Building water bodies

There are many different kinds of water bodies that can be created in a green area. They indeed have a cooling affect both in actual terms of the physical temperature and visually as well. I will tell you about them and you can decide which one will blend best in your farmhouse depending on its scale and desired positioning. The various water bodies that you can go in for are a fountain,a cascade or waterfall with rockery and plants around it,a lily pond or sunken pool.

Keep in mind that ideally the water body should be positioned such that it is viewed from the rooms at the farmhouse where you spend a lot of time of the day or it can be planned near the entrance to the entire green area or the building of the farmhouse to enhance its beauty. Once you have decided the positioning of the water body,let us talk about the kinds of water bodies.

Firstly,let us talk about fountains. These are relatively easy to install. The first and foremost consideration is that the size of the fountain should be in sync with the surroundings. A fountain is basically a single jet of water installed basically for the sight and sound of rising and falling droplets. A fountain can also be in the form of small bubble fountains in a shallow pond of water. A figurine can be installed as well,to beautify a corner with shallow bubble fountains around it. Another kind of fountain is the musical fountain. These work at various levels as per the pitch and frequency of music. Every single jet or group of jets is connected to PLC,which is programmed to give the desired effect. The jets move up and down as per the frequency of music. To install any kind of fountain you would have to consult a plumber or specialist to advice you on the piping,drainage,location of the fountain etc.

Next you may consider having a shallow pond,for this first the earth has to be dug to the required depth. After this comes in the layer of a light weight,non woven geo textile fabric. This is easily available at hardware stores and big nurseries. Then comes,the liner which is the 30 ml polyethylene. This forms a solid foundation. There after comes the plumbing which constitutes the most important part of building a water body,comprising of various pipes and fittings for the overall water recirculation system.

While creating a rockery around any kind of water body keep in mind in addition to aesthetics rocks affect the design and flow of the waterfall. Try and use rocks that are natural residents of the area. A wide variety of pebble stones are available in different sizes and slates in different shades of grey can be used to enhance the beauty of the area around the water body. Next come plants,choose the right kind of greenery around an artificially created water body. Trailing plants like asparagus,russelia and ipomea and ferns,draecenas,nandina domestica,certain palms,dwarf bamboos,dinella and chlorophytum are ideal around a water body. Evergreen and flowering shrubs like crossanda,cuphea,francisia galphimea,pentas,ruellia,plumbago,dwarf tabenaemontana and hibiscus as well as cactus and other succulents can be planted between rocks. Replicas of animals like toads,tortoises,ducks etc. can be used to adorn the water bodies. Shallow water bodies can be converted into lily ponds with a few water lilies,a clump of reeds or water hyacinth. The rockery and plants around the water body of your choice will convert it into a beautiful landscaping feature and enhance its beauty.

Lastly,I hope this information is useful is for you,however you would definitely need to engage professionals who have expertise in plumbing and electrical work to assist you in planning and executing the water body of your choice.

Please advise me on how to get a ducted cooler installed in our house.

Kusum Mehtani,Mumbai

To install a ducted cooler system in your house you will have to engage the relevant agency who will most probably install both the cooler and the ducting for you. In a ducted cooler system the cooler is usually located outside the house,either on the same floor or separate floor. Most frequently people install it on their terrace or in their garden. From the cooler a duct is brought down or up to the particular floor and cool air is thrown in from a grille. A ducted cooler system requires a powerful exhaust fan of about 18 inches and above. The cross section area of the duct will depend on the diameter of the exhaust fan and the distance of the fan from the grille. In case the air has to be thrown through the grille on a particular floor to more than one place,then the duct would have to be carried to the required location. The duct can be concealed below the false ceiling in the relevant areas. l

The author is an architect

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