In over my head, building a huge waterfall. Need pointers.

[Tjsherrill]

@combatwombat I should have gone with larger blocks. But it's just me and those suckers are heavy. The issue was there was no plan. It's been a 4-year project (that I had thought would take like 2 months, so so funny). The walls are never more than 4' high and have a solid footing and drainage. Going to plant this spring as well so that there will be more green and we are going with plants that will help hold the hillside in place. Whats wild is that I have removed about 60 yards of dirt and I still have so much. I should video my stuff like you.

@combatwombat checked out your videos. Super rad. Your doing a crazy amount of work

 

[addy1]

My 85 foot long stream does switchbacks and zigzag down the sreep slope. It is fed by our deck ponds, they waterfall into the stream.

I put 3 small ponds in the stream and shallow water collection areas.

 

[Tjsherrill]

My 85 foot long stream does switchbacks and zigzag down the sreep slope. It is fed by our deck ponds, they waterfall into the stream.

I put 3 small ponds in the stream and shallow water collection areas.

Sounds cool. Are there pictures anywhere?

 

[GBBUDD]

The one thing I have never seen that makes little sense to me is.
OK you foam around the rocks . Add a bit liner foam again . Foam is not water proof it always leaches water so why not cover it with a thin coat of caulking that is where proof.

 

[Tjsherrill]

Question here: as I plan to start pulling things apart in order to rebuild. I just learned that Aquablox can hold a ton of weight. I thought maybe a few hundred pounds but the videos all says thousands of lb.

Based on the terrible diagram above: can I set a rock half on the aquablox and half on packed gravel/sand?

My plan is to pull my pondless into the yard 2-3 feet which will give me some horizontal depth to work with. Then I can re-position the aquablox, and build a shelf on the back side where the waterfall has to be built up.

 

[Tjsherrill]

The one thing I have never seen that makes little sense to me is.
OK you foam around the rocks . Add a bit liner foam again . Foam is not water proof it always leaches water so why not cover it with a thin coat of caulking that is where proof.

What kind of caulking are you referring to?

 

[combatwombat]

Question here: as I plan to start pulling things apart in order to rebuild. I just learned that Aquablox can hold a ton of weight. I thought maybe a few hundred pounds but the videos all says thousands of lb.

View attachment 149896
Based on the terrible diagram above: can I set a rock half on the aquablox and half on packed gravel/sand?

My plan is to pull my pondless into the yard 2-3 feet which will give me some horizontal depth to work with. Then I can re-position the aquablox, and build a shelf on the back side where the waterfall has to be built up.

Once backfilled, aquablox are good for about 5,000 lbs per square foot. Should be no problem to set boulders half on, half off.

I’m standing on a bunch of milk crates holding up 800+ lbs boulders right now.

 

[Tjsherrill]

Once backfilled, aquablox are good for about 5,000 lbs per square foot. Should be no problem to set boulders half on, half off.

I’m standing on a bunch of milk crates holding up 800+ lbs boulders right now.

View attachment 149911

Nice. Ya I saw your milk crate test. Thanks

 

[GBBUDD]

What kind of caulking are you referring to?

Anything that is fish safe . i don't think there are to many caulkings that wouldn't stick to a porous material like foam i used some lap caulk from the roofing trades. and some pls30 makes a mess but if it keeps the water on top and when power goes out it keeps the pools full and not empty out why not

 

[GBBUDD]

Question here: as I plan to start pulling things apart in order to rebuild. I just learned that Aquablox can hold a ton of weight. I thought maybe a few hundred pounds but the videos all says thousands of lb.

View attachment 149896
Based on the terrible diagram above: can I set a rock half on the aquablox and half on packed gravel/sand?

My plan is to pull my pondless into the yard 2-3 feet which will give me some horizontal depth to work with. Then I can re-position the aquablox, and build a shelf on the back side where the waterfall has to be built up.

yes and no can the blocks take it yes if placed gently but they reay need a layer of stone at least 6 inches before medium sized boulders are placed if large boulders i'd do a foot of gravel same as a culvert.

the other issue with your drawing the sand and gravel need something to keep it from falling in to the aqua blocks a layer of 1 to 2" stone first to keep the smaller from falling through the spaces of the blocks .

I also just bought a third type of matrix blocks, i have had the aquascapes the easy pro and now blue thumb.
The easy pro and the aquascapes have a plastic pin that you line up to the next piece to be joined and hit it with a rubber mallet and when done they are both a pretty solid block . the aquascapes seemed to be a little heavier duty then the easy pro. but the blue thumb has a slide together system that seemed a bit more work in the beginning but once you get use to them it was not to bad to put together but seemed about the same step as was auascapes blocks over easy pro and blue thumb was a step above the aquascapes in my opinion. i could not find any technical specs to back up MY impressions

 

[GBBUDD]

Once backfilled, aquablox are good for about 5,000 lbs per square foot. Should be no problem to set boulders half on, half off.

I’m standing on a bunch of milk crates holding up 800+ lbs boulders right now.

View attachment 149911

your milk crates are a thicker and more flexible plastic then is the aquablocks i would want a few inches of gravel on them before i went placing large boulders . if they are flat and can span from two supports maybe but even then i'd rather see a second layer of a top panel from an other aquablock before i went loading up on the plastic

 

[Tjsherrill]

your milk crates are a thicker and more flexible plastic then is the aquablocks i would want a few inches of gravel on them before i went placing large boulders . if they are flat and can span from two supports maybe but even then i'd rather see a second layer of a top panel from an other aquablock before i went loading up on the plastic

@combatwombat are you in Vancouver WA? I am just north of Seattle by like 20 min. Was watching your youtube and it pinned you in Vancouver...

 

[combatwombat]

@combatwombat are you in Vancouver WA? I am just north of Seattle by like 20 min. Was watching your youtube and it pinned you in Vancouver...

That’s me!

 

[Tjsherrill]

That’s me!

thats awesome. I'll hit you up if I am ever down that way. My father in law lives in Longview.

 

[GBBUDD]

What kind of caulking are you referring to?

Anything that is quality and stays flexible and fish friendly