Water Feature Article

CREATING a BACKYARD PARADISE

~by URSULA THOMA

Prebuilt Waterfall in Toronto, ON

Prebuilt Waterfall in Toronto, ON

Imagine yourself floating in a tranquil pool of warm, clear blue water, listening to the soothing sounds of a waterfall. Moist, humid air carries the scent of fresh damp earth, while a slight breeze rustles the leaves of surrounding trees.

A vacation in the Caribbean? Maybe, but not in this case. This peaceful and serene setting in Toronto was created by Elroy Wagler, owner and operator of Colonial Brick & Stone in Newton, Ontario. Elroy’s company carries a complete line of stone products, including pre-built waterfalls. Elroy Wagler’s customer traveled to Colonial’s on-site displays to choose the exact kind, color, and texture of stone. Photos of the existing setting were used by Elroy to design a waterfall that would fit in perfectly with the surroundings and make the in-ground pool look more natural.

“We enjoy taking advantage of things that are free to our customers, especially existing trees on the property, or even trees on the neighbor’s property. That way our customers’ money is used for necessary things and they get more value for their dollar,” Elroy said.

Several details are taken into account when constructing the waterfall, such as water volume, distance from one rock edge to the next, sound effects created by the falls and washes, as well as the angles, heights and distances people will be viewing the completed falls from.

Since few people have the room to store 50 ton of stone in their backyard, the waterfall is completed on-site and then shipped to its permanent home. Each piece is numbered and a design drawing is included, making it easy to assemble and install.

Elroy Wagler has sold pre-built units to places as far away as Maine and West Virginia and says there is a great deal of interest being shown in eastern and western Canada as well.

Waterfalls are only one area of expertise for Colonial Brick & Stone. Trellises reminiscent of Stonehenge are created with stone slabs at the top and bottom with two up-right pieces carved to fit into the top. “We have a customer right now who asked us to construct an entire stone henge display for him,” Elroy said. Everyone employed at Colonial is an expert at finding veins that will split the rock a certain way or expose certain colors. Stone kept on site include stepping stones, blue cobblestones, mica, limestone, sandstone and pink and white quartz.

Seminars on stone masonry and waterfall construction given by Elroy have attracted people from as far away as West Virginia, New York, and Michigan. “We make sure the seminars are very hands-on so people leave with the confidence to build waterfalls that are pretty and durable,” Elroy said.

So, if you’re looking to create a piece of paradise in your own backyard, contact Colonial Brick & Stone in Newton, Ontario.

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