Assembling Your Own Bamboo Fountains

By Author: Gregory Hepburn
Total Articles: 35
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It is quite easy to make your own bamboo fountain. Using just a few supplies that you can purchase at any hardware store, you can make an excellent fountain that you and your family can enjoy in the future.

The Pieces

To build your own bamboo fountains, you will need the following items. You can get them at the local home improvement store or even from an online supplier:

A Fountain Pump: If you want your bamboo fountains to have softer, steadier flow of water, choose a pump that has a lower gallon per hour rating. This rating will be printed on the package, otherwise you can request a shop assistant to help you select the correct pump.

Tubing: You will need to get several feet of one-half inch pump tubing for your bamboo water pumps. This is relatively cheap, so I recommend buying several more feet than you think you will actually need - just in case.

A Big Flower Pot: Instead of a flowerpot, you may use any large container that can hold water without any leakage. I have found that a large terra cotta pot works best, though.

Bamboo: Bamboo comes in several different widths, just like ...
... pipes. Check your pump for the specific sizes you will need to cover the waterspouts. Usually, you will need two-inch and three-quarter inch bamboo in approximate lengths of three feet. To cut the bamboo into the right-sized lengths, you will also need a handsaw.

Putting It Together

There are several steps to putting together your bamboo fountain. First of all, seal all the holes in your flowerpot with cork and a waterproof sealant. Allow this to dry completely. Next, you will want to cut the bamboo into 15-inch lengths. Drill a hole in the bamboo to accommodate the nozzle of your pump. Once you have done this, lash several pieces of bamboo together to encircle the pump and hide it from view.

Now, put a wire mesh to screen the lower part of the pump which is still visible. Cut a circle just large enough to cover the bottom of your pot, and then place decorative rocks over the top to hide the pump from view. The last step is to place your cut piece of bamboo over the nozzle, create a waterfall effect by tilting it ever so slightly into another piece of bamboo, and so on. Open the supply of water and you now have your bamboo fountain for all to enjoy for many, many years.