| Mosaic fountain details. Wow! Just checked my email and found all of your much-appreciate comments. I've been busy in my tomato patch and with getting my property ready for a garden tour that I haven't had time to dally on the computer. So, now that all of your questions are out here for me to address, let's start at the beginning. Oh, and due to popular local demand (I'm in the Santa Cruz/Monterey area of Northern California), I'm giving a mosaic class on October 16. Anyone interested, just email me. The plastic pipe was bought at an irrigation/sprinkler store. It's white and 15 inches in diameter, however, they had all kinds of diameters, bigger as well as much smaller. They called it PIP (meaning plastic irrigation pipe). I don't know the wall thickness, however, I figured if it was strong enough to withstand sustained water pressure underground, then it would do for a fountain. I bought a 12 foot length of it. That cost about $100. I cut the pipe into three sections: 4 and a half feet, 3 and a half, and 2 and a half. The idea was that the bottom 6 inches would be sunk into the ground. I used a jigsaw for this. I then drew a free form slanted line around the top of each tube (which are now standing on end). I didn't want the top to be straight across. This curvy line was also cut with a jigsaw. I then measured a six inch space around the bottom of each tube, as a demarcation line. I would leave this bottom part un-mosaiced in order to sink it into the ground. I also decided that one and a half inch copper pipe would be the best size (aesthetically) for getting each tube to flow into the other. I then cut out a one and a half-inch hole several inches below the lowest point of the top of each tube. (Remember the top of each tube has a slanted, irregular top). I also knew that my water line must be above each of the copper pipes, so several inches of space to accommodate this was needed. No copper pipe hole was needed in the bottom tube, because no water would flow out of the bottom tube - this is the "basin." The bottom tube is where the pump is located. After the pipe holes were cut, I measured and drew a line on the inside of the tube several inches below the anticipated water level (below the copper pipe hole). I would mosaic the inside surface of the tube first, from the top of the tube down to this line below water level. Under this line, would be the reservoir for water. This stayed plain white plastic for now. I roughed up the surface of the white tube with sandpaper, to give some "tooth" to the mortar. I then drew a free form "riverlet" shape on the tube. I used single-flex thin-set mortar mix (gray in color). I would mix up a very small amount at a time (about a cup or so). The affixing of the tiles is slow-going, so I didn't want the mortar to dry out too fast while I was working. While the mortar was setting up (15 minute time frame), I would cut my glass pieces. I have a supply of stained glass that I was able to get from a manufacturer at a good price. Manufacturers of stained glass often sell end pieces and broken pieces for a song. Trick is to find them. My source dried up (no pun intended) in my area. Fortunately, I had a good stash of it already. The pieces of glass are cut with a tile nippers (available at any good hardware store). None of the pieces are cut to shape, any odd pieces are used. I left a space between tiles, from an eighth to a half inch. I shot for a quarter inch spacing. I worked in sections, and probably spent a total of 40 hours affixing the tiles in total. The only tricky part was around the top of each tube. Remember, this top line is slanted and curving. When placing tiles around this top edge, I bumped them above the rim about a quarter of inch. I did this on both the inside rim and the outside rim, so that I eventually got a groove around the top edge in which to place grout to hide the white plastic beneath. I wouldn't smear mortar on the tube and then affix tiles to it (like some professional tilers would do). I would place a blob of mortar on the back of each tile, then place it. Remove any mortar that blubs up between the tiles above the surface of the tiles. If you don't, it will harden and then when you grout it, the mortar will show. I then grouted the tube pieces. I used a good quality grout (only buy from a tile store, not the Home Depot or someplace like that. After all your hard work, you want only the best grout and mortar). I used sanded grout in a dark gray color. This served two purposes: Since I used a rainbow of colors for the glass, I needed a neutral grout color to tie it all together. The gray color also almost matched the mortar color, so that if I made a mistake and had some mortar show, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. I mixed the grout to a consistency of peanut butter, then just grabbed a handful and shmooshed it into the tiles, smoothing it as I went along, making sure each space was filled. Once everything was smeared with grout (messy!), I let it sit for about 15, 20 minutes, then came back with damp sponges and rags to wipe away the grout from the surface of the tiles. Keep wiping and smoothing, and all the tiles will eventually show beautifully. After the grout cured for 72 hours, I sealed it. Make sure you use a grout sealer that is okay to get onto the tile surface, otherwise, this process is too onerous. I sealed the grout twice. Now it was time to place the tubes in their final location. This fountain is immovable the way I made it, so plan accordingly. I placed the tubes so that they are not in perfect alignment. I wanted a curving effect. Once I was satisfied with their arrangement (and also holding the copper pipes in place temporarily to ensure their final placement was going to be ok), I sunk two foot long rebar (three in each tube) into the ground inside each hollow tube. I left about six to eight inches above ground. I then mixed up some concrete mix (available in 50 or 80 pound sacks at your local home store) and poured it into the bottom of each tube, ensuring that the rebar was completely covered (otherwise I thought the rebar would rust and discolor the water). I put about 18 inches of concrete in the tallest tube (the 4 and a half foot one), and less in each shorter tube. I let the concrete dry for a week. I used about four sacks of concrete, maybe 5. The bottom basin tube was a bit different. Since this tube had to hold the pump, I had to insert a pvc tube in it to accommodate the electrical cord and the water line for the pump. I used a half inch pvc pipe with an elbow. I drilled a hole through the edge of the bottom tube below the mosaic line. Remember, I've got this six inch non-mosaiced bottom area. The pvc pipe is open at both ends. One end comes out of the hole, now below grade (soil level), elbows up through the concrete base, yet still remains below water level (so it's not showing). The pump electrical cord and water line will go through this pvc pipe, and out the bottom in order to recirculate the water into the highest tube. Yes, yes, this is not water-tight yet, read on). Now came the water-tight test! I had been told by various on-line bulletin-board home improvement guys that the concrete would not be water-tight, so I was prepared to deal with this, if the tubes failed to hold water properly. I filled the tubes with water, up to the yet-to-be-filled copper pipe holes, and waited 24 hours. Yeah! No leakage, no bubbles, nada. That meant I didn't have to drain and seal the concrete. I could then affix the copper pipes. I waited all this time to put in the copper pipes because I needed to get around the tubes easily while working with the concrete, and also wanted to make sure that the copper pipes were level. And since I thought my tubes could slightly shift while drying, I wanted to wait. I had to open up the holes a bit because the 1-1/2" holes were exactly the size of the copper pipe. This was done quickly with some sand paper. I wanted as snug a fit as possible, since this was a possible leakage point. The copper pipe is easily cut with a hack saw and some elbow grease. Each pipe is 13 inches long. I inserted the pipe so that about 3/4" shows inside the tube (in other words, not flush with the inside). I used clear 100% silicone caulk only on the interior circumference of the copper pipe. I was prepared to also put the silicone on the outside as well, but I wanted to wait and see if I had no leakage (which I didn't!). At this point, I didn't want the interior surface of the tubes (below water level) to be white, as people would be able to see inside the bottom two tubes (the top tube is too high to see inside from the lower ground level). I taped off the mosaic on the inside of each of the shorter tubes, and spray painted the interior (including the now-dried concrete) with this new Krylon for plastics spray paint. I used a dark blue color.
I then went to a fountain/garden accoutrement store and bought a pond pump. I knew I had a rise from the bottom tube to above the top tube of about five feet, so I looked at the little chart on the pumps and found one I thought would work. It was a PondWorks 400 gallon pump. Paid $90 for it (probably could get this cheaper on-line, but I didn't want to wait, and I also want to be able to return this pump if it fails on me too soon). I placed the pump in the bottom basin tube, had to cut off the plug in order to get it through the half-inch pvc pipe, then snake it and the hose line through the pvc pipe and out into the yard. I bought the hose line at the local hardware store. The pump doesn't come with the hose line, since people need all different lengths of it. I bought a 10 foot length of clear vinyl hose line, can't remember the diameter, but whatever fit onto the attachment of the pump. I then used that 100% silicone caulk to fill up the space inside the pvc pipe and around the cord and hose line. I worried that this would leak, and again did a water tight test overnight. No leaks so far! I guess that at some future point, with the vibration from the pump, that this could start leaking. If so, I'll drain the fountain and recaulk it bottom and top (where it comes out underground). I affixed another copper pipe from the ground level straight up the tree next to the upper tube, then used a copper elbow and another short length of copper pipe straight out from the tree and directly above the middle of the upper tube. The water line was then inserted into this copper pipe. The electrical cord was then attached by my trusty handyman to my underground electrical line I had installed previously when I knew I was going to have a fountain in this location (otherwise the cord would show). The water line was put underground a bit from the lower tube to the tree-attached copper pipe and then mulched to hide it. People cannot see the electrical cord or the water line, and some cannot figure out how the water recirculates. My handyman also installed a switch, so that the fountain can be turned off, which I do at night. I always check the water level in the lowest tube in the morning before I turn it on. You don't want the pump to run dry, or else you'll ruin it. The first time we turned it on, and it worked was glorious. There were issues of whether I had the correct water levels from lowest to high, and whether the pump would circulate too much/not enough water. I think I got lucky in that regard, because I ain't no rocket scientist. Although the project looks daunting, I did think about it and plan it about a year. Looking at a good fountain book helped me. Key for me was taking it one step at a time, and trouble shooting as I went along. Someone once said, "How do you eat an elephant?" Answer: "One bite at a time." Everyone who isn't a crazy ax-wielding murderer or child molester is invited to come and see my fountain. Directions on my website: ww.loveapplefarm.biz Any other questions? I'll be happy to answer them. Cynthia Geske
Love Apple Farm
"Preserving rare heirloom tomato varieties for future generations"
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