Water Feature

Directions

1. Use a 55 gal storage container with a lid which you can pick up at any local hardware store. Note the 1’ lip tontop will help with water collection later.
2. Once you make out the area where the water reservoir will go with paint, dig out the area making sure you account for the concrete footing that will go on the left and right of the storage container 9-10 inches on each side should work.
3. Set the storage container flush with the ground and level it. You can use a little bit of gravel mix and a tamper to establish a flat surface pretty quickly.
4. Get one roll of concrete footing forms, cut them down to 6” tubes and set them in place on the left and right side of the container.
5. Refill and pack the dirt around the concrete forms as well as the storage container before pouring the concrete.
6. Cut three 2’×4’s running 5’x4’x5’ and secure using screws. This will act as our frame for the water feature.
7. Set the frame into the concrete forms and fill them to the top using concrete.
8. Using a trowel, flatten out the top of the concrete to make it a smooth and even surface.
9. While waiting for the concrete to set, ensure the frame is leveled and using a few scrap pieces, prop them to the frame to temporarily secure the frame from leaning.
10. Pick up 11 pieces of the 5-x1/2” cedar picket fence and trim off the beveled ends to make it easier to build a faux beam out of them.
11. Secure the fencing to the 2’×4’ frame using wood glue and 2” screws. Framing them from the center to the outsides of the frame.
12. For the two sides’ inner sections, treat them as your auxiliary access panels. Install them last since you will be required to rip the boards a little to make it fit. Lightly secure using 1¼” screws on each side.
13. Use the Bernzomatic propane gas with TS8000 torch to burn the wood using the ancient Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique. For an even burn, try to drag the flame throughout the unfinished sections of the wood. This will lower the chances of spotty, patchy burn marks.
14. Once you’ve darkened and charred the cedar to its final stage and while the project is still warm, apply 3 coats of boiled linseed oil (available at any hardware store) with a paint brush.
15. Outdoor water feature pumps measure their power by GPH (Gallons Per Hour). The idea is, the lower the vertical travel distance between the pump and the point where the water will be shooting out, the more GPH will be required. Check the ratings in the back of the pump when purchasing your pump.
16. For this build, the vertical traveling distance between the pump and the sprayer will be 5 ft, so you will need a pump that could tolerate 900 GPH along with the designated 1” corrugated water hose. This is sold in the same section as the pump and secure the two together using a hose clamp.
17. Cut a 1 inch PVC pipe down to 4 ft. Establish where the first and the last water jet should come out and then make out and drill a ¼” hole on every 1 inch mark.
18. On one side of the tube, use a PVC primer and cement to attach the slip on to the female thread adapter. Then screw on the gray male 90 degree elbow-to-slip on hose adapter. And on the other end of the PVC use the cement and primer to set the 1 inch cap.
19. Slip on the hose and secure with hose clamp onto the 90 degree gray adapter to run the water to the PVC pipe.
20. Insert drip irrigation jets (2 GPH) into the ¼” holes (I counted 37) and secure them around with a bead of 100% waterproofing silicone for a tight fit.
21. Secure the PVC pipe to the top of the faux bean using 2 pipe hanger straps with screws.
22. Run the hose down one of the access panels and secure it with two hanger straps as well. Then drill a 2” hole to run the hose and the power cable through the lid of the storage container.
23. Using a ½” drill bit, drill out a drainage system on the top of the container lid. Run the pump and cable through the 2” hole and place it at the bottom of the water reservoir.
24. Fill up the water reservoir ¾ of the way full. Secure in place the two inner side access panels using 1-1/4” screws and fill the area around the storage container with pea gravel for drainage.
25. Finally, set large flat stones on the sides to help funnel the water inward of the water reservoir as well as spread smaller rocks in the middle to help cover the holes in the lid and help with the drainage.