached to the pipe on one side, and an L-shaped adapter on the other. The pipe is secured with brackets to the distribution strip.
Mounting of sheet metal is done with screws coated with galvanized coating. The pipe is attached so that it is evenly filled with water during operation of the structure.
The LED lamps are mounted on the distribution bar, and the extension cord is mounted on the top of the housing, where the pump and hose will also be located.
After this, you should secure the front strip to the lower frame. A plastic pipe is used to make a gutter, on both sides of which plugs must be secured. The container is filled with water and placed inside the box, and the hose is placed in the water and connected to the pump. After the work has been done, it is necessary to turn on the pump and the backlight in order to check their operation.
The boxes are attached to the wall using brackets that can be tinted to match the color of the walls. The hose through which the water will be supplied must be secured to the wall. If necessary, you can make more holes on the hose or increase their diameter.
Watching the water flow over the glass is a calming and pleasant sight. Interior decoration using a waterfall is very popular in various types of premises. This design is suitable for apartments, offices, hotels, supermarkets, shopping centers and other places. In winter and summer, the indoor air becomes too dry, which negatively affects the health of people in such premises.
An artificial waterfall will help humidify the air, drive away fatigue and lift your spirits. In addition, you can make it yourself, taking into account your own taste and preferences.
Features of assembling the pumping system: step-by-step instructions
Making an artificial waterfall on a personal plot is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.
The main thing is to decide on its construction materials, style, dimensions, location and type of construction . If we are talking about a product with a pump, then special attention is paid to its installation and assembly
Elements
Almost all modern garden waterfalls are assembled using electrical devices, which include the following basic elements:
- storage tank. This could be a small pond built of stone or concrete, a plastic container, and so on;
- relief over which water flows. To create it you will have to do complex and painstaking work;
- a pump pumping water from bottom to top;
- various communications: pipes, wires, sockets.
Bowl installation
When building an outdoor pond, it is important to be careful about creating the bowl. It can be of any size, shape and material of manufacture
Its location should be chosen away from buildings and septic tanks.
The bowl installation looks like this:
- A plan is created - a drawing, which indicates the dimensions of the structure, materials of manufacture, and a plan for the personal plot.
- Next, markings are made using wooden pegs and a stretched rope.
- The next step is digging a pit. It is usually made round. But the walls and bottom must be sealed.
As for the bowl itself, you can purchase it ready-made or make it yourself. The process of making a bowl yourself is as follows:
The bottom of the pit is filled with sand, carefully compacted, leveled and compacted. Next, the bottom and side walls are waterproofed using a polymer film. In this case, you should not stretch the film too much so that it does not tear.
Here it is important to overlap the surface up to 40 cm. Next, the bowl is cemented. At this stage you should be extremely careful not to tear the film. And the final stage is decorating the reservoir with any selected materials (stone, brick, sandstone).
It’s even easier to make an artificial waterfall with your own hands if you install a plastic bowl in the pit. Such products are sold in specialized stores of various shapes, sizes and volumes. They are characterized by tightness, ease of installation and original appearance. Also, instead of a plastic bowl, you can use an old bathtub or any other sealed containers (cistern, metal barrel).
When installing a finished water tank, it is important that it completely follows the contours of the pit. To do this, before digging a hole, the tank is placed on the ground, and its contours are outlined with paint.
Based on the paint applied to the ground, you should get tired of digging a trench.
The bottom of the pit, when installing a finished sealed tank, is also covered with sand, compacted and leveled. Next, a water container is inserted into it and the free space between the pit and the bowl is filled with sand.
How to equip a slope
To begin with, the reservoir is given the required shape, then the soil is compacted and strengthened with crushed stone. To make the slope waterproof, a sand cushion is poured, which is covered with a polymer membrane.
When arranging cascades with differences of 30 cm, the platforms are cemented so that the slope does not collapse under the construction of water. And the terraces are reinforced with bricks or stones. On each tier, a flooring is made of crushed stone and sand, 10 cm thick, and everything is cemented on top.
Installation of pumping equipment
When choosing a pump, you should consider the following two parameters:
- power, on which the ability to lift water to a given height depends;
- performance.
Submersible devices that are mounted on the bottom of the pool are also suitable for installing the pump. Here it is recommended to cover the pump with a net to prevent debris from entering the device.
Hidden reservoir design
A do-it-yourself waterfall in the country with a hidden reservoir instead of a bowl is made using a slotted depression along the width of the water flow. From the inside, this recess is covered with sand and covered with a polymer membrane. A grid of reinforcing bars, plastic or galvanized steel is installed on top. And on top you can make a mound of small stones. A submersible pump is installed down and a hose is connected to the top of the structure.
Advertising graphic waterfalls
The Aqua Logo Engineering company has the necessary technologies and can produce a graphic waterfall for advertising according to your request. Photo gallery Graphic waterfall of the Ostankino shopping center
A graphic waterfall is installed on the facade of the end of the Moscow building, facing the pond. The photo was taken from under the canopy of the building. Falling drops are clearly visible against the background of the TV tower and are almost invisible against the sky. Photo by Nikolai Safonov.
Graphic waterfall can be installed even outdoors
It is installed quite quickly and in the dark can be used in stadiums, discos, exhibitions as an effective visual magnet, not only attracting the attention of visitors, but also transmitting the necessary information. For example, names of speakers, titles of musical works, logos and advertising of companies
Photo by Nikolai Safonov.
Graphic waterfall device close-up. Photo by Nikolai Safonov.
Drops of water fall into a receiving container decorated with large pebbles. Photo by Nikolai Safonov.
The shooting took place before the thunderstorm on May 15 at 17:00. Despite the clouds, it was quite light, so the floodlights illuminated the drops only up to half the height of the fall. Under the lights of the waterfall, the word “ascension” is visible, made up of thousands of falling and illuminated drops of water. Photo by Nikolai Safonov.
During the filming, news from the Internet was broadcast onto the water “printer.” High-speed photography made it possible to record water words at different stages of falling drops. The drops are best seen, of course, near the lamps. Photo by Nikolai Safonov.
As the drops fall, the speed of the drops increases, so the letters stretch in height. And with distance from the spotlights, the drops become less noticeable. However, the lamps can be mounted not only from above, then the visibility of the drops will increase. Photo by Nikolai Safonov.
The visibility of drops also depends on the viewing angle. Photo by Nikolai Safonov.
Graphic waterfall. Photo by Nikolai Safonov.
Graphic waterfall. Photo by Nikolai Safonov.
Graphic waterfall. Photo by Nikolai Safonov.
Choosing a location on the site
A distinctive feature of the waterfall is its multi-tier structure. If the site is located on a slope, then you just need to slightly “tweak” the natural topography, and the direction and orientation of the flow is set initially.
In other cases, you need to find a place where the view of the waterfall will be as advantageous as possible in the summer, taking into account the position of the terrace, gazebo or any other recreation area where family and guests gather.
Although the proximity of the recreation area is not an axiom. If landscape features require it, the waterfall can be anywhere on the site. Especially if we are talking about a small form - a miniature waterfall.
It can be built in the form of a small alpine slide, as part of a rock garden, or placed in a secluded place next to a bench, where it is so pleasant to relax and unwind under the soft murmur of a stream of water.
Form and composition
There is no strict classification, but the following main types of compositions can be distinguished:
- a free-standing small decorative waterfall;
- a waterfall with a pond at the foot;
- a waterfall from the flow of one body of water into another, located one level below;
- a cascade of three reservoirs;
- a cascade consisting of an artificial stream flowing through part or all of the site;
- a waterfall on an island in the middle of an artificial reservoir (can be considered a type of fountain).
Types of waterfalls
The principles of design and construction of waterfalls are similar, but each type has its own nuances. Main types of waterfalls:
- cascade - water falls from several levels (minimum 30 cm);
- flow type - water flows smoothly along low, oblong, almost even steps of the cascade;
- “dry” waterfall - water flows not into the bowl of a pond or pool, but into a covered container;
- waterfall “wall” - two types: water flowing over glass; smooth flat stream, water wall of the grotto;
- waterfall without a pump, 2 types: according to the type of communicating vessels; with a natural source.
Large pond in stonesSource topiar.ua
The choice of design type is determined by personal preferences, style and terrain features.
As for the cascade type, the design of the water structure depends on the height of the cascade, the size of the bowl, and the volume of pumped water. The higher the height of the steps, the more powerful the pump is needed to supply water. A cascade structure up to 1.5 m high and steps up to half a meter wide requires a pump with a capacity of up to 80 l/min. For cascades with a height and width of steps greater than 2.5 m, a pump power of 450 l/min is required. The pump is purchased with a partial power reserve. Some is lost to boost the water pressure and filter resistance.
Alpine slide with a waterfallSource luckclub.ru
Water source
Site selection, overview and composition are not the only planning issues that need to be addressed. Even before building a waterfall, you need to decide on the source of water. There are three options:
- Water intake from the water supply system. This is the most common option for swimming pools, fountains, and artificial reservoirs. And the waterfall is no exception. Essentially, this is a closed cycle water circulation system, with periodic replenishment to compensate for natural loss due to evaporation, less than ideal waterproofing, and splashes.
Even in technical equipment, such a waterfall is very close to a pool or fountain - the main technical elements of the system: pump, filter, pipes. But in this case, you can use not only a surface pump, but also a submersible one. A submersible pump is installed in a reservoir at the foot of a waterfall, a surface pump is installed at the mouth of a stream on a hill.
It is easiest to organize such a system for compact options, small cascades, modest-sized artificial reservoirs and streams. Although for a stream through the entire site it is possible to organize a closed water supply cycle - it is a matter of pump power, pumped volume of water and the capabilities of the electrical network. - Water intake from an external reservoir. If the site is located on the shore of a lake, river or stake, then they can be used as a source of water supply.
In this case, the water also moves through the cycle. Although, of course, this cycle cannot be called completely closed - it’s just that a natural reservoir is also used to discharge water. - Water intake from a natural source on the site. The option is extremely rare, non-standard - after all, we are talking about a spring or stream. If it is a stream, then you will still have to make a lot of effort to create a system of cascades on a separate section of the riverbed.
With a spring it is even more difficult - as a rule, they do not have a high flow rate, and they are not located on a hill. Therefore, you will have to organize a water supply to the source of the waterfall, and literally select a pump that would not drain the spring and would not “catch” air.
