Building a new pond would you..........

[eyecatcher]

1) Prepare for a concrete bottom and sides  or

 

2) Go out and buy a pond liner?

 

3) do both the above

 

 

Its my next project at home;  approx 3mx3m water depth maximum 400mm; no fish, a few fountains, probably a complete pebbled bottom.

 

Did you regret buying the liner, despite it being an easier diy job or did you realise a concrete bottom still needs sealing of some nature and now you are forever trying to clean the algae off?

[Crossy]

Like our garden, meadow, jungle our ponds go with the "rustic" look.

 

Both our ponds (with fish, geese and plants mind) are concrete, unsealed apart from some of the waterproofing gloop in the render. They don't leak, however we are on Bangkok clay so they probably wouldn't leak even without the gloop. The ponds are about 15,000 and 10,000 Litres.

 

No surface sealer on either, just the bare render, the fish keep the algae down, but if you're looking for that pristine, crystal clear, swimming-pool look it wouldn't suit (I struggle keeping our swimming pool like that in the heat).

 

I did think about using a flexible liner but worried about it getting damaged by our assorted water-borne pets.

 

 

[grollies]

Is it an inground or above ground pond?

 

Just finished mine, is above ground. Block and render, finished with some crocodile sealant left over from the pool build. Painted with acrillic roof paint. Leaked like a bastard, on the base to wall joints 

 

Didn't put in a waterstop like the pool 

 

Going to use Sika D150 on the joints and walls and re-test.

 

If an in ground pond I would definitely consider a liner.

[eyecatcher]

18 minutes ago, grollies said:

 Leaked like a bastard, on the base to wall joints 

 

Didn't put in a waterstop like the pool 

 

I want one of those!

 

I think thats the main concern with ponds and more often than not its at that specific joint.

You used to have the same problem with the pit of a lift shaft....not great when you get into a lift and there is a pond on the floor.

 

water bars /stops were more bother than they were worth and usually chucking in another few inches on connie would take care of the joint but unfortunately water bars were a necessity with insitu concrete.

 

I agree a liner is the safest way to go for a more natural rustic pond but if you want a clinical rectangular pond then it has to done right in connie.

 

..and I cannot decide, I want a bit of both! rustic means boulders and pebbles, liners and underlay, clinical means backache for a week after trying to mix 1m3 concrete on my own.

 

i will head out to cost up boulders and liners and see how expensive my imagination is!

[Crossy]

We (ok the labour) did the concrete for the big pond by hand, took several days and the mix wasn't wonderful.

 

Bought a mini-mix when we did the chicken palace, laid the base (6m x 4m) in a day :) Same sort of time for the smaller pond for the geese. Does about a barrow load at a time, should have bought it ages ago.

 

To be honest "real" concrete mixers are not that expensive and you can pick used ones up for a song at the plant hire places, well worth the investment. If I'd known then what I know now I would have bought a full-size mixer.

[grollies]

The mixer is a good idea, I got fed up mixing by hand.

 

Global House 9,000THB. As with all things Chinese was a bit of a dog. Ended up putting a rolling support under the drum to take the strain off the drive bearing.

 

BTW, if you have no fish in there what will stop the algae growth eventually overwhelming the pond, aside from you cleaning it out?

 

Mixer fix:

 

[juehoe]

Every house in our village has a 50 cm deep, 3 by 4 metres big pond. They were built with concrete and bricks, watertight cement loner and tiled.

Some of the house owners used the «plain» with some vases and waterfalls. They use 2 floating chlorine dispensers.

My personal pond was already prepared for an external pump and filter. I installed then a chlorimeter like for pools.

We finally converted our pond now in a natural pond with fishes.