Embellishing a Garden Patio with a Homemade Waterfall

Much as a fireplace and a crackling fire enliven a room, a waterfall can enhance a garden patio. The basic components of a home-built waterfall are a pond at the base of a slope, a reservoir or discharge pool at the top, a trough between the two and an electric pump that circulates water through the system. But when the parts are disguised with rough stone, and the water flows and falls, this construction has the look and sound of a scene formed by nature.

The simplest waterfall to build begins with a natural slope beside an existing garden patio. The slope, in fact, is all but essential; if your yard does not contain a pond, you can install a fiberglass pool. In most other respects, the size and shape of the waterfall are limited only by your imagination. Study natural waterfalls for ideas. Consider, too, the points from which you want to view the waterfall. Then mark outlines for the trough and discharge pool on the ground with powdered chalk.

With the pool in place and the waterfall plan marked out on the ground, determine the size of pump you will need. A backyard waterfall should circulate between 100 and 400 gallons of water an hour. Measure the total height of the fall-the vertical distance from the bottom of the pool to the top of the trough-and order a pump that will lift 100 to 400 gallons per hour to that height.

The shells of the trough and discharge pool consist of premixed concrete troweled onto beds of gravel and reinforced with steel mesh. An 80-pound bag of concrete will make 1/2 cubic foot, enough to cover about 1-1/2 square feet when spread four inches thick. To determine the areas of the shells, measure the trough and the discharge pool separately, then add 10 per cent to allow for the extra area created by the pool’s depth.

Both of the concrete shells are painted with a thin layer of masonry bonding agent, and then coated with a one-inch-thick layer of black waterproof mortar; the mortar not only makes the surfaces leak proof, but serves as a bed for the decorative stones. You will need enough mortar to cover the entire surface of the trough and pool, and an additional quantity to bond the stones in place. One cubic foot of mortar spread an inch thick covers 12 square feet.

Mix the concrete and the mortar separately in a mortar pan, stirring with a shovel. To mix the concrete, pour a bag of premixed concrete into the pan and add just enough water so that a handful will barely hold together in a clump. To make a cubic foot of mortar, mix 100 pounds of fine builder’s sand with 16 pounds of Portland cement and 18 ounces of black cement pigment (sometimes called carbon black), then add enough water to make a stiff mixture that will stick to a trowel held upside down.

Stone for the fall itself and for the camouflage of the concrete shell can be harvested anywhere you find it – wondering down the beach shore, walking along streams, even along sides of fields where farmers commonly throw stones that could wreck their equipment. Or you may purchase it from a quarry; many quarries will also deliver the stone to the site, but you can cut costs by transporting it yourself. Handle all stone carefully to prevent nicks and breaks that can spoil the weathered appearance.

Premixed concrete, Portland cement, cement pigment, wire reinforcing mesh, masonry bonding agent, gravel and builder’s sand are all available from masonry suppliers. You will need a few specialized tools: a mason’s trowel, a float and a tuck pointer. If you must cut stones to fit, you will also need a mason’s chisel and the short-handled mallet called a maul. Always wear heavy gloves and steel-toed work boots when  working with concrete, mortar or stone and, if you cut stones, wear safety goggles.

Patio Furniture

Furniture buying is somewhere between difficult and exciting. If you just moved and are uber-excited about your first foray into amateur interior design, then you probably view furniture buying as more along the latter end of the spectrum.

But the rules are actually quite simple. Have a theme in mind (necessary if you want a sense of continuity in your home), then for all the rest, just mix and match.

Of course, there are a million other things you have to take note of – e.g., budget, space, and other headache-inducing factors – but basically, those are the only rules you need. Just follow them and you can hardly go wrong.

Now, apply the same rules with buying furniture for your patio. Make no mistake. Buying patio furniture is different from buying furniture for the interior of your home. There are minor nuances included in patio furniture buying that you usually overlook when buying home furniture.

For instance, you don’t worry about whether or not your couch could withstand the weather because after all, what weather? The thing is going to end up in your living room under a sheltering roof.

On the other hand, if you were looking to buy patio furniture, such as a garden bench, you always consider the kind of material it is made of. Will it crack when sitting under the sun for too long? Will it end up moldy after rain and sleet and snow? Will it get blown away by whipping wind?

The weather should come into account when shopping for patio furniture. Moreover, do not just contemplate normal weather conditions because there is no telling when adverse weather conditions may occur.

But other than that, buying patio furniture applies basically the same rules as buying chairs and tables for your home. You keep a theme in mind. It’s outdoors, so you want things to be a bit on the rustic side. Or maybe, you fantasize about living in England where dainty tea parties are held in wonderfully manicured gardens, in which case, you need patio furniture that exude class and charm.

After you have made up your mind on the theme, then you can work on the mixing and matching part. Your patio furniture should match the style or color of your awning or gazebo.

Awnings come in various fabrics, sizes, and colors so your range of choices is wide. Plus, your patio furniture should match each other as well. No, we’re not exactly suggesting that you get set pieces of patio furniture. That would be expensive. But when you do shop for a chair and a table, keep your theme in mind. That way, even when your furniture pieces do not exactly match each other, the theme they share add that all-important sense of continuity in your patio.

Rustic Log Patio Furniture

Rustic log patio furniture is furniture made out of pine and cedar logs. It is different from most wood patio furniture, which is made from wood boards or planks, because they have the natural shape and appearance of wood. Rustic log patio furniture is what you will find in log cabins and many country homes.

If you love the country and nature, then you may want to adopt a rustic style to you patio. Rustic log patio furniture brings the feel of the “cabin in the woods” to your own patio. Its “back-to-nature” look will fit right in with your garden.

Rustic log patio furniture comes in various colors such as red, light tan or gold and white, all of which blends naturally with most color schemes. You can stain, varnish or paint this type of furniture. However, many prefer to leave log furniture in their natural state to enjoy the wood’s grains and knots, which creates the unique look of each furniture piece.

While you can use rustic log patio furniture in either enclosed or open spaces, its durability makes it ideal for outdoor settings. Additionally, manufactures apply rot and insect resistant substances to rustic log patio furniture so they are sure to last long outdoors. They get this handsome weathered appearance overtime but if you want to preserve their original look, you can apply oil stains or water-based stains.

There is a wide selection of rustic log patio furniture available to include log dining tables and chairs, log benches, log coffee tables, end tables, Adirondack chairs, ottomans, lounges and footrests and log patio swings. They come in different sizes including children’s sizes, which your kids and their friends will surely enjoy.

You can make rustic log patio furniture more comfortable and cozy by adding blankets cabana pillows and cushions. For a complete rustic design, drape a patchwork quilt over a log armchair. Adding a few accents will enhance the look of your rustic patio.

Any piece of log furniture will add a nice rustic charm to your patio. The intrinsic beauty and quality of pine and cedar wood will appeal to any fan of wood furniture.

When buying rustic log furniture, always check for quality workmanship. With some patient researching, you may be able to find quality yet affordable log furniture. If you have to pay extra for a piece with guaranteed high quality, consider doing so. A piece of furniture may be stylish or inexpensive but if poorly crafted, then it is just going to be a waste of money.

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