How to Install a Water Feature that Reuses Rainwater | Ask This Old House
How to Install a Water Feature that Reuses Rainwater | Ask This Old House
Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada installs a water feature that collects and reuses rainwater.
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Time: 1 day
Cost: $5,000 and up
Skill Level:
Expert
Tools List for Installing a Rainwater Collection Water Feature:
Excavator
Shovel
Rake
Landscape gloves
Shopping List:
Structural pond blocks
Pump vault pond block
Pond pump
Landscape fabric
Stones
Basalt columns with 1” holes
Downspout filter
1” PVC and fittings
Fieldstone
Steps:
1. Before digging, always contact the local utility marking service to locate any underground pipes or wires in the work area.
2. Dig a hole where you plan to install the water feature. It should be about two feet deep. This can be done quickly with an excavator.
3. Use the rake to rake out any rocks in the soil until the base is a flat, smooth surface.
4. Decide where to locate the pump. Using a shovel, dig out a hole to hold the pump vault.
5. Lay the landscape fabric in the hole.
6. Place the rubber liner on top of the landscape fabric. It should be the double the size so it can wrap around the structural blocks once they are in place.
7. Lay another piece of landscape fabric on top of the rubber liner to protect the rubber from the structural blocks.
8. Place the pump vault and the structural blocks in place in the hole. They should lay flat and level.
9. Backfill between the structural blocks and the liner with stones.
10. Dig a hole underneath the nearest downspout for the downspout filter. Then, put it in place. Run a pipe from the filter to the reservoir.
11. Plumb the pump and the pipes, then run the pipes through the basalt columns.
12. Put the basalt columns in place. You can use flat stones to balance them.
13. Make a perimeter around the water feature using the field stone.
14. Fill in the perimeter with stones.
15. Fold the rubber liner over the structural blocks and backfill with soil. Add plantings if desired.
Resources:
The water feature that Jenn installed including the rubber liner, underlayment, structural blocks, pump vault, basalt columns, and pump were all manufactured by Aquascape (https://www.aquascapeinc.com).
Expert assistance with this project was provided by Decker’s Landscape and Aquatics (http://www.deckerspondscapes.com), Nawada Landscape Design (http://nawadalandscapedesign.com), and New England Aquatic Landscaping (http://www.iloveponds.com).
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Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we’re ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O’Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Install a Water Feature that Reuses Rainwater | Ask This Old House
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All that work just for that
Not worth it
Even though Rodger is not in this video, we still got some Boston accent at 2:00, excavata
So what’s gonna happen when it rains heavily? Plus the size of the container is so small it’ll overflow in minutes even if it rains just a little bit.
How to replace a large, healthy plant with a tacky fountain that requires you to regularly clean out a pool filter.
So when she accidentally uses all the water up for other things, and the water pump motor burns out, how do you get to it in order to replace it? I also don’t see a way to monitor the amount of water in there. Unless they simply didn’t show these things, there was no foresight used in the design.
Auto doser maybe?
Dumbest fuckn thing over ever seen
Many TOH videos have a fake look, like a poor reality show, but at least the TOH hosts of most (older?) episodes seemed like they knew what they were talking about, and had done that work many times themselves in the past. THIS episode, well…..the gal seemed like a total poser, and both she and the hired expert guy were pretending to do work with rocks while barehanded and wearing wedding rings, the excavator was dumping a bucket load into a wheelbarrow with less capacity than the bucket, the list of crap content goes on and on. They never mentioned what happens to the trapped water during heavy rains. They did not really show the recycling filtration that would be necessary….but hey, they showed the pump that the homeowner could use to deplete the water in the system in order to WASH HER CAR???? This was a sucky episode.
Are those cold volcano rocks I thought yes🤔🤔
"This Rhododendron’s in tough shape" – Absolutely excellent healthy plant. Too lazy to transfer it. Also did not notice a single line locator mark nor flag before digging. This woman in almost every video does NOT live up to TOH’s expectations of Quality work, likable character and expert advise. They seriously need to get rid of her. This has to be the absolutely worst install of any episode – ever. Splashing water everywhere, a mosquito haven, creating excessive moisture for mold and mildew. That yard will be horrid in a short time. Its also UGLY and definitely NOT worth killing a plant that looked great, took years to grow, and was thriving and healthy.
there was absolutely nothing wrong with that rhododendron. Look at the leaves and look at all the blooms.
The claim that this won’t grow algae because it gets topped off with rainwater is ridiculous. Water + organics + sunlight = algae. Doesn’t matter if it’s tap water, rainwater, distilled water, or holy water. Get the chlorine ready. Head that’s “sustainable”
Gonna have to add that one to the to-do list. Great job !
So Sad for the Rhododendron 🙁
How about the electrical part of this installation?
BOOOOOOOOO we want Roger
Bring back roger
Excellent!
Looks ok
A lot of work for a pretty water feather that just spits water everywhere. I liked the one from a previous job they showed much better
$5000 fountain in your front yard, below the porch. She can really enjoy this when she walks to her car…. idiots. That rhododendron was prettier.
So what happens to excess water during the rainy season?
I really hope the resident of the house didn’t think that water fountains used new water, and did not recycle it.
“I can’t thank you enough….” Just write the check…. 💰
How to: Blow your production budget in seven minutes.
All that work for that little thing
So how do you clean this? Just seems like a very temporary design which you’ll eventually need to completely take apart and clean sludge and debris, not to mention fairly stagnant water.
Wow that looks terrible. What a waste of time and money. Rich people spending money on crap like this instead of helping others. This is society now. Awesome! Good job! Thumbs up! Way to go! Your house looks amazing now. What a transformation. My god how utterly wasteful.
Thanks for such an amazing and in-depth video on water feature installation. I’m really excited for my project to start next week. I know https://purelyponds.com/water-feature-installation/ will do a great job on my pond project!
2:57 It went black for some reason
How much are you paying for the pumps electricity ?
12,000 dollars installed just get a pond
But they don’t tell you that you have to constantly refill the water feature especially in the summer
ROGER WHERE DID YOU GO, WHO IS SHE, i need to catch up on this show
Mosquito Heaven
It looked better before imho.
Nice video but it’s not the same without Rogers New England accent
2:57 …….
3:00 Lets get to it.
Typical democratic state that restricts homeowners from using their own water that they pay for. C’mon man!
Ladies when the husband says no but they’re on vacation right now
It would look good if she plants more plants
$$$$$?????
Too close the stair wall.
I like it. Only thing I’d add are some fruit producing plants or some veggie plants. Don’t just make it look nice, make it work for you! Though she probably lives in an area where you can’t grow edibles in the front yard.
did they not call before they dug
ALL rocks are volcanic rocks…duh!
Except it didn’t rain yet (according to the video) so they must have had to fill it up with water from the outside hose. If it doesn’t rain for a while, this is what we would have to do to keep the water feature working.
So, when the heavy rains start coming in, what’s to stop this whole thing from becoming a flooded muddy mess?
Side note; could they park that trailer any closer to the house 🤤
I always use my excavator for gardening