ARTICLES
Advance Search
Aquatic Health
Aquatic Health, Fitness & Safety
Around the Internet
Aquatic Culture
Aquatic Technology
Artful Endeavors
Celebrity Corner
Life Aquatic
Must-See Watershapes
People with Cameras
Watershapes in the Headlines
Book & Media Reviews
Commentaries, Interviews & Profiles
Fountains
Join the Dialogue
Landscape, Plants, Hardscape & Decks
Lighter Side
Ripples
Test Your Knowledge
The Aquatic Quiz
Other Waterfeatures (from birdbaths to lakes)
Outdoor Living, Fire Features, Amenities & Lighting
Ponds, Streams & Waterfalls
Pools & Spas
Professional Watershaping
Structures (Editor's Notes)
Travelogues & History
WaterShapes TV
WaterShapes World Blog
Web Links
Around the Internet
Aquatic Culture
Aquatic Technology
Artful Endeavors
Celebrity Corner
Life Aquatic
Must-See Watershapes
People with Cameras
Watershapes in the Headlines
Backyard watershape design is at its best when everything works together to complement the setting. In this case, explains Joe Dempsey, Jr., the spirit of integration included not only pure aesthetics but also the hillside engineering and construction, as well as sharing the home’s energy-efficient heating system.
...
For most of the past century, natural waterways in Southern California have existed as lifeless concrete channels. Efforts to “regreen” some of those once-beautiful waters have given rise to hopes that the Los Angeles River, and others like it, will one day recapture their former natural health and riparian beauty.
...
In this open letter to the California Contractor's State License Board, Scott Cohen argues that the state should adopt mandatory continuing education for pool contractor licensing and license renewals. It's a change he believes would ultimately protect contractors and consumers by reducing the number of construction defects.
...
Geysers stand out among nature’s most enigmatic and spectacular watershape wonders, inspiring awe as they shoot scalding water and steam into the air. But how do geysers work? What is the natural mechanism behind these showy geological marvels? Here’s a look beneath the surface.
...
It’s true that some artificial rock installations are not convincing. In an effort to solve those disconnects, today’s cast-concrete rock panel systems are taken from natural stone. When installed and finished correctly, rock panels can look like the real thing.
...
For all of the complexity and sophistication of watershape construction projects, some of the most important considerations are also the simplest. Chief among those, says Scott Cohen, using caution tape to help prevent jobsite injuries is an essential measure, but also one that can be all too easy to forget.
...
The marriage between rockwork and architecture can be a contentious one, especially when the visual relationship isn’t thought out ahead of time. Making rocks work in built spaces requires strategic thinking, says Terence Thornton and Kevin Kraft, with an eye toward the way nature does things.
...
Concrete bonding agents play a crucial role in ensuring a strong and durable bond between shotcrete and plaster in swimming pools. They offer a host of advantages that can work to improve durability of a cementitious finish, while evening out its appearance, explains Jon Temple, who urges builders and plasters to think twice before skipping the bonding agent.
...
Certifying Growth