Att: Moderators :DIY Waterfall questions

[webfeet]

Thanks for the quick response! I need some ideas! I want to build a waterfall that is shaped like a rectangle, about 2 1/2 ft wide and 6 ft long and 3 1/2 ft high. I had the pool plumbed for the waterfall with 1 1/2 in pvc. The pipe sticks up in the air about 18 to 24 inches. It is about 2 1/2 ft from the pool edge. We have a 2 speed 2 hp pump on our pool.
I would like a lip, ledge or whatever it is called to project out of the waterfall (from the top of waterfall) about 12" over the pool water. I want this lip or ledge to be a flat surface that is about 3 ft wide, with the sheet of water falling over the edge. When it is finished, we would like to be able to stand under the lip, behind the sheet of water as it falls into the pool, without being directly under the the falling water. I may need to make some changes to my design, if this doesn't sound feasible.
I think we could build it, if someone would tell us what to do. I don't want anything terrible heavy, because my deck is only 4" thick. I am open to most materials, but I don't want the big boulder look, but a more formal or traditional style. Thanks for the help. Webfeet

[badutahboy]

Thanks for the quick response! I need some ideas! I want to build a waterfall that is shaped like a rectangle, about 2 1/2 ft wide and 6 ft long and 3 1/2 ft high. I had the pool plumbed for the waterfall with 1 1/2 in pvc. The pipe sticks up in the air about 18 to 24 inches. It is about 2 1/2 ft from the pool edge. We have a 2 speed 2 hp pump on our pool.
I would like a lip, ledge or whatever it is called to project out of the waterfall (from the top of waterfall) about 12" over the pool water. I want this lip or ledge to be a flat surface that is about 3 ft wide, with the sheet of water falling over the edge. When it is finished, we would like to be able to stand under the lip, behind the sheet of water as it falls into the pool, without being directly under the the falling water. I may need to make some changes to my design, if this doesn't sound feasible.
I think we could build it, if someone would tell us what to do. I don't want anything terrible heavy, because my deck is only 4" thick. I am open to most materials, but I don't want the big boulder look, but a more formal or traditional style. Thanks for the help. Webfeet

That bottom rock is either going to have to be HUGE, or you're going to have to do some creative bracing underneath it. 12" of overhang will present some interesting problems if someone tried to stand or hang on it, unless you had a huge amount of weight to leverage the rock to stay on land.

Alternatively, you could probably have someone mold something custom for you that's fairly lightweight... but you'd have to design it in such a way to prevent anyone from trying to stand on it. If you used this option, you could do anything you want, because you'd probably be building it with a wood, steel, or plastic frame and then sheeting it with stucco or faux stone, etc...

[matt4x4]

i'd be tempted to make the ledge out of something like 1/2" lexan, mainly because of the weight reduction over stone as badutahboy has allready stated, and it would allow light through the flowing water from above which would be ultra cool. Also, it's perfectly flat, allowing the water to sheet it's full width giving you the desired waterfall (sheet effect).
Everything else can be built using rock and such.

[gunkel04]

I used "rico rock" on mine, and although they are "stone" looking, I did not want the traditional boulder look, rico rock has a pre- made waterfall that is more along the lines of a "ledge", this is what I used, the good thing is that it is light weight, yet strong enough to stand on and dive off of, I as well extended the overhang to allow for the "cave" behind the sheet of water. Also from what I understand, the company will custom form whatever you shape you desire:

http://www.ricorock.com/

Here is my website with pictures and movies (not for dial up!)

http://web.mac.com/gunkel04/iweb/Site1/Pool%202.html

[webfeet]

the lexan is a unique idea. I will check that out.

Gunkel04, you have a beautiful pool. Do you mind telling me what your waterfall cost? How big is it- it looks really long.

[keithw]

Webfeet,

You could also consider building it out of cement over a hollow structure. I built mine in "boulder" appearance, but you could certainly design it in most any fashion. It's a fraction of the weight of a rock waterfall, super strong, waterproof, and you can store stuff in it! You could easily design it to project over the pool to the length that you had indicated.