Can one sprinkle concrete over liner to create a concrete pond?

[Hop-frog]

I have heard in this video that a concrete pond can raise a house's value considerably, while a liner pond has no affect. The video shows that concrete ponds are made with rebar, then an expensive concrete blasting process is used to spray in the concrete among the rebar. It can be very costly. I wonder if a cheap approach is, after putting a plaster liner down, I could pour 1/2" of Quikrete over it, forming a thin layer of concrete. Would that have the same affect?

 

[brokensword]

short answer; nope. You have to take into consideration the pressure of the water pushing on one side, and the earth against the other. There's a reason concrete structures are reinforced and a lot thicker than 1/2" Even then, you get cracking and such. The concrete ponds I've seen usually use at least 6" hollow core walls with rebar every other opening, then filled with concrete. Compare this to your 1/2" and rebar; a lot different.

Around here (MI), having any kind of pond isn't considered a blessing re house sale. I wouldn't expect it much different in other parts of the country. Most people look at it as a nuisance they have to fill in if they buy the house so most realtors advise the seller to do so prior to sale. I'd take the advise you heard and research your area again--I bet it will prove false (raising your prop value considerably).

 

[Mmathis]

Hmmm, not sure that 1/2” of concrete over a rubber liner would do much good. Not that it can’t be done, but the purpose of the rebar is to, well, give support and stability to the concrete. I could be totally wrong, but it would seem that 1/2” of concrete is only going to crack up and dislodge. The liner and the ground underneath are meant to “give,” so if there is no support for the concrete, it’s not going to be able to give and take. First time there is any water under the liner, you’ll get water-hippos. And water-hippos will push up on the concrete — crack!

Again, I don’t know anything about fluid dynamics or the physics of concrete, sooo.... Maybe someone else more knowledgeable will chime in.

 

[sissy]

Nt sure where the idea a concrete pond increases house value as most areas a pond brings down the homes value .A pondless may add to house value but the right buyer would have to come along .Most people these days do not even want yards to mow .I have 2 houses in my neighborhood that won't sell because of 10 acres to maintain.They won't even look at my neighbors house because of land .I talked to them yesterday and they have had the house on the market for over 2 years .They thought i subdivided my property after I bought it and wanted to know how much it costs to do that .But I bought 3 lots 1 acre each and left them as 1 acre each .Of course i get 3 tax bills 38 dollars a year for each of the unused lots and a thousand for the lot the house is on .You should really check out your area or a local realtor about ponds and also see if there are permits you may need .I know here over 10 thousand gallons you need a permit now .

 

[GBBUDD]

Clear answer is no concrete is not a product to be used in a 1/2" or even 2" layer. how ever this can be done . gunite pools get coated with plaster to make them water proof . i believe the idea here is the gunite protects the liner which makes it water proof.

You are half correct on the concrete vs liner. As most liners are built by the land owner and they usually look it as well. And a concrete pond usually requires more skill and work then most are willing to tackle thus they are made professionally . A well done liner pond can most certainly increase the value of a home. After all it's like the used car sales men always say there's a Butt for every seat. " {being politically correct here just doesn't do it but you get the gist}"

 

[Lisak1]

I agree with @GBBUDD - like anything else, how it's done makes a world of difference. A newly remodeled kitchen can be a huge benefit when selling a home - unless it's a shoddy DIY. You may love the new hardwood floors you installed, but a buyer may think "I'll have to pay to carpet all of that". You think your new paint job looks great on the house - the buyer thinks "who would paint a house THAT color - how much will that cost to re-do?" Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And like Sissy said, not every buyer will want acres of property to maintain - but others will be looking for exactly that. A beautifully done pond that enhances a landscape will be a big draw for one buyer, where another buyer will see too much work, hassle or a potential drowning hazard for small kids. If I saw a concrete pond - living here in the midwest - I'd walk away, because we know it's not a matter of "if the concrete cracks" it's "when the concrete cracks" because here - it ALL cracks.

So anyone who tells you "XYZ will absolutely add or detract from the value of your house" isn't taking into consideration the many possible variables involved. Anytime you're selling a home, you're looking for the right buyer - and you only need one!

 

[Jhn]

Agree, with everyone if done correctly and with attention to detail any build can add value. The issue is most DIY projects look like it, in which case it doesn’t add any value or even detracts from it, be it ponds, decks, additions, etc,

I sold my first home 11 years ago, it had a garden pond in it that I built myself, with attention to detail and built out of liner and rock. (Granted I am a contractor that works with rock all the time, but not in this capacity)House sold in under a week, The buyer wanted to keep the pond and fish/turtles...don’t know if it added value to the property, but it was a selling point for this buyer.

 

[Lisak1]

I would also point out the number of times first time posters on this site will say "so... I bought a house with a pond...". Happens frequently. It could be a selling point or it could be something the buyer has to get over, but either way I wouldn't put a pond in a separate category and say it's absolutely a pro or con for selling a house.

 

[GBBUDD]

I have not sold a house with a pond and it's going to be very interesting to see what happens when I go to sell this house which maybe sooner then latter. The last sale was a condo and when the real estate agent came I asked how she would list the property. She pulled out the cookie cutter list, 2 bed room two bath town house great neighborhood desirable area. I told her no way and the deal i gave her was 3 % if the condo sold in a month but she had to have two open houses. and the listing was to be townhouse condo, Spanish cedar with stain glass kitchen , sunken living room, hickory hardwood floors, and mahogany and green marble fireplace. Word for word she refused at first then i told her i would sign at 6 percent after 30 days . she jumped at it . the first week with the open house we had a bidding war and sold the unit for 35 k over the going rate in the complex. the open house was so busy she had to call in help . So it's all about the sale the presentation and taste . yes everyone has there own but if done well you'll find the sale. if you look like every other kitchen you need to play it up throw an apple pie in the oven before they come to see the home it's all in the presentation.

 

[sissy]

I have taken out several ponds for realtors ,people here do not want them and with all the foreclosures here it is a hard sell as it is .The houses I took the ponds out have sol but before that the banks got no interest in them ,even at a cheap price .They sold after the ponds were gone ,most people with children or pets do not want ponds .I would always check with realtors and get their opinion first .I know if i go to sell my house the pond will need to go .My neighbor down the road put in a pond and a water feature and has removed them because the house will not sell .He just got the rest out this week a bought backfill .Maybe it will sell before the bank forecloses on him .over 300 foreclosures here and more will come after tax time .Sad to say but it is going on everywhere

 

[Lisak1]

@sissy - I don't agree about people with pets and kids not wanting ponds. We've toured lots and lots of homes with ponds that had both kids and dogs and never had one person say they keep their kids or pets away. Can a pond be a hazard? Sure. But so can a pool, and no one would ever say "a house with a beautiful in-ground pool will never sell". We raised our kids in this neighborhood with a half dozen natural ponds within walking distance. They spent countless hours fishing, catching frogs, turtles, tadpoles and even the occasional leech. We taught them to use the ponds safely and watch out for each other and never had a problem - and not just my kids. We've had hundreds of kids grow up in this neighborhood who all did the same things my kids did and had a blast. They even skated on the ponds in the winter time. Ponds and kids go great together. My grandkids love our pond.

Now in an area where people are already struggling to pay their bills, I could see that they would say no thanks to a pool or even a pond, as it represents a cost to them to maintain. Your suggestion to check with your realtor before you make s decision about whether a pond can stay or go is a good one.

 

[GBBUDD]

I know one thing for sure money will go in escrow until the house is sold if they want the pond filled in . i just watched a guy make an offer on a house it got excepted inspector said x y z needed to be done for the sale home owner did zx y z and then the banks said nope no loan price was a percent to high. and the home owner did the work and had no sale . so id not fill in the pond until my grubby paws saw the cash in my hands.

 

[Lisak1]

Good point @GBBUDD . I'm shocked at what realtors expect people to do today to get a home "ready" for sale. When we were buying a house some 30 years ago, we walked through houses while families were eating dinner, one guy sitting in his boxer shorts watching TV who waved "hi" as we passed by, an owner mowing the lawn, etc. One guy had a dozen big parrots in cages in the dining room - newspaper catching bird poop all over the floor. The realtor just looked at us and said "the birds of course will be gone when you move in". We were just expected to use our imagination and see the potential.

Several of my kids have sold homes recently and what they had to go through to get the house "ready" to show - repaint the whole interior, clean or replace carpet, pack up basically everything you own that's not essential and get it out of the house, be ready to vacate the house any time someone wants to come see it on a moment's notice... My son drew the line when the realtor told them they needed to buy a different headboard for their bed so potential buyers could imagine "maximizing the space". They want to be selling houses that look like model homes that have never had anyone living in them. In fact, they would love it if you actually did just move out. It's crazy.

 

[Doctor mcboy]

if you have a small yard the pond will kill your house value. if you have a large lot 10 acres or so the pond will increase the value, as long as the pond is not close to your house.

 

[Lisak1]

if you have a small yard the pond will kill your house value. if you have a large lot 10 acres or so the pond will increase the value, as long as the pond is not close to your house.

Again - a broad overstatement. Way too many other factors come into play which have already been discussed in this thread. But maybe you're a realtor and speak from years of experience.