Artificial Rocks

One always wants to landscape the garden and ponds with some rocks. Finding the rocks and transporting them to the garden can be quite a back breaking job. But now one needs not to worry as one can make their own fake rocks and boulders. Also if one does not have the time or the inclination to make fake rocks one can order them from a number of fake rock suppliers. Garden material suppliers and landscaping designers will help out by providing fake rocks to make the garden or the pond look more picturesque. If one wants to make the rocks then it is not a very difficult process although it is going to be messy. Thanks to Styrofoam texture mats and concrete making rocks is not very difficult and one can make rocks in the shapes that they want. The first step is to buy 2” thick Styrofoam sheets and stack them up to the height that one wants the rock to be. Use a paper cutter and start from the lowest sheet and start cutting the sheets into the rough shape of the rock. Once one has finished cutting the sheets stack them up. Then one can either glue the sheets together or use wire to join the sheets. After joining the sheets use steel wire mesh and cover the rock. The steel mesh will give strength to the rock and will give the concrete something to hold on too. As steel mesh is not very pliable cover it with a layer of chicken wire mesh. Put extra chicken wire mesh in fissures or cuts. Chicken wire mesh is pliable and can be stuck into all the rough edges. One can use wire loops to hold the wire mesh to the foam. One should be able to lift the rock by lifting and one wire. So do make sure that all the mesh has been firmly tied together. Now mix a batch of concrete and start covering the rock.

Make sure that the concrete is enough to cover the entire rock and it is best to complete this process in one day. Start from the base and work your way up. Keep smoothing the concrete. Try and apply an even layer on there will be a mess at the bottom with extra concrete falling off the sides and the top. Keep removing this and after one is satisfied with the shape of the rock leave it to cure. The concrete should cling to the steel mesh. Make sure to make a proper batch of concrete and do not mix extra water which a lot of people tend to do. Make sure to keep smoothing the edges. The concrete should be anywhere between 1 ½” to 3” thick. Where one feels more concrete is required apply it. Once the concrete is slightly cured take the texture mats and press them firmly into the concrete. If the concrete is too wet the mats will slip. Make sure that the concrete is smooth and flat and there are no air bubbles in it before applying the texture mat. Make sure to press the texture mats evenly into the concrete. Start from the middle and flatten out towards the edges. Texture mats are molds that have been taken from real rocks so try and use the same pattern. One can cut cracks in the concrete with a wet trowel. Now your rock is ready cover it with a plastic sheet and spray water mist on it till the concrete is fully cured. Once it is cured now one can paint the fake rock.

Making fake rocks and artificial rocks and boulders is not difficult although it is messy. One can also purchase artificial rocks and boulders from garden suppliers or one can order them from over the Internet. Artificial rocks can be used in landscaping a garden or a pond. One can also use fake stones for landscaping the pond.