Half poured pond

[Tbirkey]

I do landscaping for a guy and he asked if I can finish his pond that another guy left halfway on. I am not a mason, and am curious about how to finish the rest of this project. Half is poured and now I would have to pour the other half of it. I am worried about leakage through the new and old butted surfaces. I've heard not to do it, to pour new up to and patch and also something about a rubber expansion joint. Please help.

 

[Tbirkey]

 

[combatwombat]

Welcome! I’m not sure what’s going on there, but I wouldn’t get involved.

I agree with the cold joint issue and would want to repour or switch to liner. Might be some reasonable solutions, but wouldn’t want to test them on a customer without a mentor who’s done it before. You could go from being the beloved landscaper to the hated pond builder.

 

[j.w]

@Tbirkey

 

[GBBUDD]

I have to agree on the cold joints. To me as a builder for 45 years having surfaces at 90 degree angles of each other will expand and contract even if poured at the same time and in usually the first to fail. Add poured at different times and I'm looking at a liner or if your sure you have a stable floor and wall then you could do fiberglass.

 

[Lisak1]

Yup. I'd walk away. Without knowing exactly what's going on there, you're opening yourself up to a world of issues down the road. Any contractor worth their salt knows you want to be on the job from the first moment to the last, to guarantee that each step is done correctly.

And honestly I can see why the first guy walked away - what even is going on there??

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!

Other option, break up pull all concrete out, get a good liner and ask us for help.

Have him sign a disclaimer that you are not a pond professional, but will do your best!

 

[Jhn]

Looks like, whether it was right or wrong the previous builder was trying to form up the narrow ridge and the small edge by the wall so it wouldn’t collapse Or crumble over time. I Iwould do like @addy1 said and break up and remove the concrete and get a good liner.

 

[Tbirkey]

The guys on the contractor for him told me just to walk away as well. And I have taken their advice on two other projects that I walk away from, but this one after doing some research and talking to the homeowner I think we're just going to bust it out and redo it. I told him I'm out of Mason and I have done basically no concrete work before and he really doesn't even give a s***. I contacted an old-timer from the koi pond forum cuz he put his phone number out so I called him earlier today and he says man just bust that thing up put some rebar and do the concrete all in one for and you'll be all right.

So the plan is to bust that stuff out skip the wire mesh, if anybody has anything to say pro wire mesh please let me know. Then put some rebar I'm not sure what size yet or what the spacing will be, and to try to pour concrete all in one pour with a helper that I'm probably going to have to bring, and do the concrete at 4 in thick. Then after it's cured I'll come back and do a rollable water non-permeation paint type thing and then paint it black.

I would appreciate any comments related to this cuz this one I'm kind of taking a little bit of a risk to learn how to do it so please please please any words of advice help me out if anything needs to change like thickness or rebar size or spacing or something else I should consider please let me know

 

[addy1]

@GBBUDD @combatwombat

Chime in you big pond builders. I have no clue re: concrete regarding etc

 

[j.w]

@GBBUDD @combatwombat

Chime in you big pond builders. I have no clue re: concrete regarding etc

I second that!

 

[GBBUDD]

Concrete pools were the ONLY option for decades, Now they are outdated Gunnite has taken the title. Yes rebar is installed , size and spacing all depends on the climate in which your building. i'm on the east coast USA . and clearly different from where ever you are. The reason gunnite is king is because the walls and floor can be done at the same time . something that is very tricky with standard concrete. Concrete side walks or a simple wall anyone can do . but tie them in together and expect them not to crack and hold water is very demanding in the steps needed and skills. not recommended for someone who is not familiar with concrete.

Like i said before you can pour your floors and walls separately and then apply fiberglass . OR THERE ARE PAINT COATING BUT KNOWING CONCRETE expansion and contraction i'd want more than just a paint. If you were building a rectangle then i'd entertain the paints . but with multiple angles and heights to much is going on for a paint

 

[Tbirkey]

What should I consider in a desert climate like Tucson Arizona? Can't do gunnite, we were going to go with concrete from a big box store, but I have heard that I might have trouble on the spreading of it up the walls. Am I really going to have any problems if I have the expanded metal in there to help hold it up?

 

[Tbirkey]

And when you say "yes, rebar installed" does that cover a thicker expanded metal...say 1/8" at 4x spacing or something like that?

 

[GBBUDD]

You want to do this by the bag ?

Make it easy on your self and have a chance of it lasting . go with cinderblocks.

1/8" ?
if i were you i'd surf you tube youll find more info there starting with the basics to advanced