Waterfalls are one of nature’s most beautiful creations. The backdrop to your waterfall can be almost anything, even dirt left over from digging the pond. Existing walls, 55-gallon drums, or old cement blocks serve as backdrops.

Waterfalls are both wet and dry, leading to expansion and contraction of your building materials. For that reason, the base of the waterfall is an important factor in construction. Two construction types for waterslides are cement and liner. Poly sheeting will not work or last.

LINER - When possible, use liner all in one piece for both pool and waterfall. Be especially careful if placing rocks or stones on the liner that they do not tear or puncture it. Do not trim the liner until the waterfall has run for seven days to allow for any changes that may be needed after pool has settled.

CEMENT - Pack soil firmly where fall will be located. Lay tie rods and wire mesh reinforcement. Cement (using a fiberglass additive to mix) a four-inch thick concave trough into the pool. After the cement has hardened, place rocks and stones into place with additional cement.

SUBMERSIBLE PUMPS - To determine which pump would be best suited for your waterfall, determine how high the water must be pumped vertically from the bottom of the pool. Select a pump that will turn over the total gallonage of your pond at least once an hour at this height. This will generally give you a pleasing proportion of water movement in relation to the size of pond.

HELPFUL HINTS - Be sure your waterfall, when running, will not have more capacity than the pond. Generally, the base pond should be four times the size of the waterfall. Waterfalls will make more noise if some of the rocks are removed to create a hollow space behind the falling water.

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