Help spent 18k and pond leaks

[Polly]

Hi , I have my garden done and it's cost £18k including my pond with water features.
They have built it with concrete brick and mortar and sealed it with G4 pond sealer.
However after it had been on for just a few hours we lost 4 inches of water.
It is about 15ft long , 3 ft wide and approx 18 inch deep......so it's a lot of water lost.
It's surrounded by granite paving which is raised from the grass and the pond is about 5 feet from the house.
I've emptied it as I'm worried the damage the water may do .any advice welcome please as I don't know what to do...thanks

 

[Polly]

The pond is 12000 litres and has no liner
Thank you

 

[Polly]

Also G4 supplier informed me you cannot seal bricks and mortar(concrete common bricks ,) but this was dismissed by landscape company.
Any advice is welcome and I thank you in advance

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Also G4 supplier informed me you cannot seal bricks and mortar(concrete common bricks ,) but this was dismissed by landscape company.
Any advice is welcome and I thank you in advance

Initial response: Call the Landscaper back in to fix it. Did you have a written contract?

 

[Polly]

No unfortunately,
I got them back and
they have suggested they seal it with another rubber pond paint.?
But when I looked it up I can't find anything that suggests it can be applied to bricks and mortar....I originally wanted a full rendered wall but they suggested I didn't.
Thanks for replying

 

[Meyer Jordan]

No unfortunately,
I got them back and
they have suggested they seal it with another rubber pond paint.?
But when I looked it up I can't find anything that suggests it can be applied to bricks and mortar....I originally wanted a full rendered wall but they suggested I didn't.
Thanks for replying

Are they going to assume the costs of the re-coating? They certainly should. If not, I would contact an attorney. You paid for a functioning pond and you have a legal right to expect just that and nothing less.

 

[Polly]

Yes I believe so ,although to be honest I have read that rubber pond sealer works by adhering to the concrete.
I can't find anything that states it works on mortar.?
I'm concerned that it's edged by granite patio which in turn touches the house.
Thanks Polly

 

[sissy]

landscapers should never say they can build a pond and get away with it .I feel bad for you and those guys should be ashamed of themselves .To start with 18 inch's deep what were they thinking .

 

[Akiko Creed]

How long did the concrete set before sealing, and before water load? Do you have pictures?

 

[RobAmy]

Sounds like you can use the product on brick. The concrete does need to set for a while for proper cure. Sorry for your troubles. never used the product however but here is some info

Ponds will normally be constructed with either brick, lightweight block or concrete block and then rendered, it is not necessary to add waterproofing agents to the render mix as this will increase the density of the render and can inhibit penetration, if a waterproofing agent has been used, simply rub down the surface with an abrasive to obtain a key.

If a fibre is used to give strength to the render it is necessary to burn off or sand down any fibres that are on the surface, as any fibres that protrude will cause leakage, G4 will not bond to the fibres.

The cement render should be trowelled to an even surface but not to a smooth dense plaster like finish since this prevents the penetration of G4, new render should be kept damp for the first three days and then allowed to harden for 21-28 days depending on conditions.

Most of the products I have used on masonry will adhere to concrete and mortar. Brick should not be an issue either but may require different prep work depending on the brick's surface texture

 

[mgmine]

Look for a product that is used to waterproof basement walls. The best option would be to install a rubber liner and call it a day.

 

[koiman]

Are they going to assume the costs of the re-coating? They certainly should. If not, I would contact an attorney. You paid for a functioning pond and you have a legal right to expect just that and nothing less.

HI GUYS! here's what my rep, Randy Lontz at Spray-Lining & Coatings sent me: "I now have 4 different ponds & reading from experienced pond enthusiasts helps my family AND my career. I built all from the ground up, 2 have cascades & all have just 4 to 8 Koi, seemingly all with individual behavior. Please feel free to ask me anything, & if your pond doesn't leak you won't need my career exp. I worked for over 18 years at Spray-Lining & Coatings. So career-wise there's likely no waterscape I cannot detect source of leakage in or know locations to repair. SLC is at www.spray-lining.com - With rebuilds especially I've heard serious complaints, bad reviews & downright scams by coating's "professionals". Even retail pond supply businesses can have sensitive reputations when it comes to "lining complaints". That's where I'd help you most, i.e. repairing or preventing leaks. You can call SLC or email them, ask for Randy Lontz if you need facts...
Latest Polyurea work on Koi Pond Video looks like this-

" Hope this helps, thanking entirely!

 

[moby]

Do you intend to keep fish in it, if so what kind? 18 inches isn't an ideal depth here in the UK to enable fish to overwinter safely, deeper would have been better...assuming you intend it to be fishy. Best wat would be to remove the outer rim of paving, install a butyl rubber liner and replace the edging.

@koiman, the OP is in the UK so maybe the info from this firm wouldn't be of use.

 

[Mmathis]

@Polly Looks like a couple of late comments/posts to your thread. Have you gotten a solution yet?

 

[Linda Robert]

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Hope it will help you.