The first time someone told us our cast rock waterfalls look more natural than real stone we were surprised. But they meant that stacking small basketball-sized stones in a pile looks more contrived than our designs using molds of large boulders—up to 7 ft in diameter.
Besides obvious weight issues, it’s difficult to waterproof natural stones because mortar and concrete do not bond well to the dense surface.
It is estimated that 1/3 of natural stone waterfalls are abandoned in 5-10 years because of seepage issues while 98% of RicoRock waterfalls are working as intended even after 10 years. Actually, the only ones we hear about failing are because a tree fell on them or a hurricane destroyed the pool area.
For purists who can’t stand the thought of artificial rocks, even waterfalls made of natural stone make little sense since nature is disturbed to harvest those stones. Cast rock made of concrete and some recycled product is more friendly to the environment than leaving a hole in the forest by removing a moss covered stone.
Artificial rock waterfall installed by Pool Captain, FL.