Re: [Aroid-l] How to build a water wall

From: "Christopher Rogers" <crogers at ecoanalysts.com> on 2009.04.27 at 16:56:42 Thanks!!   D. Christopher Rogers Senior Invertebrate Ecologist/Taxonomist ((,///////////=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<   EcoAnalysts, Inc. 1.530.383.4798 P.O. Box 4098 Davis, CA 95616 USA   =C2=9FInvertebrateTaxonomy =C2=9FEndangeredSpecies =C2=9FEcologicalStudies =C2=9FBioassessment =C2=9FInvasiveSpecies =C2=9FPlankton =C2=9FPhycology   IDAHO=E2=88=99 CALIFORNIA =E2=88=99 MISSOURI =E2=88=99 PENNSYLVANIA =E2=88=99 ONTARIO WWW.ECOANALYSTS.COM=C2=A0=E2=88=99 ECO@ECOANALYSTS.COM   From:aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com [mailto:aroid-l-bounces@gizmoworks.com] OnBehalf Of Paul Temple Sent: Sunday, April 26, 2009 1:03 AM To: aroid-l@gizmoworks.com Subject: [Aroid-l] How to build a water wall   By request, this is what I did.  It is not the only wayto build a water wall but it is the way I used and it's not complicated. I started with a wall made of concrete blocks, held together by a standardcement mixture and reinforced with vertical iron bars.  I covered theblocks on one side (the side that faces the viewer) with an impermeable layer,a cement mix with a chemical added to prevent water escaping through theblocks.  (NO point menaming the chemical as it will differ from country tocountry.)   On the floor, I created a shallow pool using more of theimpermeable cement mix.  On the sides that didn't alreday include theconcrete blocks, I created a low wall using one row of concrete blocks and,again, I sealed the inside face with the impermeable cement mix.   At thispoint, I had an ugly wall standing in a shallow pool surrounded by a lowwall.  This is the point at which one has to fill the pool with water tobe absolutely sure none leaks out.   Mine did leak, via holes createdto house waterproof lights to shine on the water wall.  We added copiousamounts of imermeable cement mx until the leaks stopped. On top of the large concrete block wall, we placed a 4" diameter plastictube in which we had already drilled holes.  The dimension of the holesdepends on the pressure of water you supply to the pipe, so experimentation isneeded to get the effect you want.  In my case, the water supply to thetube was direct from my own river, va more tube.  For those who don't havea river, one can use a pump that recirculates water from the pool.  Ifdoing this, it makes sense to create a deeper part of the pool to accommodatethe pipe that sucks water out to the pump.  If using a river as thesupply, the pool needs an oulet and somewhere for the water to go to! We used just one pipe but with less than very high pressure, this means thatthe holes at the beginning of the tube allow lots of water to escape whileholes further down the tube lose less water, so the far end of the wall isdryer.  An alternative is to put two pipes in, one covering the first halfof the wall and the other above the second half.  This creates a slightlymore even watering effect, if that's what you want. Next we covered all the concrete blocks and the pipe using rocks glued togetherwith small amounts of cement (it's not necessary that it's necesary that it'simpermeable).  We did this such that almost no cement could be seen. In my case, the rocks were fresh from my land and they were of a porous type soable to stay wet for a period of time.  This will help plants attach andstay alive.  Next, we installed waterproof lights in the low wall surrounding the pool, andthen coverd these with rocks (stuck on with cement). We then switched on the supply from the river.  If using a pump, one wouldneed to fill the pool and then switch on the pump. Then we modified the effect.  Where the pressure was high enough to causewater to jet out vertically or horizontally, we added mre rocks to deflect thewater back at the wall. Finally we are adding plants by pushing their roots into crevices between therocks. My water wall is about 5 feet high and is about 25 feet long (we measured ittoday), though it has additional  dry sections at both ends.  Thereis no real limit to how high or wide the water wall can be if made in this way. The floor of the pool can be covered (for example, with pebbles) or it can bepainted.   For now, I've done neither. After just 3 days of being wet, the rocks were green and ferns began to sproutand grow.  Cheers Paul No virusfound in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.0.238 / Virus Database: 270.12.4/2081 - Release Date: 04/26/0909:44:00 ------=_NextPart_000_006B_01C9C71E.77F17930----===============3822690535461761541==

Note: this is a very old post, so no reply function is available.