Hi Newbie Here

[addy1]

Got it now! lol.

Well if your weir is 22 inches, what I would do is have the water fall be at least that wide............lol

But in saying that it is all in how you do your liner and rocks. My falls are not deep, the stream falls, but the pond falls are deeper, but also taller.

Think of how you will be stacking rocks, you want to dig in steps to lay the rocks on as you work up to the weir. You want the rocks to tip down towards the pond, but not so tipped they will fall. This way the water will spill down the rocks, a few of mine the water flows back so doing some adjustment. This will suck up some liner, so make sure you have a long enough piece for all the steps.

A torpedo level (those little levels around 8 inches long >>>> http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hard...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053) is you friend at this point, check level on each stone, it does not take much tip to get the water to flow correctly. After you are done use the expanding foam to fill in any gaps, misdirected flow etc.

You should have you liner laid out so it is like a shallow long bowl. The edges curved up to direct splash etc to head to the pond not out. I would have the liner at least 6 inches out from the weir on each side, if not more.

My liner goes out about a foot wider than the width of my waterfall, on both sides. The pond waterfall is around 4 feet tall, due to our bank.

Pile your dirt and make sure you stomp it to keep it from settling. I made a water fall in the past, with concrete blocks than dirt around them to make it more stable.

 

[addy1]

Well couldn't edit anymore................stupid 10 minute time out........... so one more comment on deepness of your falls lol

The deepness almost depends more on the rocks you are using then deepness to retain the water. It will take the easiest path i.e. down, it is your job to direct it down. some water will always try to escape to the sides, foam, sealant to redirect it.

 

[taherrmann4]

On my falls with the exception of the one going into the pond they fall in an inch or less of water or on a rock, you will get more splash this way but the way mine is built like a small gorge it falls back into the falls. If you build them too wide you can always add more rock and narrow it down to your liking. I often tweak it with added small rocks the size of your hand to divert the water over the rocks the way you want it. I am constantly tweaking mine.

 

[addy1]

I had to take a few rocks stick pl roofing stuff on the bottom of them to make a dam to tell the water do not go that way!

 

[Davidless]

So sorry for not posting my pictures as I said I would, I was digging like a mad man today and just couldnt find the time. Got the hole dug, wuppie

Got a few more questions,

I've got a little bit of ground water sepage on my shallow end, will this creatate a problem once I get the water in? I figure the weight of the pond water will keep any sepage at bay but need some reassurance.

When I stack my rock for my cove edge, is it common to use a little poly roofers glue (the stuff everyone use here) to help hold them in place?

Any particular pvc pipe cemment and cleaner I should use on the blk flex PVS pipe? Is the purple stuff ok? I read somewhere that the flex pvc can be difficult to get a good bond.

Is construction grade sand ok for the bottom layer before the liner felt? It seams a little more course than the play sand.

Thanks again

More questions will be coming

David

 

[taherrmann4]

When you say water sepage is becuase your ground holds a lot of water (does not drain very quickly)? I don't have water sepage but i have clay that does not drain at all, I could have a natural pond if I wanted without the liner. You may need to put in a french drain to direct the water away from your pond.

I don't see why construction grade sand would be a problem, I put my felt over the clay then the liner, no sand at all.

I did not use any type of adhesive to hold the coping rocks up, they are dry stacked. I did not want anything permanently attached to the liner or other rocks so when I decided to redo the pond it would be easier.

 

[Davidless]

When you say water sepage is becuase your ground holds a lot of water (does not drain very quickly)? I don't have water sepage but i have clay that does not drain at all, I could have a natural pond if I wanted without the liner. You may need to put in a french drain to direct the water away from your pond.

I don't see why construction grade sand would be a problem, I put my felt over the clay then the liner, no sand at all.

I did not use any type of adhesive to hold the coping rocks up, they are dry stacked. I did not want anything permanently attached to the liner or other rocks so when I decided to redo the pond it would be easier.

I have clay and a french drain in my back yard. For some reason that spot has some water down that deep. I checked it this morning and I had about an inch of water. It's been a very wet spring and summer, maybe that explains it. Just don't want my liner lifting up or water rising above my edges.
Maybe no glue is a better idea if I can get the rocks to stay put. Boy, cant waite to get to that point in the project.

David

 

[addy1]

Build your rock shelves with a slight backwards tip, i.e. away from the pond, that makes them nice and stable. None of my rocks are glued, but they all get the stomp test, can I stomp on them and they stay put.

I have never put sand below the under layment, not sure you really need to do that.

The seepage, not sure, does it soak into the rest of the dirt after a while or continue to build up? You may want to do a under the pond french drain, like a mini gravel pit for the water to go to while it soaks back into the soil. Some course gravel with landscape fabric over it. then your under layment, then your liner.

 

[taherrmann4]

I have clay and a french drain in my back yard. For some reason that spot has some water down that deep. I checked it this morning and I had about an inch of water. It's been a very wet spring and summer, maybe that explains it. Just don't want my liner lifting up or water rising above my edges.
Maybe no glue is a better idea if I can get the rocks to stay put. Boy, cant waite to get to that point in the project.

David

You are going to want to deal with the water sepage now rather than later, I know this from experience. I like the idea that Addy suggests. If you don't do anything with it I fear you will have the same problem I have had in the past when it rains a lot and the ground is already soaked that water will collect under your liner thereby lifting it up or it rises like a balloon. The only way to get it back down is to suck it out from under the liner or let it do it on it's own, for me that would take weeks. It was so bad one year that I estimate I lost 1/3 to 1/2 of my water becuase as more water collected under the liner it pushed the pond water over the spillway thereby emptying the pond of water. UGH!

Just my opinin but try to do something now rather than dealing with it later.....:regular_waving_emot

 

[sissy]

Well at least you will be able to enjoy it from your patio and like the 8 design .The one I tore apart was that shape and I'm really glad it was not to deep .