My mini-pond pics and stories

[WolfStock]

Starting to get back into it a bit after winter. It'll be slow for a while though as I take care of other things (wood on the deck and playset and other areas is in need of sealing).

After being out off for the winter, I've turned it back on - unfortunately though it's apparently leaking like a sieve. I'm losing about 30 gallons of water a day; pretty certain it's due to a couple of thin cracks in the run from the lowest small pool down over the rock. I went ahead and ordered some of the Pond Shield epoxy stuff - hopefully that'll do the trick. I figured I'd get cracks and they'd need some maintenance. Unfortunately I need to remove the previous sealers - some Sika and some silicone caulk; it'll be a pain but worth it I think.

The folks and Pondarmor (makers of Pond Shield) recommended coating the Pond Shield with polyurethane to protect it; which was kind of surprising but seemed OK - except however in looking at "urethane" vs. "polyurethane" (they are not the same) it seems like urethane actually is what's used outdoors (e.g. Helmsman spar urethane) - polyurethane is more used indoors for wood, and isn't recommended for outdoors. I used the spar urethane on the water wheel and it seems to be holding up well.

Thanks for the comments sissy - yeah it is nice to have the waterfall noise there in the back. It's near our hot tub actually - it's nice to sit out there and turn off the jets actually and listen to the waterfall.

I'll post some updated pics (including nighttime) before long.

 

[addy1]

Never stops does it, but it keep us out of trouble............sort of.

glad to see you back wolfstock. So far i have no real major issues, all is working well.

 

[sissy]

thats what owing a home is

 

[ProfEd]

Really cool project. I love the waterwheel; great job on that!

 

[WolfStock]

Thanks.

Here are a couple of pictures from a few months ago, when it started to get cold. I was hoping I could keep the water wheel going through the winter, but it was not to be - it just froze up too much, though these pics are from while it was still running.

I'm actually not running it yet, due to the leak. For some reason the Pond Shield stuff I ordered almost 3 weeks ago still hasn't arrived yet.

 

[sissy]

your waterwheel turned out fantastic and looks even good with the ice on it .Don't worry about it freezing up as most turn off there water features in the winter anyway .I live only 15 minutes from the NC border and this winter was wicked for a lot of states .I does look good anyway and I love the design and the fact it adds oxygen to your pond is a real plus

 

[j.w]

It looks so nice (amazingly good work you do) and I do see the ice covering the outer rims. Oh well if you can't use it in winter...........it still looks nice even when not in motion and Spring is here so on it goes :regular_waving_emot

 

[WolfStock]

Here are pictures of the cracks that I'm pretty sure are causing the water loss. There's no liner under the rocks/mortar; it wasn't really feasible the way I did it. I was hoping the sections of PVC would suffice, but no such luck. Hopefully the epoxy stuff will work, else I'll have to completely redo this part.

 

[DrDave]

I used a cement product called "Thoroseal" to seal cracks like these and much bigger in my large waterfall.

 

[fishin4cars]

I've used that on my swimming pool for a crack near the edge, worked well and has held for over two years now, It doesn't blend real well with my applications but once some algae groth grows on it I would think you probably wouldn;t even notice it.

 

[WolfStock]

Yeah I remember DrDave you were telling me about that, since I was looking for some sealant. Problem was it was gray, and I wanted something clear for general coverage around the whole flow area, where I'm wanting the natural rock look. I'm going to try some of the clear Pond Shield epoxy, to see how it does; if it doesn't handle these cracks I'll probably then try the Thoroseal for spot coverage.

 

[addy1]

There is a clear flashing sealant that I have used for various things, i don't think it turns cloudy, and also not aware if it is fish safe. But it does seal well. Made by pl and it is in the gutter section of home depot.

 

[WolfStock]

So I did the Pond Shield/Armor thing - turned out pretty good actually. It's very hard and tough, and apparently did a great job at sealing the leak (I lost about an inch in the past day - probably through evaporation; previously I was losing 12 inches a day, in cooler and less sunny weather even).

I used it on the lower run, that had the cracks. Haven't done the upper run yet - that'll be more work, and I'll do it over time. Unfortunately this is a very busy spring, and I haven't been able to work much at all on the pond. Wanted to at least get it running.

The perennial ferns are looking great, also got a good shot of the Chinese dogwood.

One difficult ting with the Pond Shield is that it's hard to mix up without getting some small air bubbles in it. Also I applied it thickly, so it ran down some into the lower part of the runway, and so looks a little milky in the bottom - not too bad though. Definitely a lot better than other sealers that didn't seal as well and where white wherever touched by water.

 

[addy1]

That is looking so nice, you have worked hard on it!

 

[Nova]

That looks really cool. I see you have ferns, can they grow in the water or do they need soil? I have a small fern that has been growing in my front garden since we lived here and I would like to have it under my waterfall, it could stay mostly shaded there.