How to Build a Backyard Water Feature

6:46

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Video by Mr. Build It

Mr. Build It

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What happens here

This DIY project guides you through building an outdoor Japanese-style water feature that creates a continuous water curtain effect in your backyard. The process involves creating a hidden water reservoir, constructing a wooden frame, weatherproofing the wood using the ancient Japanese Shou Sugi Ban charring technique, installing a pump and custom PVC plumbing with drip jets, and finishing the base with decorative stones for a refined look.

Mr. Build ItSelf-taught renovator who shows the mistakes, not just the finish

In 2015, Alex and his wife Irina, an interior designer, bought a Boise fixer-upper with no budget for contractors. He learned on that house and filmed every step. Since then he's taken on kitchens, tiled showers, custom cabinets, decks, siding and even a sauna built in an old shed, and earned his own series on At Home with Family Handyman. He shows the mistakes alongside the fixes, explains the why behind each step, and finds the budget route to a result that lasts. His motto: courage and sweat.

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Moments in this video

0:100:35

Prepare the Site and Reservoir Foundation

0:450:46

Build and Secure the Basic Wooden Frame

1:320:49

Construct the Decorative Cedar Facade

2:211:01

Weatherproof the Wood Using Shou Sugi Ban

3:221:18

Assemble the Internal Plumbing

4:401:09

Install the Water Distribution System and Reservoir Lid

5:490:22

Create the Aesthetic Rock Base

6:110:35

Test and Finalize the Water Feature