24 replies to this topic

[scottishwildcat]

I have a question for anybody who can help me.....
I built my pond last summer and over the winter the kids kept breaking the ice and seriously punctured the liner to the point of not being able to fix it now.
I want to empty the whole pond and re-line with concrete and was wondering how to go about it ?

[koiguy1969]

dont know anything about going concrete but i will say that you've got a nice looking pond there!!

[DrCase]

The pond looks good ...What kind of linner did you start with? And are all the rocks around the pond set in morter ?

[scottishwildcat]

yes the rocks are all set in mortar, because the rocks are sandstone i had to seal the whole thing with something called G4 sealant.

The liner is one I bought a a pond package, its a plastic one ??
I am having to top up the pond every fortnight as its leaking badly.

I want to remove the liner completely and line it with concrete.
I did make a couple of mistakes when 1st digging it out, didnt make a proper plant shelf near the surface and didnt make the waterfall higher than the water level.

[DrCase]

I never made a concrete pond either....maybe some one has some answers.

[koiguy1969]

there was a post here somewhere about a spray on liner... Doctor Dave asked about it, after someone reccomended it to someone else. i dont remember what it was called,the guy said you could spray it over any surface, but dirt. alittle pricey, but if i remember correctly, it has a lifetime guarentee. maybe that would be your answer.

[MassKoi]

I have not created a concrete pond either. There are things to consider, if you live in a cold climate the concrete may crack. Concrete leaches lime (I believe) unless you seal it or give it time cure. You may be better off with a .45 mil liner. It's pretty tough stuff.
Good luck with your pond reconstruction.

[oldmarine]

Spank the kids, and put them on restriction for a year. Put in new liner.

I do know a pond guy here in Tacoma that had a cement pond put in for him, but he hired someone to do it. He did say that it was quite well done. The contractor used bendable 4'x4' sheets of rebar before applying four inches of cement with all of the preplanned plumbing. More than I can afford for a pond right now.

[scottishwildcat]

thanks for all the good advice guys, I made a few mistakes when building this pond as it was my 1st.
it was actually built for goldfish that outgrew their aquarium and rather than buy a bigger aquarium I had space in the garden for a pond.

I was thinking to mabey house the fish in a plastic barrel for the duration of the pond reconstruction ??
I will have to go and think about this one now as i have a few options and its working out the one that will be the quickest for the fish and most cost effective for me.

[kirscp]

Go with a 45mil pond liner, unless your kids are using an ice pick or some other sharp metal object, they won't puncture it.

[scottishwildcat]

kirscp said:

Go with a 45mil pond liner, unless your kids are using an ice pick or some other sharp metal object, they won't puncture it.

I think a new liner is the way to go, have been doing some looking around on the net and if i concrete it then the fish have to be out of the pond for about a month !!! I have to fill and empty it to get rid of the chemicals in the concrete.

Will let you know how i get on and thank you again for your brill advice.

[lynnsisko]

I have two small concrete ponds that my mother built years ago and big one I built with the rubber liner. I will say that the concrete ponds need to be resealed every year because we live in west Michigan and they freeze and crack. Rubber liners do get holes. However I prefer the rubber pond. If you need a shelf for you plants, you can set a plastic milk carton in the pond to hold up your marginal plants. A black one will blend it and you won't see it.

[Airic]

I am looking into building my bio filters with concrete block which you can get in all different sizes. I plan on installing the block and then fiberglass the inside walls to eliminate any leaching and provide a long term seal.

[koiguy1969]

Airic said:

I am looking into building my bio filters with concrete block which you can get in all different sizes. I plan on installing the block and then fiberglass the inside walls to eliminate any leaching and provide a long term seal.

clever!!!

[BBK]

I would think that as long as you keep filling the pond, the dirt will get a seal on it like ponds/lakes do and it would be fine. Might take a few months but it should turn water tight. Maybe you could put a piece of new liner over the puncture and use rubber sealant to keep it tight?