How to make a corner fountain

Smaller garden spaces require innovative thinking in order to accommodate interesting water features.

• flux
• blowtorch
• soldering/brazing wire
• pipe cutter
• electric impact drill and masonry drill bits
• hammer
• screwdriver

Materials you will need

• spout ( we modified a blowtorch attachment)
• copper elbow and connector sections
• length of 16mm copper pipe
• steel corner plates ( we had three triangular sections cut, bent at the sides and 16mm holes pre-drilled that were 30 mm in from the back corner to allow for the copper tubing)
• Hilti wall anchors
• plastic container
• submersible water pump
• hose clamps
• wire/ plastic mesh
• 10 mm steel rods
• plastic tubing
• landscaping matting ( optional – necessary if the pebbles that you will be using are smaller than the holes in the wire mesh)
• river pebbles

Step 1

Clean the area that you will be joining and then, prior to brazing, smear flux onto all the sections that you intend joining. Flux is used to remove oxides, prevent more oxidation while you are brazing and smooth the surface.

Step 2

Connect the spout to the elbow joint and braise it in place. Measure and cut a length of copper pipe long enough to extend from the spout to below the bottom plate (see step 5) and braze the pipe to the spout.

Step 3

Mark the positions of where you would like the steel plates to be and then drill corresponding holes into the wall, as shown. Fix the plates to the wall using the Hilti wall anchors. Make sure that you place the plates at a slight angle so that the water will run off the front of each one to the surface below.

Step 4

Place the copper pipe with the spout attachment in place, as shown, threading it through the pre-drilled holes in the steel plates.

Step 5

Create two more elbows below the bottom plate using short sections of copper tubing. Place the plastic container in position.

Step 6

Connect the submersible pump to the copper pipe using the plastic tubing and hose clamps. Check to see if all is in order, before proceeding with step 7, by filling the container with enough water to cover the pump, switching it on and checking for leaks.

Step 7

Place four 10mm steel rods in a crisscross manner over the container and then place a sturdy steel or plastic mesh on top of this.

Step 8

The entire water feature can then be finished off with river pebbles. Place these onto each steel plate to diffuse the water and spread a layer of pebbles over the mesh covering the container.