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fountain running whenever you are home but to be off in
your absence (although the birds in your yard may have
something to say about that!)
Frame the reservoir of the fountain out of 2" x 12"
pressure-treated lumber. (To hide the frame, it is best
to paint it black). If you use four or more larger urns
or very heavy drilled character stones, it is best to pour a
concrete foundation to support the rock. Yet this is not
at all necessary for fountains of average size and
design. A typical size is 4' x
4', although 3' x 3' works fine for a single urn or smaller
design. Line the frame with a sheet of 45 mil EPDM pond
liner. After the liner is carefully placed, secure it in
place with furring strips screwed into the 2 x 12's.
Some designers also include attaching a 3/4" sheet of plywood
to form a bottom to the box. Usually this box reservoir
of a disappearing fountain is set into the ground to hide
it. Assemble your pump and
plumbing, using ball valves to control the flow to each
fountain piece. If the pottery you have chosen does not
have a hole in it, drill one with a masonry bit. Plumb
in a tubing adaptor at this juncture for connection to the
pump. Seal the hole with RayCrete and plumber's
putty. Vertical PVC piping extends to the top of the
pot, but don't trim it down until you are satisfied with the
flow. Place concrete blocks
throughout the reservoir to hold up the structural plastic
grid. Cut a one-foot square window out of the grid, so
that if you need to access your pump, you don't have to
disassemble the entire fountain. With the reservoir
finished, place a layer of 1/4" black plastic netting over the
structural plastic grid to hold the stones. Vary your
stone size and color to match the fountain. Keep the
water feature clean with Fountec. Then turn on the
fountain and relax!
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