New Member, but OLD.

[rlg54]

Hello I am In the planning stage just now. Thinking about 1000 gallon or so.
Looking for a good recipe for cement that will work in North West Arkansas, where we have freeze thaw cycles.
As well as making light weight rocks to go around the pond, just in case I need to move them around. Then the big thing I need help with is how to get the wife to help and give her blessing to give me the go ahead. OK, we have been married for 42 years now, and she has trained me well. So yes I need her to go along with it. LOL.
Been looking on the internet, you tube, and want to make sure it is right the first time. Any help suggestions would be a big help.
Thanks to all. Ron

 

[sissy]

Welcome and waterbug is the guy to ask on here about cement and as for your wife not sure .I have been married 40 years and all hubby says is whatever as long as I don't have to help :cheerful:

 

[rlg54]

Thanks for your welcome reply. I will try to find waterbug.

 

[sissy]

just got to members and IM him and he will help I am sure he has posted lots of video's on cement .You can find him under members

 

[CometKeith]

Welcome rig54 and good luck with your pond! Any portland cement product is good. This is an inert material that is very stable. The problem with some cement products is they can decompose and leach lime and raise your ph. I have had this problem personally with pavers and flagstone. With portland cement products the whole pond can be cement without any problems. There are plenty of old threads on gpf where you can find discussions on this and yes wb was in the middle of most of them!

 

[rlg54]

Thank you CometKeith,
Could you tell me what book, youtube, or where I might get the basic's, The lay out I think the wife and I have come up with. Now the details, where might I get the fine details to get started, the freeze thaw is really a big concern, but maby I am just over thinking things.
Again thanks,

 

[sissy]

just google it on you tube how to make fake rocks there are 50 +video's

 

[BlueOrca]

DIY concrete that is resistant to freeze thaw cycles........

A lot of video's by dperry....

 

[sissy]

why not go with a liner pond as it would be much cheaper and will not crack or shift .You can buy 45 mil thick roofing rubber same thing and you can even buy 60 mil but that stuff is really heavy and hard to make folds on the corners .

 

[CometKeith]

Hi rlg54, I think some of the advice you will find here at gpf will be some of the best you can find on the web. There are people here who have had ponds 10, 20, or even 30 years or more and are more than willing to help. The biggest difference in opinion about pond building you will see here is really only because people here have different types of ponds in different climates and geographical locations and there is not one type of pond that works for all. If you are planning; more of a water garden with 1000 or less gallons with lots of plants and other small creatures, or something larger with steeper sides that will hold koi, or something in between, your approach should be different for each of them. I suggest you start out by finding threads with a similar type of pond that you are planning on building and then read as much as you can about them. This way you will avoid a lot of beginner mistakes. When you are ready to start your construction I suggest you start a new thread under pond construction and people will help you as you plan and implement your project. I put a link to my pond thread below. Mine is only for goldfish because of it's size, but I get a lot of enjoyment from it! Good Luck!

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/topic/6742-my-goldfish-pond/page-98

 

[sissy]

true climates similar to yours would be better at understanding your needs and wants .Here our average temp is 55 degrees and I built my pond for the summer heat .Deeper is better here and had to make mine deeper after a neighbors dog destroyed my liner .Did it then and wish I had done it that way at first .Thing is with a liner it is easier to go bigger and with cement not so easy .But I also understand that some ponders only use cement .Here it would be to expensive for me to even try cement and not a do it yourself for me .I wouldn't know where to start with a cement pond .Koi get large and are fussy about water quality and wish I had known this back then .I was not new to ponds but only had goldfish and just figured that a fish was a fish .9 years later and koi are over 2 feet long .I was a dummy but live and learn .I just learned to late .