How to Build a Wall Water Fountain

River Rock

Adding a water fountain to a wall in your home or garden is a simple building project with dramatic results. Build your water fountain with slate tiles or a solid sheet of marble, small river rocks or hand-painted Plexiglas. You can find all of the materials for your water fountain at your local landscape supply or home improvement store.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Shovel
• River rock
• Mortar
• Trowel
• Rectangular pond liner
• Fountain pump
• Brick
• Nylon stocking
• Rubber band
• Duct tape

Instructions

1. Determine the height and width for your river rock wall. Take the measurements to your local landscape supply store, and they will tell you how much river rock and mortar you will need to complete the project. The height of your wall will determine the strength of the pump you need to purchase. The pond liner is your reservoir and should be at least as wide as the wall. Alternatively, you can purchase a plastic sheet liner and form the reservoir to your wall. This will require additional river rock to be placed around the liner to keep it stationary.

2. Excavate the ground where you will build your wall. Remove any grass, rocks or other debris and level the ground as much as possible. Mix the mortar and apply a thin layer along the length of the wall.

3. Place the first river rock at one end of the length of the wall. Apply mortar to the side of the stone before setting the next rock in place. Repeat this process to build your first row of rock. Begin building your wall upward, stacking the river rock on top of the mortar seams of the preceding row so the wall will have more stability. Let the mortar dry before moving on to the next step.

4. Dig a hole to fit the pond liner in front of the river rock wall. Insert the liner into the opening. Preformed liners do not need to be held in place with rocks as the plastic sheeting would, but you can choose to place river rock around the front as a camouflage.

5. Wrap the fountain pump in a nylon stocking to prevent clogging from debris. Attach the pump to a brick with a rubber band to keep it from moving around in the reservoir. Attach the plastic tubing included with the pump and place the pump into the reservoir. Run the tubing unobtrusively up the back of the river rock wall and attach the tip to the top of the wall with a small piece of duct tape.

6. Fill the reservoir with water before you turn on the pump.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a timer to the pump so that the water fountain works automatically.

• Bury the pump's electrical cord from the reservoir to the outlet for safety.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Fountain pumps