How to Install a Large Water Feature

If you are looking to purchase and install a large water feature at your home or business, we strongly recommend that you employ the services of a professional landscape company. Installation of large-scale water features involves large, heavy stones that requires the use of heavy machinery that is best handled by professionals and experienced landscapers.

The following directions have been put together for professional landscapers in order to successfully install a large water feature. Important Note: We strongly advise you to call 811 before you dig to locate any underground utility lines. Simply call 811 on your phone at least two days before you plan to dig so that local authorities have time to come out and check the area.

- As with any water feature installation, choosing the best location is important. Don’t forget to factor in that with any size water feature there will be oversplash that occurs. It’s a good idea to consider the prevailing winds and choose a location not heavily affected by the wind if possible. Also, because you’re dealing with very heavy stones and boulders, be sure that the ground is well prepared and able to withstand the weight of the stones.

- Once the desired location has been determined, you need to put the pond underlayment and liner in place. Due to the need to use large equipment to aid in setting the fountain or water feature pieces into place, you do not want to build a berm around the perimeter of the pond just yet. You also do not want to dig the hole just yet for the valve box. Do not trim the liner – wait.

- Setting the fountain rocks is a bit time consuming and is best handled with the help several people. You will need to use a front-end loader, excavator, or better yet, a skid steer with fork attachments on the front in order to lift and place the fountain pieces into place. Be sure to use good solid, foundation pieces to ensure that the taller fountain/water feature pieces do not sink. Also be sure to have a pry bar or two nearby along with several smaller pieces of stone that can be used as shims to level out the feature pieces.

Choosing the Location of Your Custom Water Feature and Installing It

At Bedrock Landscape & Boulder Supply, we’ve been building attractive, functional, customized water features for years. Due to our experience, we’ve developed a series of tips to aid in choosing the best location for your water feature and installing it. The location of your water feature is very important and there are several things to keep in mind when considering the placement.

• Water over-splash is inevitable with any type of water feature. While keeping this in mind, be sure to choose a location that is able to handle an occasional over-splash. Most of the time over-splashing is the result of wind. Again, take into consideration the direction of the prevailing winds around your home or company’s building.
• The taller the feature, the more it will splash out and be affected by the wind. Keep this in mind too when thinking of the perfect feature in your desired location.
• Be sure that the area you choose will be able to allow you to create a pond large enough for your water feature. On our main website, you can get a reference to the height of the water feature you’re interested in which also determines the diameter of your pond. Our pond kits come complete with all the parts needed to complete your water feature. Kit includes: Pond underlayment, liner, valve box, pump (3 year warranty), and plumbing supplies.

The following pictures will give you step by step instructions on how to easily install your own pond and water feature. Important Note: We strongly advise you to call 811 before you dig to locate any underground utility lines. Simply call 811 on your phone at least two days before you plan to dig so that local authorities have time to come out and check the area.

- After you have determined the desired location for your main fountain piece, you need to select where you want to put your valve box that houses the water pump. Dig the hole for your valve box and then build a berm around the outside edge of your fountain area. The berm is designed to retain the water for your pond. Make sure your berm stays within the size of your pond liner.

- Lay out the pond underlayment and liner across the hole for your valve box and berm. Push the pond underlayment, liner and valve box into your hole. Do not cut your liner yet; let it hang over the berm.

- Now that your valve box is in place, lift the lid to the valve box and set the pump into the valve box. Hook-up the plumbing from the pump to your water feature and close the lid.

- Fill-up your pond with water, plug in the pump, and check to see that water is running out of your feature. Now that the water is running, you can estimate the splash area and determine the final shape of your pond and how you want it to look. Make sure your liner covers the entire diameter of your pond or water will leak out. After you are sure of the size and depth of your pond, you can trim any excess liner that hangs past the berm of your pond.

The Best Fence in the Neighborhood

Looking for a cool way to make your yard stand out in the neighborhood? Well, many of our products will certainly create a stunning visual centerpiece for your yard. But, one of our truly unique products is our stone fence posts!

Bedrock Landscape offers these eye-catching fence posts in two different types of rock: basalt columns and limestone. Each style comes predrilled for use with wooden fence railing. We have also created corner posts as well. These posts are available with custom accent lighting installed in the top portion of each post too.

Each post is approximately five feet tall and is 6″ to 10″ in diameter. Due to the weight of these posts, we encourage you to set each post 1 1/2 feet into the ground. This will give you a finished height of 3 1/2 feet for your fence.

So, whether you choose the dark, hexagonal style of the native northwest basalt or the historical, hand-hewn limestone, either one will guarantee that your landscaping is truly unique and set apart from the other homes in your neighborhood.

Feel free to our main website at www.BedrockSite.com or call us at 208-930-4872 to learn more about these beautiful fence posts. We would be happy to discuss your landscaping needs with you!

Basalt Columns

Basalt columns are unique and beautiful pieces of stone. They are the result of thick lava flows that cooled very slowly which caused the basalt to crystallize. As the lava cooled, it cracked—forming the hexagonal shapes we commonly see now.

Some major natural landmarks across the world consist of basalt. Devils Postpile National Monument in Mammoth, California is a well-known destination in the US as well as Sheepeater Cliff in Yellowstone National Park. Perhaps the most famous location for basalt columns in the world is the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland. These naturally occurring columns are so tightly spaces and aligned perfectly that, when viewed from above, they look like they were put into place like many modern day paving stones are laid.

The basalt columns featured at Bedrock Landscape & Boulder Supply originate from the Pacific Northwest. These ancient columnar stones range in color from a light grey to deep, dark black. We carry a large variety of basalt columns in many different thicknesses and lengths.

At our facility, we are able to cut, core, and polish basalt columns for a wide array of architectural and landscape uses including fountains, ponds, accent lighting, birdbaths, benches, structural columns, monoliths, and much more. If you want to include one or more basalt columns in your next landscaping project, feel free to give us a call at 208-930-4872 or email us. We would enjoy the opportunity to discuss your landscaping needs with you.

Limestone Blocks

Limestone blocks are a great addition to any residential or commercial landscape feature. The limestone blocks offered by Bedrock have all been recycled and reclaimed from the remains of old homes, barns, and other buildings. The majority of these attractive stones are were hand quarried well over a century ago. These blocks come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and thicknesses and range in color from a light sandy gold to a darker gold color. Fossils may be found embedded throughout many of the pieces. These beautiful blocks range from the older naturally quarried pieces, to hand worked and shaped blocks in a wide variety of styles. Some of the blocks are available in large quantities, while others, due to their uniqueness, are much more limited in the quantities available.

If you are planning a landscape feature and would like to use these unique stones, please feel free to call us at 208-930-4872 or email us. We would enjoy discussing your project and learning how we can be of assistance to you.

Historic Limestone Fence Posts

Post Rock (what we refer to as limestone fence posts) was first quarried around the 1860′s. Production increased dramatically after the Homestead Act was signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862. Homesteaders in Kansas needed a way to mark the boundaries of their homestead. Since there was not an abundance of trees, they turned to the next abundant resource which was limestone. In the 1880′s a quarry worker could cut and create 20 fence posts in a 16 hour work day. The posts were cut into 18 foot lengths and then usually cut again into 3 six-foot posts.

All of our historic limestone posts come from original fence lines and are quite old. Although the average weight of each is 350 to 450 pounds, there are some in the 200 pound range and some that exceed 500 pounds. With the drill marks, various fossils, and a variety of lichens and mosses, they are all very unique and each post is one of a kind. The uses for these posts are unlimited. They can be left whole, cut, shaped, carved or drilled to suit your individual needs. When you incorporate them with some of our other limestone products, which come in many sizes, shapes, and thicknesses, you’ll find that they will create a special project that will without a doubt become a focal point for your home or business.

Bedrock is pleased to be able to offer many different products that are created from these limestone fence posts. Be sure to visit our website where you can view our fountain kits, pond kits, accent lighting, and other products that have been designed from these beautiful stones.

Different Types of Rocks & Boulders

This is our second video offering. This one outlines some of the different types of stone we carry. We hope you’ll enjoy learning about these beautiful stones. Enjoy!

How to Install a Bedrock Pond Kit Video Tutorial

Everyone here at Bedrock is excited to be able to share this video with you. This is the first video that we have ever put together! We hop that you will enjoy watching and will find it informative and helpful. If you have any questions about installing your Bedrock pond kit, please feel free to call us at 208-930-4872 or use the comment feature here to ask your question. We will answer promptly!

Welcome to the Bedrock Blog!

Thank you for visiting the Bedrock Landscape & Boulder Supply blog. In the coming days we hope to consistently publish information here that will be of interest and use to you…our customers and readers. Whether it is information about certain types of stone, fountains, landscape ideas, or installation and maintenance tips, we hope you will come back here many times.

At Bedrock, everything we do is focused on one goal: offering the best products and services to our customers. In our blog we will strive to do the same thing – offer you the best information available about our products along with interesting, relevant information too. Our blog is your blog. We want to give you the information and resources that you need. So, please let us know what you’re looking for or what you need. Feel free to leave a comment anytime and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible with the information you need concerning any of our products.

Be sure to visit our main website at BedrockSite.com. We have some great fountains, pond kits, boulders and other great outdoor landscaping materials there.

Thanks!

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