Extra: Water Wall Water Feature
Waterfalls Vancouver: Stream And Waterfall Location Planning
Building a Stream & Waterfall For Your Vancouver Custom Home
If you own a beautiful house with lush green backyard in Vancouver, adding a rippling and rock lined stream with one or multiple waterfalls can increase the pleasure factor of your yard. This is especially true in the summer months as many folks like to gather in their backyard. Waterfalls are undoubtedly one of the most serene and relaxing features created by nature. Owning one in your backyard can be just the thing for you to enjoy a natural and relaxing environment.
Streams and Waterfalls in Your Garden…
Stating the obvious, people living in Vancouver live in one of the most beautiful and nature oriented places in the world. Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park, Lynn Canyon, Trout Lake, and Pacific Spirit Park are 5 of the most beautiful parks in Vancouver but you can’t always make time to go hiking, or stop by a tranquil location after a day’s hard work. Creating a small or large-scale replica of a stream with waterfalls in your garden can bring nature closer to you. In order to maintain good water clarity and reduce maintenance, you can use gravel and stone filters coupled with a heavy duty pump. And the best part is you can undertake and complete the project in two weekends. Within days you will see a natural ecosystem start to form attracting wildlife such as birds that will bathe in the pond.
How to Decide On A Location…
It is an exciting thought to have your very own waterfall, but before anything else you need to decide on a location. There is no point putting in all the hard work and effort, not to mention money, if you can’t enjoy it when you want. You should choose the location by visualizing it. Imagine the best spot where you would like to sit and enjoy the waterfall, maybe near the deck or patio. You can choose a spot near your bedroom to enjoy the sound of water at night and in the morning. In any case, the location of the stream and waterfall(s) should be the one most enjoyable for you.
Preference of location, however, is not the only consideration in planning and executing the project. The following factors should also be considered when selecting the location.
- If the soil is soft, excavate the site and if it is hard, build the stream above ground with a stone base. The type of work you want to undertake can influence your location selection.
- Little slope, 2in drop per 10ft of stream, is enough for the flow. If you want faster moving water or taller waterfalls, create a steeper grade. Proper streams cannot be built on flat ground.
- Decide on the stream size to determine the water capacity in the lower basin and upper pool when pump is off. The location should have enough space and ability to accommodate the capacity you desire.
- In order to enjoy a babbling brook sound, set the waterfalls height between two to four inches. In case you want more sound, increase the height of the waterfall drop.
- You should search for stones to be used in the project under rock, sand & gravel or quarries online or in the yellow pages. You can choose colorful accent boulders and flat stones for the waterfalls. You can choose the different rocks and materials according to prices and types available. Choice of stone is very important in the functionality of the project. If you want to cut costs in half you can opt for an artificial rock waterfall. There are residential and commercial waterfall contractors in Vancouver that specialize in that area and they can custom create virtually any kind of waterfall you desire.
After Selecting the Location…
Once you have clarified and decided on the aforementioned factors, you can map out the design and mark it, so that you can start digging. It is recommended only to start the work when all the material have arrived. Detailed instructions are available online, in magazines, through videos (YouTube) and catalogs. Alternatively, you can hire a professional to help you complete the project successfully. It is usually better to involve the professional once you have decided upon the location. One of the reasons why we recommend hiring a professional is because they will install the plumbing correctly (including the filtration systems) which will allow the water feature to run continuously without constant maintenance issues.
Don’t forget the lighting! You can find good pond and waterfall lighting from your local garden center, online at Amazon.com or speak with your waterfall contractor who has a supplier or distributor relations with suppliers.
Water Feature Feng Shui Tips: Don’t Put That There!
What Is Feng Shui And What Are Its Benefits With Water Features?
When it comes to feng shui tips for the placement of your water feature, it is helpful to understand the concept of feng shui. Feng shui is an ancient art and science developed more than three thousand years ago in China. Simply put, it revolves around balancing of energies in any given space to bring good health and fortune to the residing people. If you are wondering how it relates to your water feature, feng shui literally means wind and water. People living in stressful cities such as Vancouver can benefit greatly by adding a water feature to their home. But did you know there are places where you shouldn’t put a water feature? Read more to continue.
It is not necessary that the water feature has to look oriental to be used for feng shui. In fact, it is preferred that it works harmoniously with your interior or exterior décor. As aforementioned, water features are very popular in feng shui as they bring the energy of water into your home and water is a symbol of wealth and prosperity. The flowing water of the water feature helps reactivate life-force of the space, restores balance and produce beneficial yang energy. However, there are guidelines and rules to be followed in order to use water features for good feng shui. You should note here that improper placement of the water feature is considered to bring bad feng shui to your home.
If you are planning to install a water feature in your garden or your home for good feng shui, there are guidelines that could potentially improve the feng shui energy.
Desirable Locations of Water Features for Feng Shui
The location of any feng shui water feature should be determined by the Ba-Gua, a feng shui energy map. The fountain should be placed in the east direction for health and family, southeast for prosperity and abundance and north for career and path in life. The fountain should not be placed in the south area of the house, as according to feng shui ideology, south is associated with fame and reputation and its symbol is fire. When you bring water feng shui element into the fire feng shui element, it contradicts each other. Hence, you end up creating a bad feng shui or conflicting energy, as water puts down fire. In addition, when placing a water feature in your garden, it is preferable to have the water flow towards your house so that wealth and abundance flow towards your house and not away from it.
Type of Water Features for Feng Shui
You should consider how the feng shui elements are expressed in shapes and colors, so that it complements the water element and the needed feng shui in the given space is not overpowering. The shape, color and material of the water feature should express and support the needed feng shui. You should start by selecting the location of the water feature and then selecting the shape, color and material accordingly.
Undesirable Locations of Water Features for Feng Shui 
Placing a feng shui water feature in your bedroom is considered bad feng shui. The location of your bedroom is irrelevant. The water feng shui element is believed to bring negative energy in form of worry into your bedroom. So, if you are considering a water feature for feng shui purpose, keep it out of your bedroom. Also, never place a water feature on either side of your front door as it produces negative energy.
You can enhance the feng shui positive energy by placing crystals or stones in your fountain, which strengthens the good energy. Using essential oils with your water feature that can diffuse them into the air can also augment the positive energy. In short, a feng shui water feature attracts good energy, prosperity and fortune, while creating a relaxing environment and adding style to your landscape or living room.
