Building an Indoor Waterfall
A waterfall does not necessarily have to be an outdoor feature. Whether you want to create an intriguing focal point and conversation piece for your guests or add the soothing sound of flowing water to your indoor ambiance, and indoor waterfall might be the solution. Building an indoor waterfall yourself is less expensive than buying a pre-made one; it also affords you the opportunity of creating it to your exact specifications with the materials you need to complement you decor. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Basin
- Electric water pump
- Stones, rocks or decorative marble
- Waterproof glue/sealant (aquarium-grade silicon or similar)
- Sheet plastic
- Small, flat waterfall tube attachment
- Plastic tubing
- Waterproof pond lining
Instructions
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Choosing Your Materials
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1
Choose a basin that is wide, waterproof and will accommodate a water pump roughly 2 1/4-by-1 3/8-by-2-inch in size along with enough pebbles to cover it so that it will not be seen. The flow rate of the pump you choose will determine the minimum water amount you will need; choose a basin to accommodate slight more than the minimum amount.
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2
Choose a water pump that will fit your needs. The most common pump used for indoor waterfalls has a capacity of 95 gallons per hour (gph) and is designed for a waterfall about 2 feet high. Also decide if you will use a submersible pump that will be inside the basin and covered by pebbles or non-submersible, which will be discretely hidden behind your waterfall.
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3
Choose the pebbles, stones, marbles, glass tiles or rocks that will fill your basin and that you will glue to the plastic sheet. Use large rocks for the bottom of the basin with more decorative accent pebbles for the top; the pebbles you glue to the plastic sheet will need to be small and relatively flat.
Building Your Waterfall
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4
Place the waterproof pond lining along the bottom of your basin.
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5
Place the pump inside the basin toward the back according to the manufacturers instructions. If you have a non-submersible pump, you will place it behind the waterfall out of view when it is complete (skip this step).
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6
Place your plastic sheet into the basin; you can place it at an angle, which will result in slower flowing water, or vertically, for a faster fall. Secure this to the basin with your waterproof sealant.
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7
Connect the pump tubing to the pump, and run the piping discretely up the back of your waterfall. Secure the small, flat-tube attachment to the top of the waterfall, and connect it to the pump tubing.
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8
Place your stones and pebbles into the basin; larger ones first to secure the plastic sheet. Glue any embellishments you want onto the plastic sheet with the waterproof sealant.
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9
Fill your basin with water, and start your pump.
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1
Tips & Warnings
For a larger waterfall, choose a larger basin and a pump with a larger capacity. Thoroughly clean all pebbles and decorations before using them.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit 09-02-09 © Pheori
