Vancouver

27 May 2014
Sticky Post By Posted in Garden Landscaping Waterfalls, Garden Waterfall, Indoor Water Features, Landscape Water Features, outdoor water features, Surrey, Vancouver, Water Feature, water features Permalink

Landscape Water Features

Sticky Post By On May 27, 2014

Have you been recently inspired to add a water feature fountain or waterfall to your garden? Whether you like vanishing ponds, pondless waterfalls, or just a trickling fountain to some sounds of nature, your options are endless.

Landscape water features are typically for the more advanced garden project as regular maintenance is often required in order for the fountains to look appealing. They have long symbolized the architectural and design ability of cities both modern and ancient. Moreover waterfalls found in nature have always been intriguing to human beings. Many are drawn to them because there is just something about the look and sound of falling water. It is now possible to create miniature waterfalls to be enjoyed in your own garden for as often as you like.

When properly maintained and constructed, a landscape garden water feature can increase your home’s property value. This means you can enjoy your water feature at no cost until such a time when you decide to sell your home while recouping your initial investment and then some. It also doesn’t hurt that your home will stand out from the rest. The work that goes into creating a water feature for your garden pays off for many years as you entertain guests, hold parties, sit outside by the patio, or even while relaxing indoors with the windows open. It just helps to relax and unwind beside the waterfall while your stress melts away.

Swimming Pool Water Features
water feature reservoir (Courtesy of Houston Landscape)
Much in the same way as the water is cycled from a cascading waterfall feature or pondless waterfall, a pool waterfall cycles water back from the pool. The result is a spectacular visual of falling water. Ask people who already own a waterfall for their pool and most will say they cannot imagine not having one.

Fountains
Fountains are a beautiful sight to behold. This is especially true for spectacular water shows combined with lighting. They can be an excellent addition to the frontyard welcoming your guests.

Pondless Waterfalls
Most modern waterfall fountains including the ones made by WaterfallNow are often self-contained. Rather than constantly wasting water, the existing water is cycled through by a pump over and over to create the falling water effect. The hidden reservoir known for its relation to invisible waterfalls or ‘pondless waterfalls’ are a good choice due to their low maintenance requirements. The small water reserve is out of sight and out of mind so you don’t need to deal with green pea soup or the swampy looking water that many other water features are plagued with.

Indoor And Outdoor Fountains
Water features come in all shapes and sizes. Some that are purchased online were manufactured in China. Others may be made in Canada or locally in general. If you like to spend your time both indoors and outdoors then a small portable water feature might be what you are looking for. These can typically be found online and manufactured from China. (WN plans to add a selection for them on this website in the future).

Do It Yourself Landscape Water Features (DIY)
An increasingly popular option is to create your own water feature using existing junk materials from the garden. Water feature fountains can be made from common materials such as granite, aluminum, fibreglass, concrete, glass, GFRC, brick, wood, marble and any other materials. These are just some of the materials one can use and there is no actual limit to the type of materials one can use to create a fountain. An increasingly popular item is the basalt rock column. Simply drill a hole into a rock, create the pond, add some plumbing, and you are good to go. Simple is key.

 
Have you seen our custom rock waterfalls? Contact us for further information on how you can get a hand-crafted water feature for your yard.
 
Outdoor landscape water feature

Indoor water features

More landscape water feature ideas
pondless water features landscape

26 Apr 2014
Sticky Post By Posted in Commercial Waterfall, Design Ideas, outdoor garden water features, Outdoor Rock Waterfall, outdoor water features, Pondless Waterfalls, Surrey, Vancouver, Water Feature, water features Permalink

The Growth In Surrey Is Amazing: Watch Out Vancouverites

Sticky Post By On April 26, 2014

The thousands of KM’s added onto my ride in the past week just from all the short drives throughout the Lower Mainland was a real wake up call. Perhaps it is time to switch to an electric car… Then again, 11MPG was never good to begin with! Back to the point though, I did notice a lot of nice houses being built all over Surrey. By nice I mean massive with 5 car garages and sheds the size of what I used to consider a big size home.

And yes it was slightly embarrassing at first to knock on the door of a shed that nobody lives in and then hear the owner laughing from his window from the main home 3 stories high probably thinking what an idiot I am thinking people live in the shed. The point is, these are some big houses.

While we get many referrals please do me one favor and don’t put a dog house just beside the front door and where you don’t notice it until you see the pearly whites. I still can’t help but get out of the car while driving sometimes and putting doorhangers up. Making rock features can be addictive and I am on rehab from that addiction. My partners now do the artwork and create that blueprint in your glorious head.

I’ve been through half of the neighborhoods in West Vancouver and can say that some of the homes being built south of Surrey are coming to par. There is still much room for improvement. While many of the newer homes being build in Surrey look impressive in size, many are nothing more than a larger cookie cutter. Hopefully we will see more unique architecture like what you can find in Shaughnessy, Vancouver, BC.

Architecture does hold importance to me because it means that some people out there are still striving for the best and to do what hasn’t yet been done. They know that the best designs, ideas, and projects have not even been created. This is inspiring. That is why I appreciate seeing something unique that showcases some of the designers creativity. Don’t take this to mean that uniqueness in itself is a virtue. The finished product has to look good to most people and be a 10 on the wow factor.

Holy Cow…. What happened here? Public washroom?

If you haven’t heard already, Surrey will be the new Vancouver. The population of Surrey is expected to surpass that of Vancouver in 5-10 years. Just in time for 2020. The new city hall erected in Surrey which they spent $97 million dollars on (caused some controversy) reflects the vision that the leaders have for this city. It is an exciting time for people living in East of the bridge(s).

“Successful Official Grand Opening Of Aria Banquet And Convention Centre Saturday June 21, 2014” – The Mayor of the City of Surrey gave it high praise stating that it is the best she has seen in over 18 years of visiting different banquet halls and convention centres in BC. Read More: http://waterfallnow.org/tag/aria-banquet-hall-and-convention-centre/

The Surrey that I’ve come back to in the past few years was not like the Surrey I remembered half a decade prior and I’m sure that change will be exponential moving forward.  I’m sure there will be some issues with overpopulation

While Surrey and White Rock are without the natural landscapes, forests, cliffsides, and creeks that are present in many homes in West Vancouver (natural rock formations take millions of years to become that way), it has many acres of flat agricultural land. That’s fine because I like blueberries. Too much land to even know I was there :D. Just kidding. Stealing is bad.

So basically, much of this land is being quickly bought up and new houses are going up all over the place. I have no idea just how big of a change we will see in the next 5 to 10 years in Surrey’s development but it will be a sight to behold.

WaterfallNow has plenty of customers to pick from. What we really want is to start doing something different each time. We don’t want to get to a point where we stop pushing the limits. I believe that someone in the Lower Mainland has the most amazing blueprint in their mind right now and just doesn’t realize it yet. Come share your crazy ideas with us.

I’ve toured some of the most expensive homes in BC and sadly, many of them did not have a water feature or had one but stopped paying for the maintenance. WaterfallNow’s rock fountains, waterfalls, and water features can be designed in such a way that they require no maintenance, recycle rainwater, and can run on low energy consumption setting with an autostop timer for even further benefit.

Then again, custom water features aren’t cheap. They are expensive, a luxury item, and that is the point right? Well, yes and no. WaterfallNow hopes to strike a balance between the two extremes of luxury vs cheap. We aren’t that cheap and we aren’t that luxurious. We are somewhere in the middle at least for now. Why do we have such low pricing? Well, it is because we hate turning people away.

“It is not joy that makes us grateful. It is gratitude that makes us joyful.” David Rast

Profound stuff…

If you have been planning on getting a rock fountain or water feature for your garden now is the best time to do it. Our Spring Specials won’t be around forever. It’s called a “Spring” Special for a reason 😀

We are blessed to have a very loyal and successful client base that love showing off their rock fountains. Also, if you require a check-up or think it is time to replace your water pump just give us a call and we will come and fix it for you.

25 Mar 2014
Sticky Post By Posted in Faux Rock, Faux Stone, Faux Stone Veneer Panels, GFRC, indoor rock wall, Retaining Wall, Retaining Wall Ideas, Rock Feature, Rock Retaining Wall, Surrey, Vancouver Permalink

Faux Stone Veneer Panels

Sticky Post By On March 25, 2014

WaterfallNow will also manufacture faux stone veneer panels for clients in BC and Alberta.

Sample of an plastic veneer panel (texture only) Can make a mold and cast  faux stone veneer panels with concrete, fibreglass, GFRC etc.

WaterfallNow can custom create any faux stone veneer panels for use in any application. These are an excellent choice for home construction for both indoor and outdoor applications. Not only do they look great but they last long, don’t fade, don’t crack, and don’t split. Use them on walls, around a fireplace, as a retaining wall cover, or even as part of a water wall feature.

Because faux stone veneer panels do not require the customization of our rock water features they are something that we offer as is. Installation of veneer panels is easy enough. They are lightweight and don’t involve the hassle of carrying real stone.

WaterfallNow can offer clients any style of faux stone veneer panels. Send us an idea or sample of what you would like and we can create some samples. Alternatively you can bring existing samples to us and we will re-create them for you. Fake rock veneer panels great and are increasing in popularity for a reason. They are a great addition to any renovation project – transforming the look and feel of any room.

The rock colour, desired thickness, use of concrete or fibreglass, and even sizing can all be customized according to the clients needs. In some cases you may even find yourself spending less than a fraction of what you would have spent otherwise.

How easy it is to install. No messing around with concrete, getting the carpets dirty, or anything like that. You can check out fauxpanels.com

WaterfallNow believes that some things are meant to change. Gone are the days of having to hire hundreds of different people to have something installed. Doing so cuts into the budget.

Before you think ‘oh here we go another guy preaching how to cut corners,’ just hear me out. The cost of … Everything.. has gone up. It isn’t about cutting corners and taking shortcuts but maximizing the cost-efficiency of what you have to work with. This includes means paying more for energy efficient appliances or lighting. Just think long-term. This cost savings can ultimately be a benefit to the home-buyer.

What could be worse than someone buy a home that you built, not because they like the house, but because they like the location, and seeing them renovate what you thought was ‘built to standard.’

Builders especially, are looking to use their existing crews who they already trust to get the work done themselves. That is not to say that there aren’t problems associated with this as I will mention later.

While most trades require skill and experience, respect must also be given to the growing DIY (do it yourself) movement. More homeowners, landlords, and builders are looking to save money and increase their returns on investment by investing their time more wisely.

In certain cases it may take less than a few hours to install a false rock wall using faux stone veneer panels. No mess and no damage to the flooring. They last long, look clean & uniform, and are easy enough for the ‘do-it-yourselfers’ to manage on their own.

We like the idea of faux stone veneer panels and have employed their use on a number of applications. They are definitely a growing trend and are appearing on many new homes. We just ask that should you install these to ensure that you fill in the gaps.

What I’ve been noticing in many new development projects throughout Surrey, Vancouver, and in other parts of the Lower Mainland is that sometimes these panels are not adhered correctly! Often on more than one house in a row!

I should point out that faux stone veneer panels look beautiful but only when they appear natural. When a person cannot tell from afar or up close that they are made with faux rock panels it is generally a sign that the installer did a good job. If however a person can see from far away that the application is peeling away as I have seen then you may want to address that issue to prevent the same from happening on future houses.

Faux Stone Veneer Panels are NOT a Shortcut!!!

The combination of weathering from rain, sunlight, snow, and freeze-thaw can slowly warp or peel faux stone veneer panels that weren’t properly adhered away from the structure resulting in an ugly appearance. The result? It looks cheap and gives off an air of poor quality work to prospective homebuyers who will then view the rest of the home with even more skepticism.

Would you not wonder yourself if those who built the home didn’t also cut corners on other parts of the home as well? Perhaps on the roofing or plumbing?

I have learned a thing or two about sales and how to sell from being a customer. Selling homes just like selling a car, service, or a product is not about hard sales – which can lose you the sale. It is more about being consultative, providing great support, treating the client with a friendly demeanor, being honest, open, caring, and having a keen eye attention to the details. Ultimately the mantra that we buy from those who we ‘know, like, and trust’ holds true. Moreover, this is one of the reasons why profitable businesses are those that have a large referral base.

Just as you would want someone else to go through some work you’ve done who can give you a fresh perspective you may also want to get a few close people to analyze your newly finished home. Better they see the flaws and you correct them before putting the home up for sale and risk damaging your reputation.

While one or two small problems may not kill the deal they can certainly add up. Where there are a few there tend to be many. The industry professionals tend to have none altogether and they are the ones who can cater to a certain market of buyers that otherwise wouldn’t buy a home. It pays in the long-run to build things that will last for the long-term. Why? Because it can take 20 years to build a solid reputation and a just few minutes to destroy it for good.

On a more positive note, if you need some veneer panels either fake or with real rock feel free to contact us. Our connections are yours as well.

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