Making a well in the country - nuances and unusual examples

What is important to consider when registering?

The correct design of the country well will allow you to harmoniously fit the design into the existing style, but before starting you need to understand several important points for yourself:

• Functional... What is the purpose of the well design on the site? Hide communications, protect from rain and debris, or is it just a decor?
• Style... In what style is the entire summer cottage decorated? The same direction should be followed when refining a decorative well.
• Design... Depends on the type of your well and the functional purpose - there is a gable, with a crane, a column.
• Operating conditions... The more severe the conditions in the region of residence, the more durable the materials should be: high resistance to humidity and temperature extremes are mandatory characteristics for finishing.

What types of materials are suitable for finishing?

Read also

How to decorate garden paths beautifully for a summer residence?

The design of a well in the country must meet at least two characteristics: preservation of functionality and decorative decoration. An ordinary concrete ring, for example, is very functional - but it is impossible to call it an example of an amazing decor, concrete needs to be decorated.

In order for a decorative well to serve for many years and please with its appearance, choose high-quality materials:

• Moisture resistance... This is the main nuance, because there is really a lot of water in the well.
• Suitable for outdoor conditions... Use only raw materials that are intended for outdoor use.
• Resistant to temperature changes... Lowering and increasing temperatures should not destroy the house.
• High wear resistance... The structure should not be afraid of mechanical shock.

Wood

Decorating a decorative well with wood is a classic option for a summer cottage. Wood is an affordable, budgetary, easy-to-process material.

The only nuance that needs to be considered is absolute lack of natural protection against water... Constant contact with water destroys the structure of the tree, promotes rotting. But if you take dense beams of larch or aspen instead of flat boards, additionally treating them with special compounds, the frame over the water source will stand for many years.

Classic Russian design: a frame made of rounded logs, a gate with a handle and a bucket on a chain, two posts for a gable roof. Thus, it is appropriate to arrange a well near a rich estate and near a modest house. The finishes are perfect for the usual rustic style, Provence, chalet.

In some cases, it is appropriate to replace the classic log gate with a block with a counterweight, or install a crane altogether - a roof is not erected over such structures, so you have to take care of installing a hatch directly above the opening. It should be convenient to open to draw water and close when the well is not in use.

You can ennoble a wooden house in various ways:

• paint it with a suitable paint (for example, in the color of the house or gazebo);
• cut the pattern with a chisel with your own hands;
• order carved jewelry from professionals.

In the photo, the classic laying of logs

To summarize, let's take another look at the pros and cons of using wood.

Benefits:

• Natural origin allows it to blend in with the landscape.
• Widespread availability and low cost.
• Ease of processing.

Disadvantages:

• Additional protection from water is required, which means additional costs for treatment products.
• Even insects can spoil the tree; the well will also have to be protected from them.

Brick

Brickwork is a practical and quite aesthetic way of arranging a decorative well. If the house and other buildings are made of bricks, the additional structure will fit perfectly into the existing picture.

In the photo there is a round brick well

Advantages:

• Availability, low cost relative to natural stone.
• Wear resistance. Brick is difficult to damage mechanically.
• Simplicity of styling. You can cope with the task on your own, even without serious experience and tools.

Disadvantages:

• Can be damaged by moisture. Constant contact with water without drying is not the best medium for a brick, it will simply crumble over time. But this will not happen if immediately treated with protection.
• Not suitable for all styles - example: rustic. A brick decorative well would be out of place.

Advice! Choose solid brick - it will be more economical if laid on the end.

If you are going to lay bricks around yourself, follow these tips:

• Make a round decorative well - much less material will be needed.
• For the solution, choose a water- and frost-resistant mixture.
• Increase the service life - for this you need to cover the inside of the ring with plaster.
• Reinforce the plaster - rub cement into the dry surface, this method is called concrete ironing.

A rock

A stone decorative well has a huge number of advantages.

• Naturalness... Natural origin allows stone structures to easily fit into landscape design.
• Wear resistance... Stones are not afraid of water, temperature changes, mechanical stress.
• Versatility... Suitable for every style, from traditional to modern.
• Durability... Correctly executed masonry will last for more than a dozen years.

There are fewer cons, but they are also present:

• Price... The cost of both the material itself and the work is quite high.
• Complexity of styling... If it is easy to build a brick wall yourself, then for stone processing (especially if the structure is planned to be round) it is better to contact a specialist.

Additional tips for creating a well in a stone cottage:

• The choice of the material itself depends on the decoration of the buildings on the site: if the house is already finished with expensive stone, take the same one - it is not worth saving... If you do it without being tied to the house, choose the shape, size and color that you like: from light rubble to dark cobblestones.
• Use waterproof tile adhesive or brick mortar as the mortar.
• Patterns are laid out from stones of different shades or a gradient is made.
• A canopy over a well made of metal or slate is best combined with masonry.

Advice! It is not necessary to make masonry from scratch - to make it easier for yourself, put a concrete ring and ennoble the outside with a stone. The cost of such a solution will be much lower.

In the photo there is a narrow well made of stone

For masonry only from natural stone, a foundation is required: they are cast in accordance with the soil, at a distance of 25-35 cm from the hole.The material itself is laid on a reinforcing cage, set in level - it will hold the elements in place and strengthen the structure.

Plaster

This simple and affordable solution is used to decorate a concrete frame: the result will depend on the material itself and your abilities.

Benefits:

• Fast... It will take no more than 48 hours from application to complete drying.
• Simply... Performing work requires skill, but not special skills.
• Inexpensive... Even relatively expensive decorative plaster will cost less than previous materials.
• Aesthetically... Plastering allows you to simulate any surface and make the well the way you need it.

In the photo, decorating the well with plaster

Disadvantage one: the plastered surface will not last long, it will have to be updated every 2-3 years.

Important! Choose waterproof mixtures, the surface should be additionally ironed - cover the dry plaster with cement.

Improvised means

In addition to traditional methods, there are also more economical decoration options from what is at hand.

Tires... For those who prefer reliability to aesthetics. Rubber does not deteriorate under the influence of water, it will last a long time. The only drawback is the small diameter of the classic tires.

In the photo, the use of tires to decorate the source

Barrel... Why invent something if there is a wooden barrel lying around in the barn? Protect it with impregnation and place it over the hole.

Logs... It is not necessary to buy beautiful rounded ones, cut old trees into pieces of equal thickness and fold the well.

Trumpet... Plastic is not susceptible to damage from water, so a PVC or polypropylene pipe of the required diameter is a budget option for many years.

Look for something on your site that is suitable in terms of diameter and characteristics: the main thing is that the tools at hand are not afraid of water and are easy to use.

Beautiful ideas for decorating a well

Whatever design you choose, decorations will help to completely merge with the garden:

Flowers. Plant around the structure or make some flower beds near the source. Among the flowers, choose moisture-loving plant species: meadowsweet, calamus, loosestrife, swamp varieties of roses, milkweed.

See also: Catalog of the best perennial flowers

Time. Lichens are formed from the constant exposure to moisture on the surface of the stone and brick - this will allow the well to look as natural as possible.

Painting. If the surface is smooth, it is painted with various patterns, prints, paintings.

Unusual design examples

In addition to traditional styling, there are original options that will become the focus of the site. For example, an oriental-style well: it looks like a pagoda - with a characteristic bell-roof or 4-6 pitched canopy.

Another option is a hut. From a distance, the structure looks like a small house. And a window or door is used as a hatch to draw in water.

Another idea is nautical style. Instead of a curved handle, a steering wheel is attached to the gate on the thread, the chain is replaced with a cable, the hull itself is made in the form of a ship's bow.

Photo gallery

Choosing a piece of jewelry is not an easy task. Evaluate all the pros and cons of materials, choose the best one and start creating a unique design!