The once customary sources of life-giving moisture are now preserved except in the depths – today the supply of tap water is organized in almost all regions. However, this does not mean that the construction of wells has completely disappeared – in modern landscape design, they perform primarily an aesthetic function. Such designs can be used for insulating well cover in the cold season, decorating manholes, irrigation pumps and other equipment not intended for prying eyes. In addition, a decorative well can be converted into an authentic ethnic-style flowerbed or a mini-warehouse for garden tools, the main thing is to choose the design and placement of the building correctly.
In order to build a decorative Well at the dacha, the “handy” owners do not need the help of professional craftsmen and landscape designers – you can make such a design with your own hands, and quite quickly. Having at hand the necessary amount of available materials, you can independently make an exclusive decoration for the garden, the main thing is to think over the design and clearly follow the step-by-step instructions offered in our master class.
How to choose the right material for manufacturing?
At first glance it may seem that the choice of building materials depends solely on the desired product design – in fact, you can veneer it with anything, but the basis is better to choose, based on their shape and size of the decorative well. So, for the construction of a miniature construction for the garden, you can collect materials remaining from the repair of other buildings on the site: firstly, you will not have to spend money on the purchase, and secondly, it will be easier to follow the general concept of landscape design. If you want to make a more impressive decorative well, you will have to worry about purchasing the appropriate building materials in advance.
The form also affects the choice of building materials. Round structures are easier to make from stone, cement or concrete, followed by the lining. Classic square wells are more logical to perform in an old-fashioned way – from timber or boards. However, this condition is not absolute – with an appropriate level of craftsmanship, you can build a round-shaped decorative structure from boards, and a square one – from stone, but in this case the manufacturing process will be several times more complicated. Yes, and why consciously create difficulties for yourself, if you can later finish the well with decorative materials?
How to finish the design?
After assembling the well, whatever it is made of, a decorative finish is required. Wooden buildings must be covered with a protective material that will prevent rotting of the natural material. Boards and planks can be varnished, painted or painted several times – so they will become more resistant to external factors. And wooden houses with a door can be sheathed with clapboard, pre-coated with varnish – it will turn out very stylish and functional.
Concrete structures themselves are much stronger than wood because the solution is more resistant to high humidity. However, the external parameters of cement wells necessarily require decoration. Concrete structures can be decorated:
- natural or artificial stone,
- ceramic mosaic
- decorative glass,
- plaster,
- concrete tiles, etc.
Concrete rings are characterized by good adhesion to the adhesive composition, therefore, to decorate them with any of the proposed decorative elements is not difficult. True, it would take a little longer to build such a well than for a wooden one, but the result will certainly justify the amount of effort involved.
How to save on roof cover?
Perhaps the most expensive building materials for the manufacture of decorative wells are roofing. Of course, the investments will still be smaller than in the construction of a classic well, since the absolute protective qualities are not so fundamental, and the size of the roof may be smaller. However, you can minimize the costs even more tangible, using the materials at hand.
For decoration of the roof of a decorative well use:
- trim sheets of roofing, remaining from other buildings located on the site,
- the remains of shingles (including damaged),
- wooden tile, carved from the pattern and treated with varnish,
- The lining painted in the color of a standard tile.
Important! If a soft coating is used to finish the roof of a decorative well, you must first make a rigid base that will support the structure. If the roof itself can keep its shape, additional support is not required.
Miniature well: step-by-step master class with photo instructions
Guided by our master class, you will be able to assemble a small decorative well for your summer cottage in just 1-2 evenings with your own hands. This design is portable, and therefore does not require pouring the foundation. This will save time in the construction and planning of landscape design – by assembling the well ready, you will be able to “try on” it at various places first, and only after that make a final decision regarding the installation.
Tools and building materials
To make a decorative well with your own hands you will need:
- well brushed and trimmed boards;
- screws of proportional sizes;
- wood glue for wood;
- stain, varnish or paint on wood;
- Construction tools: a handsaw, a set of sandpaper of various abrasiveness, a screwdriver or screwdriver, a drill, a drill for wood and a plane.
Step by step assembly instructions
- To begin with, assemble the bottom box, holding the boards together with screws.
- When the box of the required height is ready, fasten two boards with screws from opposite inner sides of the well – future supports for the roof. Additionally, the joints can be greased with wood glue to make the design stronger and more reliable.
Tip! To glue had time to grab, you can fix the moving elements with clamps – so the assembly process will be easier and more convenient.
- Assemble the angular frame of the roof of the timber, as shown in the photo. Scrape the roof of the decorative well with boards, trim the edges and smooth out all roughness and irregularities of sandpaper.
- Collect and secure the sides, slightly protruding beyond the box.
- To make the decorative well believable, you can additionally make a lifting mechanism with a small bucket on a string. To do this, secure the handle to a homemade drum for winding, drill holes in the side supports with a drill and thread the drum in them, as shown in the step-by-step photo below.
- Tie the string to the drum with a small bucket fixed on the second end.
- Cover the finished structure with antifungal impregnation to prevent rotting. After the coating dries, paint it again with stain, varnish or paint – the stain will emphasize the naturalness of the materials and the natural structure of wood, the varnish will give the finished well an attractive gloss, and the paint will allow you to make the design in any color.
The decorative well is ready for installation at the dacha! Choose a suitable place, arrange around a flower bed or alpine slide. If you wish, you can additionally pour the soil into the well itself and plant flowers there, making a well as a fancy flower garden – everything depends on the master’s imagination.
