Hello, hoping some of you guys can help. I’m looking to build a pond on the edge of my patio. Size doesn’t really matter but I need ideas on how to build up the area around the pond as there is a slope where the patio meets the grass. I’ve attached a pic of the area where I want to put the pond.
Pond on edge of patio
- Thread starter JeffD34
- Start date
Welcome to the forum! What kind of edges are you thinking for your pond? There is natural rock, some use a brick or block wall, others use wood to get elevation for the sides. You want to make it exactly level with the patio?
j.w
I Love my Goldies
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2010
- Messages
- 33,158
- Reaction score
- 20,398
- Location
- Arlington, Washington
- Showcase(s):
- 1
- Hardiness Zone
- USDA 8a
- Country
Size does matter! Depending on if you want koi, goldfish or just frogs etc. IMO the bigger the better.
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2020
- Messages
- 3,013
- Reaction score
- 3,211
- Location
- Pacific NW
- Hardiness Zone
- 8b
- Country
How much footprint can you give the project? Looking at your slope, away from the patio, I think I'd plan to build a garden block retaining wall (the big ones) 4-6' outside of the footprint of the pond. Once the pond is complete, you can plant the space between the liner and the wall to make the wall disappear from the patio.
This might also save you a lot of yard space and fill import. An earthen berm needs to be pretty darn wide to look reasonably natural.
As for preventing runoff into the pond from the patio, there are two solutions.
If you're going to add boulders, you can place the tops of the boulders 6-12" above the level of the patio. That will allow the liner to come a few inches below that and then back fill a berm from the top of liner back to the patio to create a drainage gulley. You'll need the liner to be a good 2' from the edge of the patio to accommodate that.
Another option would be to install a linear drain (exposed) or perforated drain pipe (below river rock) right at the edge of the patio to catch runoff and redirect it to the end of the patio or wherever would take it out past the liner and head downhill. That would allow the liner to be installed a lot closer to the edge of the patio and would be my choice.
You should tell us more about the size and construction style you're thinking, though.
This might also save you a lot of yard space and fill import. An earthen berm needs to be pretty darn wide to look reasonably natural.
As for preventing runoff into the pond from the patio, there are two solutions.
If you're going to add boulders, you can place the tops of the boulders 6-12" above the level of the patio. That will allow the liner to come a few inches below that and then back fill a berm from the top of liner back to the patio to create a drainage gulley. You'll need the liner to be a good 2' from the edge of the patio to accommodate that.
Another option would be to install a linear drain (exposed) or perforated drain pipe (below river rock) right at the edge of the patio to catch runoff and redirect it to the end of the patio or wherever would take it out past the liner and head downhill. That would allow the liner to be installed a lot closer to the edge of the patio and would be my choice.
You should tell us more about the size and construction style you're thinking, though.
It's long but you have two scenarios that I had to over come as well.
To bring it right up to the patio unless you have clas. Soils your probably going to need some sort of retaining wall.
And on the down hill side that could be a bit trickier as your town my insist on a engineers stamp.
Scroll through the first half untill you reach the build.
12,000 Gallon Koi Pond, Full Build
Large KOI pond with a Wetland filter, Negative edge and an intake bay. Start to finish, Building, Maintaining and expanding / seaming
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2010
- Messages
- 44,451
- Reaction score
- 29,259
- Location
- Frederick, Maryland
- Showcase(s):
- 1
- Hardiness Zone
- 6b
- Country
Welcome to the forum!
You will get a lot of that dirt from the dig. My dig gave me enough dirt to build a 30 foot long berm about 6 feet tall on the down hill side of the pond.
I did something similar. We had a flagstone patio and I dug the pond up close to it. Let me find some pics. Had no need for a retaining wall and kept about 18-20” away from the patio.
Attachments
I myself would do one of two things . One build a small lowered sitting area closer to to pond level. Make it rou d out into the pond . Or I would use the excavation dirt to build a berm so I could bring up the water level. A retaining wall may be needed.
Have you started planning of your next pond?
That was in Freeport if I remember correctly
No not yet and we have moved around a bit. Back in Kennebunkport, ME again and plan to start one soon.
We never went to AZ. We went to FL first for 18mths and then tried Santa Fe, NM but the climate took a toll on my wife’s health.