Fill with water first?

[axtracey]

Hi. I wonder if I could ask for some help. I’m a complete pond novice! We’ve just bought a preformed pond that is flexible. When we put it in we back filled the mud around it first and then started to fill with water. The pond started to cave in a little on the sides. Should we fill with water first and then pack the mud around it?

 

[brokensword]

Hi. I wonder if I could ask for some help. I’m a complete pond novice! We’ve just bought a preformed pond that is flexible. When we put it in we back filled the mud around it first and then started to fill with water. The pond started to cave in a little on the sides. Should we fill with water first and then pack the mud around it?

Backfill with sand, instead. Helps with leveling, esp if you put it also under the preform.

 

[axtracey]

Backfill with sand, instead. Helps with leveling, esp if you put it also under the preform.

Thank you for this. I would never have thought of that. So should I fill with water first?

 

[brokensword]

Thank you for this. I would never have thought of that. So should I fill with water first?

Should' be necessary--the preform should be sturdy enough all by itself, with no backfill at all. You may find over time that the back filled area needs fortifying and your preform loses level. That's why many tell you to use a liner instead.

 

[j.w]

and welcome @axtracey

 

[addy1]

I used sand to level the two I had. A few years later yanked them out, dug deeper, put in a liner. Both cracked, became not level. So dumped them. We do freeze here.

 

[Lisak1]

I'm a little confused by "preform pond that's flexible". It should actually be pretty darn INflexible I would think. I've never installed one but we were gifted on years ago my my MIL who thought we should put it in the garden. We let the kids use it for a kiddie pool instead and it was very, very stiff and sturdy. Maybe they've changed them over the years.

Anyway - my thought is always ditch the preform and get a liner. The liner fits the hole YOU did perfectly as opposed to vice versa.

 

[brokensword]

I'm a little confused by "preform pond that's flexible". It should actually be pretty darn INflexible I would think. I've never installed one but we were gifted on years ago my my MIL who thought we should put it in the garden. We let the kids use it for a kiddie pool instead and it was very, very stiff and sturdy. Maybe they've changed them over the years.

Anyway - my thought is always ditch the preform and get a liner. The liner fits the hole YOU did perfectly as opposed to vice versa.

you know Lisa, they invented liners AFTER preforms just because too many peeps can't dig a perfect hole...jus' sayin' !!

 

[Lisak1]

I'll cop to that!

 

[GBBUDD]

preformed aren't my bag they fail all to quickly