How do I Build a Simple Backyard Waterfall?
- 1). Mark the boundary of your waterfall in your landscape with spray paint. The waterfall may be built over an existing slope, or you can create a slope by mounding soil up to create a hillside.
- 2). Place a pre-formed waterfall liner onto the slope within the boundaries of the waterfall and mark the edges of the liner with baking flour. Baking flour will outline the liner without leaving paint on it. Put a pre-formed pond liner at the bottom of the pool and mark the boundaries with flour.
- 3). Set aside the liners and dig out a depression into the slope that will allow the waterfall and pool liners to sit flush with the surrounding soil. Place your liners in the depression to check the fit.
- 4). Place a layer of play sand into the bottom of the depression where the pool will go. Then slip the pool liner on top of the sand layer. Begin to fill the pool with water. As the pool fills with water, pack sand to the space between the pool wall and the soil wall. Keep the sand level at the same height as the pool level.
- 5). Select a waterfall pump that is powerful enough to lift water from the pool to the top of the falls. Your waterfall pump must increase in power for every foot of height that the water must rise as well as for every foot of hose distance that the water must travel. Most waterfall pool pumps have the pump's power in feet, printed on the packaging.
- 6). Place the pump in the bottom of the pool. Slip a PVC hose into the pump. Lay the hose over the length of the waterfall channel by placing it along the bottom of the depression in the slope.
- 7). Place the pre-formed waterfall liner into the depression so that its bottom overlaps the pre-formed pool liner. Tilt the plastic up and pour play sand beneath it. Fill the space between the liner and the soil with the sand to support the liner.
- 8). Slip the liner back in place over the sand. Cover the edges of the liner and pool with landscaping rocks. Cover the waterfall liner with gravel. Place larger rocks onto the waterfall liner for accents. Cover the PVC hose where it emerges at the top of the waterfall with rocks to hide it.
- 9). Place trailing plants around the edges of the waterfall and pool to soften the look of the waterfall.
- 10
Plug in the pump to activate the waterfall.
Source...