Landscape contractors can charge a good deal of money to construct a fountain in a lawn, but savvy homeowners know they could do it themselves to get a good deal less. Whether you produce a pond with a waterfall or a straightforward disappearing fountain, water features provide a lot of visual impact for very little effort. Simple or complex, each fountain contains a few basic parts.
Water Basin
The most significant part of any fountain is that the water basin or reservoir, a container to hold the water. Ponds consist of holes in the ground, either lined with flexible plastic or formed hard material. Above-ground fountains typically consist of concrete basins or other appealing waterproof containers. Disappearing fountains have a tub or basin hidden underground to use as the reservoir.
Pump
A fountain needs to possess some form of machinery to move the water from the reservoir up into the atmosphere or cascading over rocks. These pumps can be large or small, based on the magnitude of this water reservoir. Bigger vessels require dedicated fountain pumps, which come in many different sizes. Smaller flats can use cheaper aquarium pumps to move the smaller amount of water required to reach the desirable effect.
Tubing
Tubing is used to carry the water from the pump at the base of the reservoir up to the top of the fountain. Bigger flats, like those built in public places, use copper or PVC tubing to convey considerable quantities of water at a time. Smaller, homemade fountains can utilize shorter, flexible lengths of vinyl tubing, like those used in fish tanks.
Decoration
Virtually all fountains have some type of ornamental components to increase the effect. Many of them have rock piles or other objects which produce a waterfall. Disappearing fountains consist of an urn, a pile of stones or a different object upon which the water leakage and also drips down. Ponds might comprise waterfalls in addition to ornamental plants growing in or on the water. Homeowners can also plant flowers and greenery around the base of a fountain or surround it with decorative rocks or shells.