Wall Water Features

Building a water feature.?

Our factory manager has decided to start a competition on designing a water feature to be built by our works entrance. I've already got a design done but i'm unsure about a few things like the amount of concrete needed to build a base. The water feature will be built on a concrete base, the outside of the water feature will be a simple 2m x 2m square wall, 24 inches approx high built out of concrete blocks. I intend to line the blocks with marble tiles around the outside, top, and inside of the wall, also the base of the water feature. How would i make the wall waterproof? Also what's the best way to attach the marble tiles to the wall as well? I usually wouldn't bother but first prize is £500 quid so i want to give this a go.

Public Comments

1. Your best bet is to line it with rubber pond liner. You should use 45mil epdm and do not use what is used for roofing, if you intend to put fish in it rubber roofing is treated with a chemical that can be harmful to the fish. You can then use what is called pond foam used for filling in between stones where water could leak.
2. Try contacting swimming pool contractors and asking what they use on tiled pools.
3. Lets see if I have your description correct. Your water feature will be basically 2 meters square and 2/3rds of a meter high. Then you are going to pour a concrete base and then stack cinder/concrete blocks on top of that for the walls. I then have a question, " Is this going to be a temporary feature or is it meant to be permanent" ? In either case the Proper material to use would be plaster made for pools. Concrete and cinder blocks are porous so they need to be covered with the plaster. You use a trowel and smear and smooth the plaster on to the concrete and blocks. Make sure to cover both the concrete base and the block walls, inside. Any landscape contractor should know this its the same as you would do for a gunnite type pool or pond. Then for the tiles you should use just a standard tile set for pools. I just got lucky and found both products on the same web page, link below. Good luck to you and I hope you win the contest.