A new idea for an outdoor Livingroom

[Credes]

With the current down trend on home prices I decided to spend more time adding outdoor living spaces to my home for the day the market picks up again. As many know outdoor living spaces are considered number 3 after kitchen and bathrooms as the most return for the buck. So I decided after building an outdoor kitchen and dining room last year in my backyard I started thinking about doing something in my front yard. So the concept of an outdoor living room came together but I wanted to be different with something I have never heard of being done before something to make it truly special. As I have had ponds in my previous homes and not this one I decided a pond must be part of the living space. So after spending alot of time in my head the idea for a pond/coffee table came about. The best of all worlds a coffee table for the outdoor living room is a must have so you could set your drinks down or kick your feet up. And the enjoyment of having a pond to relax to. It was almost like the old commericals for reeces pieces "You dropped your chocolate into my peanut butter, etc). The deck is roughly 16x15 with the pond being around 475 gallons. The pond dimensions are 3.5x6x3 feet and to help for our winters since this is above ground I used foam sheets that also soften the contact of liner to wood. The pond goes below the deck by about a foot so only 2 feet show on the deck being at an enjoyable height to kick the feet up on. I only finished the main part of the deck and filling up of the pond last week but in the next few weeks I will add a sofa that will surround the deck on 2 sides. The water feature is not finished yet but it will rise from the center with water overflowing into the pond. Luckily we have our friends Sutter and Sam at Sierra Water Gardens to help us with an awesome selection of koi once the pond (technically you could say its a fish tank) is cycled.

 

[sissy]

nice looking and I love the way you built it out front so you can enjoy your neighbors and socialize while your relaxing by the pond.

 

[Credes]

Thats one of the perks since the neighbors consider us the hermits on the block. When I considered doing this I wanted something in our yard that tells the neighbors they are always welcome to drop by.

If anyone has any ideas to suggest for either landscaping or to the deck feel free to chime in. And I forgot to mention the birch tree to the right will be coming out, the last owners for some bizarre reason thought it was a good idea to plant a baby birch tree underneath the canopy of a 50 year old birch tree. Now its 20 feet high and leaning over the neighbors house to get away from the mature tree.

 

[koiguy1969]

what are you doing to filter the pond?...i would stick with sarassa goldfish and/or shubunki goldfisn in a pond that size.. those are the 2 types of goldfish that most resemble koi...but they make less mess and top out at 12"-15" not 30"+ like koi.

 

[DrDave]

Welcome to the Forum!
Please post an intro on the appropriate thread.

 

[Credes]

what are you doing to filter the pond?...i would stick with sarassa goldfish and/or shubunki goldfisn in a pond that size.. those are the 2 types of goldfish that most resemble koi...but they make less mess and top out at 12"-15" not 30"+ like koi.

There is a sand filter, rock biological filter with the pump and old school bio balls. Sorry no goldfish. But its more of a growth tank for a larger pond at my parents house for when they are ready in size to move on. But even then it will never have more then 5 koi at one time all under 10 inchs.

 

[Credes]

Welcome to the Forum!
Please post an intro on the appropriate thread.

I have no clue what your talking about there is a stated introduction in the title I assume you mean? Also no idea why you say this is not the appropriate thread its a garden pond photography category and my subject is no different then any other in this category? Please be clear to those who do not visit forums more then once or twice over a year? Thanks

 

[sissy]

I means that you should have gone new introduction sight and told us about your pond a little about yourself and what size pond .Thats all .just to introduce yourself to the sight

 

[Credes]

I means that you should have gone new introduction sight and told us about your pond a little about yourself and what size pond .Thats all .just to introduce yourself to the sight

I see thank you for the explanation perhaps something was said about this on the forum registration but I glanced over it.

 

[sissy]

sometimes we just get excited about getting info and showing what we are doing and forget things .Not sure how old you are but I like to use senior moment lol it works every time problem is still not that much a senior yet .have fun learning and good luck with that hermit thing

 

[koiguy1969]

at the top of the home page theres an intrduction forum...thats where you introduce yourself and let everyone know about you

 

[Credes]

sometimes we just get excited about getting info and showing what we are doing and forget things .Not sure how old you are but I like to use senior moment lol it works every time problem is still not that much a senior yet .have fun learning and good luck with that hermit thing

I'd say 15 years from getting my senior discounts so I will count that for official senior moments. But from the days of the v.21 modem to now forums are not where I hang enough to learn the vernacular. Well going truly hermit is still a little further away as we have plans on retiring to the midwest when the market improves. But we hope this pond and deck will bring the future owners together with the neighbors.

I am also hoping to introduce other methods for ponds then just the traditional style of mimicking natural terrain. There is ways for everyone to enjoy one no matter what type of taste they have. And there is always a way to make something functional and beautiful.

 

[Credes]

at the top of the home page theres an intrduction forum...thats where you introduce yourself and let everyone know about you

Thanks for the heads up I never went to the home page as I followed a direct link to this forum category from google. And I only just found that this system has its own private email and that info was shown. I think I will remain happy to not be on forums enough to notice that stuff quickly perhaps if I do then I am one step closer to being a facebook user.

 

[sissy]

ok that means internet dummy lol and you never admit it .Computers are the future no doubt about it .This is my 3rd puter and been 1995 so I am still an internet dummy myself as internet explorer 9 still confusing

 

[addy1]

welcome Credes, great job you are doing there.