Daryl & Alice, Ashland, Oregon
Waterfall & Pond Remodel
Remodeled July 2010
Q: What was your motivation in wanting to have a water feature installed?
A: Our previous feature, on the property when we purchased our home in 2008, had a major leak.
Q: What type of water feature do you have (pond or pondless waterfall?) What size is it (if you know?)
A: Pond -- approximately 600 gallons
Q: How long ago was your water feature installed? If it has been over a year, how has the feature changed over time? Would you do anything different such as make it smaller or bigger, etc? How long did it take to complete your water feature from breaking ground to completion of your project?
A: Re-modeled in 2010. Over time the aquatic plants and fish have matured and the pond has become a focal point of our yard. The feature is well-sized for our yard, but now we envision an expanded setting, with a few more boulders and/or additional plants on the small hill above to provide an enhanced backdrop.
Q: Did Andreatta Waterscapes install your water feature as a new build or did we remodel it? What additional work, if any, was included with your project (i.e. hardscapes such as walls and pavers, fire pit/fire boulder, etc.)?
A: This was a complete remodel, working with the original footprint of the existing pond. Additional work included larger rocks and boulders replacing rock-and-mortar design, a cascade replacing previous 3 ft. vertical drop over rock-and-mortar wall, a “tunnel” for fish to take shelter in winter months, a “sitting” rock, and aquatic flora and fauna (goldfish).
Q: Do you have underwater lighting in your water feature, and if so, do you use it?
A: We do have underwater lighting and love the magical night-time effect.
Q: How long did it take to complete your water fearure, from breaking ground to completion of your project? Tell us about your experience with the construction of your water feature.
A: Nine working days. Project started July 10. Completed July 23, 2010.
Q: Does Andreatta Waterscapes currently provide you with any maintenance type services and if so, in what ways is that helpful to you? If we do not provide maintenance services, how long to you typically spend on maintenance each week? What is your maintenance routine?
A: Andreatta Waterscapes provides bi-weekly maintenance. This is helpful for us in maintaining a balance in the ecosystem and insuring that filters, pump and other mechanical parts are in good working order.
Q: In what ways do you currently interact with your water feature and what benefits do you feel that it has brought to you and your family?
A: The usual backyard activities of reading, gardening, and sharing meals are enhanced by the sight, sound, and textures of the water feature. During warm summer months with door open at night, the sound of the water cascading over rocks benefits sleep, and is particularly helpful in shutting out the ringing in the ears that interfered with my husband’s sleep for many years.
Q: How would you rate the quality of work done (on a scale of 1-10… 10 being the best) by Andreatta Waterscapes and the level of expertise brought to your project?
A: 10 !
Q: Can you sum up for us your feelings about your water feature?
A: We greatly enjoy how the cascading, recycling water enhances the natural ecosystem, providing a birthing place and home for dragonflies and other beneficial aquatic insects, and attracting seasonal birds, squirrels, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife. As habitat for aquatic plants, insects and fish, it provides us the rare opportunity to observe the food chain up close, i.e., as when an occasional blue heron stealthy preys upon the goldfish who inhabit the pond. We have also enjoyed watching the evolving nature of the feature’s ecosystem, with water lilies and other aquatic plants maturing over the years. In short, as the focal point of our hillside backyard, our water feature enriches our lives beyond measure, providing a peaceful, inviting, refreshing (and educational!) place to relax and rejuvenate.
Q: Bonus question… anything else you’d like to add?
A: In addition to the above comments, we want to note that it was a pleasure and privilege to have Tonja and her crew, Jaime and Alex, create a beautiful work of art in the re-design and re-build of our backyard water feature.
Tricia, Central Point, Oregon
Pondless Waterfall
Installed 2013
Q: What was your motivation in wanting to have a water feature installed?
A: Had to have a waterfall in this yard because I’ve lived with one of your koi ponds complete with a waterfall for years. I am addicted to the sound of the running water!
Q: What type of water feature do you have (pond or pondless waterfall?) What size is it (if you know?)
A: I opted for a pondless waterfall this time. as I no longer wanted to deal with fish and the extra upkeep the full pond entails.
Q: How long ago was your water feature installed? If it has been over a year, how has the feature changed over time? Would you do anything different such as make it smaller or bigger, etc?
A: It has not quite been a full year yet. I would have liked a slightly larger falls with a steeper drop, but this size works well for the space its in.
We will need to change some of the plantings around the outside as we have found some are the wrong type or size. Having some plants in it makes it look more natural already, but they are only a few months old.
Q: Did Andreatta Waterscapes install your water feature as a new build or did we remodel it? What additional work, if any, was included with your project (i.e. hardscapes such as walls and pavers, fire pit/fire boulder, etc.)?
A: This was a new build as we were totally redoing an older existing yard. AW did the pondless waterfall, pavers, grass, placed sitting boulders here and there in the lawn area, and installed a 2 ton very tall rock in the center of the yard.
Q: Do you have underwater lighting in your water feature, and if so, do you use it?
A: We have lighting on the falls and it is on automatically every evening until way after dark. It looks sooo nice with it all aglow!
Q: How long did it take to complete your water fearure, from breaking ground to completion of your project? Tell us about your experience with the construction of your water feature.
A: The pond/falls took a little over a week, the whole project three plus weeks. Don’t exactly remember. There were other projects and maintenance running at the same time, so work was not steady the whole time.
Q: Does Andreatta Waterscapes currently provide you with any maintenance type services and if so, in what ways is that helpful to you? If we do not provide maintenance services, how long to you typically spend on maintenance each week? What is your maintenance routine?
A: We have had maintenance service up to now. Just installed an ionizer to take care of the algae issues that arise with all falls and ponds, so do not yet know what we will be needing going forward.
Q: In what ways do you currently interact with your water feature and what benefits do you feel that it has brought to you and your family?
A: We really enjoy the relaxing sounds of the waterfall as it gently caresses the contoured sides of the rocks on its way down stream. I love its magical music to lull you to sleep at night (on the nights I can leave my window open some). We have many, many birds that use the water to bathe and drink every day. They are very happy with this addition to the neighborhood!
Q: How would you rate the quality of work done (on a scale of 1-10… 10 being the best) by Andreatta Waterscapes and the level of expertise brought to your project?
A: 10
Q: Can you sum up for us your feelings about your water feature?
A: yes - WE LOVE IT !!
Q: Bonus question… anything else you’d like to add?
A: Everyone is happy here
Terry & Wanda, Ashland, Oregon
Pondless Waterfall
Installed October 2011
Q: What was your motivation in wanting to have a water feature installed?
A: We had two water features at our prior home and found them so relaxing that we knew we would equally enjoy one at our present home.
Q: What type of water feature do you have (pond or pondless waterfall?) What size is it (if you know?)
A: Our pondless waterfall is overall approximately 40 feet long and the winding waterway drops about 7.5 feet over that distance in a series of five smaller cascades interupted by one major waterfall.
Q: How long ago was your water feature installed? If it has been over a year, how has the feature changed over time? Would you do anything different such as make it smaller or bigger, etc? How long did it take to complete your water feature from breaking ground to completion of your project?
A: The land excavation and recontouring work started on October 11, 2011, the first water to fall was on October 27 and by October 31 the hardscaping of the adjacent dry "abandoned" waterfall was complete.
With time the landscaping has matured to create a "habitat" feeling of which the waterfall is an intergral part.
Q: Did Andreatta Waterscapes install your water feature as a new build or did we remodel it? What additional work, if any, was included with your project (i.e. hardscapes such as walls and pavers, fire pit/fire boulder, etc.)?
A: The waterfall built by Andreatta Waterscapes was a total new build. As noted above, additional hardscaping included a dry "abandoned" waterfall near the active waterfall.
Q: Tell us about your experience with the construction of your water feature.
A: It was a pleasure and an amazement to watch Tonja, Alex and Jaime transform a plot of dirt and weeds into an incredibly natural-looking multi-level waterfall. Moreover, each person in Andreatta Waterscapes was a pleasure to work with as the construction process evolved and new ideas were introduced and enacted to improve the initial concept. This resulted in a work of art in stone and water.
Q: Does AW currently provide you with any maintenance type services and if so, in what ways is that helpful to you? If we do not provide maintenance services, how long to you typically spend on maintenance each week? What is your maintenance routine?
A: Andreatta Waterscapes has provided a Spring cleaning only in 2014. Prior maintenance was done by the owner and was seasonal. In Fall removal of leaves and in summer algae removal. The former involved 2-3 multi-hour cleanups over the course of several months while algae control is presently about 1 hour per week.
Q: In what ways do you currently interact with your water feature and what benefits do you feel that it has brought to you and your family?
A: The cascading of the water over the multi-level waterfall provides a soothing sound through the windows at night, and wine and cheese seem to taste better on the seating area adjacent to it.
Q: How would you rate the quality of work done (on a scale of 1-10… 10 being the best) by AW and the level of expertise brought to your project?
A: Of the 13 years we have lived in the Rogue Valley it is our opinion that AW is the only one building natural-looking waterfeatures, all the rest seemingly are "irrigation troughs" with rocks alongside, hence a 10. This was made clear to us about a year ago when we had a house guest from North Carolina countryside, who said while sitting on the adjacent patio having sunset wine and cheese "You know, this waterfall looks just like one in a (natural) creek by my house".
Q: Can you sum up for us your feelings about your water feature?
A: A treasure!
