Making a fountain from scratch? (brink & concrete)

I was wondering if anyone has attempted this.

What I have in mind:

I don't know the technical terms for the parts of fountains, but I'll explain the best way I can. I have in mind two basic parts: the pool part at the bottom (sqaure shape) and the vertical (rectangle shape) part on the back that will house the pump inside and circulate water to create a waterfall over the top and into the pool. (Picture the whole thing as a chair shape without legs and the waterwall coming over the top of the chair and into the seat.)

I'm thinking of doing this out of brick.

After that is complete and dry, I want to cover it with concrete to hide the brick structure and then paint it with some concrete paint to give it either a terra-cotta color or maybe a Tuscan-style yellow.

I've never done anything like this, so I need some insight from people who maybe have experience in putting something like this together. I know I'll need some type of sealant. Would that only need to go in the pool area or inside the well part also. Would the entire inside need to be coated with a sealant? And would I do the sealant before or after I paint?

What kind of pump would I need to push the water up and give it a wide sheet of water effect coming off the top? Is that the basics I need: a pool, well and pump?

Last I want to embellish it with a mosaic on the bottom of the pool and some sort of tile design on the back.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've been searching websites, but can't really kind what I'm looking for.

Thanks! :)

Reply to
houstoncelebrity
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Home Depot sells rubber blankets that is used to make ponds. That would be cheaper for the under ground part of the pool.

Good luck

Gary

Reply to
Gary & Karen

Thanks, but it's more of an above ground fountain than an in-ground one. I don't really want a rubber blanket because I want to make a pretty mosaic at the bottom of the pool. I have an idea of how to do it. I think my biggest obstacle is how to make it work properly and I know pumps can be expensive. I'm excited about getting started, though.

Thanks for the reply

Gary & Karen wrote:

Reply to
houstoncelebrity

I think you better hire a professional mason contractor. What you're talking about I think is way beyond the average handyman.

Reply to
Ben

I haven't ever attempted such an ambitious project but I did partially watch a pond being installed by a bunch of pros last summer similar to what you describe. They used concrete blocks to build the pond and then put some sort of skimming stuff over that and set some nice stones on the top edge. I really didn't notice how they handled the pump. Good luck! The ponds that I have built all required a good deal of tinkering with before they were just right. (Some never made it :-) ) Lots of fun in retrospect, but a royal pain at the time. Good luck!

Cea

Reply to
Celeste Evans

That sounds like a massive, major undertaking that will cost you several hundred dollars at least (have you priced decorative tile lately?), and it could be several hundred dollars down the drain, literally, if you don't design it properly. Surely there must be some books out there that can give you the sort of guidance you need. Concrete and mortar are real easy to mess up if you don't know what you're doing.

Reply to
DrLith

Liquid CIM is available hero.....You can DIY...It rolls on w/paint roller and turns to rubber.. The pump should be at the bottom of the wall with the plumbing going to the top to a trough of some sort such as a piece of vinyl gutterw/holes drilled along the bottom to drain down your wall....I've built such an animal a few years ago...Sort of the same shape except I used a window from a full glass storm door for the back part.. Hero because you've "never done anything like this before..." and you're doing it........ Keep going..

Reply to
KCnRichmond

Thanks everyone. I really think I can do it. It's just like making a table top fountain on a larger scale, right?

Regarding decorative tile, I don't need a lot of it and usually plain ceramic tile isn't all that expensive.

I wish HGTV and the DIY Network had more programs specifically for doing these types of projects.

If I'm unable to do it the way I want, then I'll have to find an easier, cheaper alternative.

Reply to
houstoncelebrity

There is pond newsgroup. The people there may be able to help.

I love the shows on HGTV on how to landscape. They will tell you that you can build an elaborate garden complete with hardscape, water feature, and lighting for about $12 and it will only take two days. Then they bring in a crew of twenty laborers with shovels, a mason with helpers, an electrician, a landscape architect, a carpenter, and assorted equipment including a Bobcat, two backhoes, a dump truck, sod cutter, rototiller, wet saw, vibratory compactor, and a 18 inch augur. After a few shovels of dirt have been turned, you get a tour of a local garden center to select some pots or a fountain. When the show returns to the worksite, the entire project is ready for planting. The show goes to a commercial, and when it returns, the crew is sweeping the sidewalk and the clueless homeowner are given a tour of the garden where misinformation is dispensed about the plant material.

Reply to
Vox Humana

Oh, I know. I don't care for shows like that. Not realistic enough for the everyday person. I like the programs like "Weekend Warriors" where it has pretty much the average person getting something accomplished on their own.

I'll search for the pond group. Thanks!

BTW, that is supposed to say "brick", of course, in the subject title and not "brink"! I have no idea why I typed that.

Anyway, I found some "brinks" around the yard and drew with some chalk on the house sort of a mock up of what I'm talking about. This is also the location where I want to do it. Just to give a better visual.

Here's a picture:

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Reply to
houstoncelebrity

Instead of tiles, why not use pretty colored broken dishes? A secondhand shop in South Beach, Fl. has their whole floor done with them and is was far more interesting than the things they sold. Yard sales should yield all you need. Good luck and it really sounds like fun.

Reply to
BetsyB

Take a look and see what is possible. Maybe instead of broken plates you might was to mess with mosaics? Sure wish that was spelled correctly?

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Reply to
BetsyB

Thanks! I hadn't thought about that. Great idea! Ny neighborhood is allowed to have garage sales on Saturdays; I should check some out.

Reply to
houstoncelebrity

It dosen't look very difficult. I have built lamps and windows but never tried mosaics but I sure would love to try. My husband has banned me from the splashback on the sink. Creep!

Reply to
BetsyB

Take a peek here,

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read it thru and you will see all sorts of possibilities. It also deals with the mosaics I was telling you about.

Reply to
BetsyB

My neighborhood allows garage/yard sales any day of the year. Actually there is no neighborhood controlling authority but the city does not prohibit them.

Reply to
Travis

Thanks everyone, for all the tips and advice. If I decide for sure to do it, I'll post a picture here of the completed project whenever I'm finished.

Reply to
houstoncelebrity

Don't post it here post it to alt.binaries.pictures.gardens.

Reply to
Travis

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