Inexpensive, yet NICE water feature

[Andrew Hardscape]

Just sharing an alternative for obtaining the relaxing sound of water.

We have done 3 of these so far.

The system in the pic with the Aquallbella box, the 3 Tivoli vases, auto-fill, lights in the vases, installs for around $4000 - $4500 complete.

This system was developed and is sold by a local contractor. Aquabella Designs, located in Harpers Ferry WV. They have a website. And ship anywhere. Check them out. Endless possibilities.


http://www.outdoorfinishes.com/images/services/water%20features/waterfeature1_lg.jpg

[STLPONDS]

You gotta be joking $4500 for that. That actually makes me sick that people pay that price for that!

[GroundScapes]

Yeh, I dont see 4500 there. Unless the river rock was replaced with tumbled glass imported from Mexico or something.

I do like it though Andrew, low maintenance and very relaxing.

[papercutter]

I saw Aquabella's stuff at MANTS, but I've never been able to justify the cost. A 4'x4' plastic well with a grate works just fine, and those are a heck of a lot cheaper. Nice look, though. Is the appeal that it's more of a turnkey approach than buying and pulling together the individual components?

[Andrew Hardscape]

I'm still playing with the pricing.

And that's because my guys are still learning the installation. Simple to do, yes. But they are learning the correct order for the installation. For example - the other week we recently installed the Tivoli, which has 3 vases, using 2 pumps. Well - the vases are not light, and they are smooth, very smooth. They had had everything done, turned on the pumps and water trickled out! The hoses were crimped! So they had to disassemble the vases, reach into a full aqua-box, uncrimp the hoses, re-level the vases.

The feature in the pic we installed for $3400 complete.

But the feature we just installed was at a very high end residence, a home with about 8000 SF of living space. I charged $4500.00. The lady at the company that created this system said her company would charge $5,000 if it was one of their jobs.

Papercutter -
Ya know, with anything in life, we can always think of ways to accomplish tasks far easier. If I wanted to, I could create an accounting program identical to Quick Books Pro. But why spend the time doing so when someone already did the footwork and is marketing it?

I could buy a paver tumbler and buy non-tumbled pavers, and do our own tumbeling. this way I don't have to pay for tumbled pavers. But that would be silly!!

Many homeowners simply want the sound of water. Years ago, the only way to get the sound of water was to put in a pond with a fountain in the center or a waterfall. Now-a-days, a decent pond BEGINS at $7,000. BEGINS!

So if all they want is sound, for 1/2 the cost of a pond - they can get sound.

I love the Aquabella System. One stop shopping. I have employees to manage. I don't have time to stop here and stop there and pick up materials for one facit of a project. Heck, with Aqua-bella, everything is done for you. the pumps are installed and hoses are routed. The autofill is installed. And the lights inside the vase(s) are installed and wired - all you have to do is connect the wires.

Again, just sharing a nice way to abtain the sound of water. Far less cost than a pond. And takes up far less space.

[STLPONDS]

I have to retract my previous post. I didn't know that was a complete kit as you described above. Having a kit like that ready to go is gold! I like the design and concept it is just a hard sell around here in the "Show me state".

[JZap]

Aquascapes offers kits similar to this one for under $1000 not including the vessels or stone. I have some prices out at around $2,500-3,000 installed. No dice so far. We're looking to make water features more economical.

[Andrew Hardscape]

The guy that created and patented this system owns an installation company that specializes in work with water and stone. Most of his jobs are easily well over 50 grand.

These systems are great for commercial use as well. They're nice because they require no maintenance, and no fish to feed.

The 4' Aquabox with the auto fill is somewhere around $900.00. On the most recent job, the box, the autofill, the 2 pumps and the 3 Tivoli vases was somewhere in the neighborhood of $2200, which included 6% tax. The distributor is close to my house so I picked the stuff up. The 2nd to the last job entailed ONE, BIG vase, and I think everything was around $1600.00 for materials (+ river gravel).

[cgland]

I like it!

[Grn Mtn]

okay so this one doesn't even come close to yours, but I had a customer that was tired of losing water out of the old one (pictured below left) so I said lets switch it to a pondless.

I forgot to take a picture but if you lift up the big marble laying on its side I cut a hole in the grate so you can reach in and turn the ball valve up or down to adjust the water pressure without having to take all the stuff off.

I had to get the larger size Dixie Pink pebbles so they wouldn't fall thru the grate but at the time of the picture didn't get more smaller sized to make the transition smoother from new to old.

[Andrew Hardscape]

Heres another one we did back in March '08. Turned out pretty nice. Notice the patio has no border. A hardscape needs 3 things:
a) water
b) perennials perennials perennials
c) lighting


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/ScapeItWS6360CJ7/Family%20Rally/IMG_0485.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y212/ScapeItWS6360CJ7/Family%20Rally/IMG_0486.jpg

[GreenMonster]

four things:

4. border

[STLPONDS]

Is that a granite top on the firepit?

[Andrew Hardscape]

Is that a granite top on the firepit?


I'm not sure. It's some gas fire feature that the h/o bought.

[CaptainsLS]

Andrew- I really like it. I called them, and got all the information. Sold one to the Nursing Home we are reviving from the previous landscapers. How are they powered? Wired into the home? I'm still waiting on the installation manual to be mailed to me.

[Andrew Hardscape]

the pumps are powered off of a standard electrical outlet.

[Grn Mtn]

just put a capfull of fountain clear in every couple of weeks to keep them from getting dirty looking.

[CaptainsLS]

Andrew, Thanks for sharing this product. I ordered the “One of a kind” #201 (http://www.aquabelladesigns.com/inStock/images/indexo.htm) and one other vase to pair with it. Any advice on the installation, or things you learned from experience? It looks extremely straightforward. I got the lights with it as well. One vase is 40” tall and the other is 30”.

[chardscapes]

four things:

4. border



LOL :pound: