Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
How to Build a Concrete Fountain - Step by Step, DIY Fountain
Citation preview
7/26/13 Fountain: How to Build a Concrete Fountain - Step by Step: The Family Handyman
www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/outdoor-fountains/fountain-how-to-build-a-concrete-fountain/step-by-step 1/6
Save Print Email Share5 TweetTweet 0
Create a stone-lined garden pond, then carve a
waterfall out of a block of stone using basic power
and hand tools. The technique is simple, even for
beginners.
By the DIY experts of The Family Handyman Magazine
Overview
Selecting a stone
Getting started
Cut, chisel and grind the bowl
Cut the channel
Set the fountain stone
Home > Outdoors > Landscaping > Outdoor Fountains > Fountain: How to Build a Concrete Fountain
Fountain: How to Build a Concrete FountainCarving stone requires years of training, extraordinary skill and endless patience—or you can cheatand use power tools.
Overview
If you have a circular saw and an angle grinder, you can spend about an hour in a cloud of dust and emerge with
a carved fountain stone like this one. You won't need any special talent, just a few tricks and a couple of
diamond saw blades (see “Tools and gear” below).
Hello Log in or Join us
Save and organize projects in your Project Binder
with a FREE Membership! Join today»
Poseidon's Warning
You are accessing a Restrictedsite
Follow Us
127
1 of 1
Fountain
Create a pond, then cap it with a waterfall made
from a hand-carved stone.
Enter email address
Free OnSite Newsletter
Get timely DIY projects for your home and yard,plus a dream project for your wish list!
Summary Step-by-Step Tools & Materials Comments (1) View All
The Family Handyman Books Free Newsletters Free Product Info Promotions
SUBSCRIBE NOW »
Give a Gift »
Digital Edition »
Customer Care »
find DIY projects, repairs, tips
ROOMS SKILLS PARTS OF THE HOUSE OUTDOORS COMMUNITY MAGAZINE VIDEOS GO PRO WEEKEND PROJECTS
7/26/13 Fountain: How to Build a Concrete Fountain - Step by Step: The Family Handyman
www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/outdoor-fountains/fountain-how-to-build-a-concrete-fountain/step-by-step 2/6
A weekend is plenty of time to carve the stone and create a small pond. Your masterpiece could look entirely
different from the one I made, depending on the shape of the stone you choose. I purchased all the stone and
spent about $200 on the whole project, but if you have access to free stone, you can cut that cost in half.
Selecting a stoneThe 6-in.-thick sandstone block I used was about 9 x 20 in. and cost about $15 at a landscape supplier. The
stone you use can be any size and shape as long as it has a flat spot that's at least 8-1/2 in. across. The bowl
itself will measure just over 6-3/4 in. across and 2 in. deep.
Soft stone is best for this project. Although you can cut and grind very hard stone, it could turn this one-hour task
into an all-day chore. Also avoid stone with strong “grain”—layers of harder and softer stone—because it tends
to crack along the layers. That makes chisel work risky; one wrong blow can ruin your project.
Hardness and grain aren't always obvious from look and touch. So if you pick up stone alongside the road, you
won't know if it's workable until you try it. If you buy stone, be sure to ask for recommendations. In most areas,
sandstone and some types of limestone are your best bet.
Getting started
Cutting stone whips up a dust storm—don't even think about doing it in your garage. Work as far away as
possible from anything you don't want coated with dust, especially open windows or your neighbor's convertible.
Take five minutes to set up a sturdy work surface (I used a couple of sawhorses and 2x8 planks.) You'll get
better results if you're working comfortably, and you'll save your back. If the stone wobbles on your work surface,
steady it with shims.
Next, mark out the bowl and channel (Photo 1). If you want a curving channel like ours, avoid tight curves;
anything tighter than the curve of a 1-gallon paint can will be tough to cut with your grinder. Make the channel
about 1-1/2 in. wide and flare it to a width of 2-1/2 in. at the bowl. The flare helps create strong water flow. The
flare at the front of the channel is purely for looks.
Building the Fountain
This pond is small—a 30 x 36-in. oval,
about 14 in. deep. Building a pond
couldn't be much simpler. Just dig a
hole, line it with pond underlayment
followed by an EPDM rubber liner and
surround it with stone. Then build a
simple stepped-up wall to support the
fountain stone. Here are some tips for a
smooth project:
Select larger flagstones for the first
layer surrounding the pond. They
stay put better and can overhang the
edge of the hole by 2 to 3 in. to hide
the liner.
Leave a small gap between two of
the flagstones so you can feed the
pump tubing through later.
The flagstone I used for the wall had
flat faces that fit together fairly tightly
when stacked. That allowed me to
glue them together with
polyurethane construction adhesive
Full Name
Address 1
City
State Zip
1 of 1
Photo 1: Mark the bowl and channel
Trace around a paint can using a black marker so
the circle will show up through a storm of dust.
Sketch the channel with a pencil and then darken
the lines with a marker.
Figure A: Fountain
7/26/13 Fountain: How to Build a Concrete Fountain - Step by Step: The Family Handyman
www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/outdoor-fountains/fountain-how-to-build-a-concrete-fountain/step-by-step 3/6
(see Photo 8). If you use irregular
stone, you'll have bigger gaps and
mortar would be a better choice. If
you use large stones, you may not
need adhesive or mortar. Heavy
stones stay put by themselves.
The pump I used is rated for 210
gallons per hour. A smaller pump
may have worked, but I've learned
that it's better to spend a little extra
than to discover later that a pump
was too small.
Even if your pump has a built-in flow
adjustment knob, consider adding a
valve (see Figure B) for quicker,
more accurate adjustments.
Choose your tubing before you drill
the hole in the bowl (Photo 7).
Depending on the outer diameter of
the tube, you need either a 5/8-in. or
3/4-in. drill bit.
The tubing I used fit snugly into a
3/4-in. hole. So I slathered the tube
with silicone caulk, slid it about 1-1/2
in. into the stone and let it set
overnight. Don't insert the tube all
the way to the top of the drilled hole.
The larger diameter of the drilled
hole helps to dampen water
pulsation caused by the pump.
Cut, chisel and grind the bowl
Figure B: Adjustable Flow Control
1 of 3
Photo 2: Cut the bowl like a pie
Make plunge cuts across the bowl outline. Hold the
saw so that the front of the shoe is resting firmly
against the stone. Then slowly lower the blade into
the stone. Wear eye protection.
2 of 3
Photo 3: Break out the “pie slices”
Chip away the first few slices. After that, you'll have
space to aim your chisel at the base of each slice,
and most will pop out with one blow.
7/26/13 Fountain: How to Build a Concrete Fountain - Step by Step: The Family Handyman
www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/outdoor-fountains/fountain-how-to-build-a-concrete-fountain/step-by-step 4/6
« Previous Photo Next Photo »
Fire up your saw and make the bowl cuts (Photo 2). When making plunge cuts, you have to keep an eye on both
the front and the back ends of the blade to make sure you don't cut beyond the circle. And remember that the
spinning blade will try to drag the saw backward. If your circle disappears under a layer of dust, stop and blow off
the dust. If you guesstimate where the line is and guess wrong, you'll end up with a lopsided bowl. Make at least
eight cuts; the more cuts you make, the easier the next step will be.
Next, chisel out the bowl (Photo 3). If any of the slices don't break out easily, rev up your saw again. Better to
make more cuts than to whack out a big slice and leave a crater in the bowl. Grinding (Photo 4) is tedious, but
patience pays off in the form of a smooth, rounded bowl. With very soft stone, like the sandstone I used, you can
polish the bowl even smoother by hand-sanding with 80-grit sandpaper.
Cut the channel
3 of 3
Photo 4: Grind the bowl smooth
Drag the edge of the wheel quickly and lightly
across the bowl. If you press too hard or hesitate,
you'll create gouges that require more grinding to
smooth over.
1 of 3
Photo 5: Cut the channel
Make cuts along the edges and several in between.
Cut in shallow passes, going gradually deeper with
each pass. If you make deep passes, the spinning
blade will pull itself off course.
2 of 3
Photo 6: Chip out the channel
Break out the slivers of stone to open up the
channel. Then rev up your grinder again to perfect
the edge cuts and smooth the bottom of the
channel.
7/26/13 Fountain: How to Build a Concrete Fountain - Step by Step: The Family Handyman
www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/outdoor-fountains/fountain-how-to-build-a-concrete-fountain/step-by-step 5/6
« Previous Photo Next Photo »
Similar Projects
Cut the channel as deep as the diamond blade on your grinder will reach (about 7/8 in., depending on your
grinder). But the key to controlling that spinning blade is to make all cuts in shallow passes (1/8 to 1/4 in.). Start
by cutting the outer edges of the channel. Don't worry about forming perfectly smooth curves yet; if you have to
form a rough curve with a series of short, straight cuts, that's OK. Next, cut grooves in the middle of the channel
(Photo 5). Then chisel out the channel (Photo 6). That will open up space to smooth out the curved edges with
the diamond blade, a grinding disc or a combination of both. When the channel is done, drill a hole in the bowl
(Photo 7) sized to accept the tube from the pump.
Set the fountain stone
Positioning the stone takes some care. You have to adjust the flow from the pump, level and shim the stone
from side to side so water doesn't spill out of the bowl, and tilt the stone slightly for a strong, spilling stream.
When you have it right, remove the stone, apply a bed of mortar or generous beads of construction adhesive,
and reset the stone. Keep the 2x4 bridge in place overnight. If water clings to the underside of the stone and
runs back toward the stone wall, apply a bead of clear silicone caulk under the front of the stone. The silicone
“drip edge” will force the water to drop off.
Tools and Gear
To cut the bowl, you'll need a standard circular saw and a 7-in. diamond blade. Diamond blades can
cost $75 or more. But for this small job, cheaper is better. I spent about $30.
To smooth the bowl, you'll need a small angle grinder and a grinding wheel. Don't balk at buying a
grinder just for this project; you'll find other uses for it. If you want to cut a curved channel, you'll need a 4-
or 4-1/2-in. diamond blade. Or you can cut a straight channel with your circular saw.
I used a hammer drill to drill the hole in the bowl. But a standard drill, along with a little extra patience,
will do the job if you're using soft stone. Use a masonry drill bit diameter that matches the outer diameter
of the pump tubing.
This project whips up a tornado of dust and grit, making a dust mask and eye protection mandatory.
Safety glasses will do, but I prefer a face shield. Those flying slivers of stone sting!
Back to Top
3 of 3
Photo 7: Drill a hole in the bowl
To avoid chipping around the edges of the hole,
start with the drill’s hammer action turned off. When
the hole is about 1/2 in. deep, switch the hammer
action on for faster drilling.
1 of 1
Photo 8: Set the stone
Run the pump and adjust the stone until you get a
strong stream. Shims and a 2x4 “bridge” hold the
fountain stone in position until the adhesive or
mortar hardens.
7/26/13 Fountain: How to Build a Concrete Fountain - Step by Step: The Family Handyman
www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/outdoor-fountains/fountain-how-to-build-a-concrete-fountain/step-by-step 6/6
About Us Rooms Skills Parts of the House Outdoors Videos MagazineContact Us
Subscribe | Give a Gift | Advertise With Us | Customer Care | Content Submission
Reader's Digest | Fresh Home Ideas | Taste of Home Recipes | On The House
The Site Map has a complete listing of our categories.
© 2013 HOME SERVICE PUBLICATIONS, INC. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of The Family Handyman Terms of Use. Know Your Privacy Rights
How to Build a Garden Fountain
How to Build a Low-Maintenance Water Feature
How to Cast Concrete Fountains
Build an Indoor Water Fountain
