"Patching" a concrete pond

[Guyanthalas]

I purchased a new home and with it came a concrete (I think) pond. This year we decided to drain the pond so we could give it some TLC. That's when I started to realize I had no idea what I was doing and that I should ask some people for opinions.

The lining of the pond is cracking and flaking off in places (see pictures) and under the lighter blue coat there is a dark blue coat that feels a bit more rubbery when its been sitting in water (once it dries it feels hard).

First question, what is all this stuff? I've done some google-fu and YouTube and I don't see a lot of people putting things like this on concrete ponds. It looks like it is similar to stuff used in a swimming pool.

Second, how worried should I be about the flaking and cracks?

Third, what is the best way to fix this up? I'd prefer not to have to sand the whole thing down if I can avoid it, but I'd rather know sooner than later if that is the only way to fix it up. What kind of material should I be using to patch the areas if patching is all I need to do?

Sorry for so many questions, but I feel a bit like a fish out of water here... Oh, speaking of I don't intend to put fish / plants in the pond at this point. Right now I'm just using it as a water feature with a pleasant waterfall when guests are over.

Thanks for any pointers!

 

[Angel]

can't help you but welcome we have a wealth of knowledge combined.

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

@Guyanthalas , it's hard to tell but it looks like plaster that is flaking off and cracking. Are the flakes and cracks throughout the pond? If so, you may have to line the whole thing with a pond liner OR clean it off really well and paint it with some "pond paint" but from my limited understanding the pond paint stuff is pretty pricey so a liner might be your best bet in the long run. How large is the pond? If you have some dimensions we should be able to estimate the size of it and if you posted some pictures that showed the whole pond it'll give us an idea of the shape you're dealing with as well.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our group! To me it looks like they did a repair job and some of it is flaking off. and maybe some plaster, concrete.

 

[GBBUDD]

I purchased a new home and with it came a concrete (I think) pond. This year we decided to drain the pond so we could give it some TLC. That's when I started to realize I had no idea what I was doing and that I should ask some people for opinions.

The lining of the pond is cracking and flaking off in places (see pictures) and under the lighter blue coat there is a dark blue coat that feels a bit more rubbery when its been sitting in water (once it dries it feels hard).

First question, what is all this stuff? I've done some google-fu and YouTube and I don't see a lot of people putting things like this on concrete ponds. It looks like it is similar to stuff used in a swimming pool.

Second, how worried should I be about the flaking and cracks?

Third, what is the best way to fix this up? I'd prefer not to have to sand the whole thing down if I can avoid it, but I'd rather know sooner than later if that is the only way to fix it up. What kind of material should I be using to patch the areas if patching is all I need to do?

Sorry for so many questions, but I feel a bit like a fish out of water here... Oh, speaking of I don't intend to put fish / plants in the pond at this point. Right now I'm just using it as a water feature with a pleasant waterfall when guests are over.

Thanks for any pointers!

good news is picture one and two appear to be a paint probably rubberized at one point and has seen it's day. the last pic with the top edge at the coping would need attention as any cracking and or flaking would need to be removed all loose material has to come off before you try to patch. If your at all handy you could give it a try your self to remove all loose material and patch it. You could use the pond paint as shawn mentioned but I believe that's around 12 dollars a sf just for the paint. It does not appear that's what was used on your pond previously. The other option and this is where I would lean is to talk to a pool company and have them install a skim coat of plaster over the concrete. Or again as shawn mentioned would be to apply a epdm liner over your concrete. ask lots of questions as you go. how big is this area. what size pump do you have what do you want with your pond what kind of filter do you have?

You wouldn't sand if you can clearly see two layers if it's loose you could used a scarifier it's a diamond blade for a common grinder and there around 120 bucks if memory serves me. it eats up concrete loose or firm you need to be careful or it will gouge in quickly.
one version of a scarifier

 

[Guyanthalas]

@Guyanthalas , it's hard to tell but it looks like plaster that is flaking off and cracking. Are the flakes and cracks throughout the pond? If so, you may have to line the whole thing with a pond liner OR clean it off really well and paint it with some "pond paint" but from my limited understanding the pond paint stuff is pretty pricey so a liner might be your best bet in the long run. How large is the pond? If you have some dimensions we should be able to estimate the size of it and if you posted some pictures that showed the whole pond it'll give us an idea of the shape you're dealing with as well.

I've attached a picture of the pond so you can see the shape. There are two water features on the pond and one of them is really hard to see due to vegetation. A pond liner will be a real PITA because of the bush closest to the camera. It goes right up to the waters edge (overhangs the water) and I can't figure out how I'd anchor a liner in that area.

good news is picture one and two appear to be a paint probably rubberized at one point and has seen it's day. the last pic with the top edge at the coping would need attention as any cracking and or flaking would need to be removed all loose material has to come off before you try to patch. If your at all handy you could give it a try your self to remove all loose material and patch it. You could use the pond paint as shawn mentioned but I believe that's around 12 dollars a sf just for the paint. It does not appear that's what was used on your pond previously. The other option and this is where I would lean is to talk to a pool company and have them install a skim coat of plaster over the concrete. Or again as shawn mentioned would be to apply a epdm liner over your concrete. ask lots of questions as you go. how big is this area. what size pump do you have what do you want with your pond what kind of filter do you have?

You wouldn't sand if you can clearly see two layers if it's loose you could used a scarifier it's a diamond blade for a common grinder and there around 120 bucks if memory serves me. it eats up concrete loose or firm you need to be careful or it will gouge in quickly.
one version of a scarifier

I'm thinking it might be some sort of rubberized paint on bottom with a different paint on top. There are 2 clear layers of different material here and neither one of them is concrete. I'll probably see if I can find a pool/pond person to come out and take a look in person just to get some idea of recommendations.

I've got a 3600 gph pump, but the pond doesn't have a filter. I'm going to get a pond skimmer before I fill it again (damn you PNW needles!). I've added a UV filter past the pump and prior to the two waterfalls.

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

@Guyanthalas I can see how a liner would definitely be troublesome and not just because of the vegetation, you would have to work around the rocks that are attached to the rim/edges of the pond and the structure that goes between the two as well. If the majority of the pond is holding water fine and it's just a few places that are giving you trouble due to the cracking and peeling then you might want to investigate the coating/paint option but as mentioned before it is pretty pricey for the special pond paint.

Here's a product called Pond Armor/Pond Shield and it appears to be available in a range of colors.
https://www.amazon.com/Pond-Armor-S...pID=51o7FEjTsvL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Another product called Liquid Rubber which seems to be more affordable.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NI150Z...Rb&pd_rd_r=EYY3EW48FDWX8NRHQY6X&pd_rd_w=Pm5BR

The thing about painting or coating the surface with a product like the ones linked is that you would definitely want to check with the manufacturer and verify that the product is fish safe if you were wanting to add fish. Keep us updated with what you find out from the pool or pond company, I'm curious to see what they say and recommend as a solution. Good luck!

 

[j.w]

@Guyanthalas I'm up here in the PNW also.
I'm in Arlington.

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

@Guyanthalas I did some checking on Amazon about the second product I linked, the "Liquid Rubber", and it says that is also non-toxic and water based. The seller stated that it could be used to seal a koi pond as long as the instructions are followed regarding coverage and drying times, etc. It might be worth a try since it's a more affordable option at ~$50 per gallon??

 

[Guyanthalas]

View attachment 110787@Guyanthalas I'm up here in the PNW also.
I'm in Arlington.

Nice! I'm down in Auburn.

@ShawnInfirmity I've seen that pond armor stuff in my searching as well. Looks great! But they certainly think its good at their price level. Quite frankly I'm not even sure that I'm losing water through the areas that are peeling. The pond doesn't drain THAT quickly. Maybe an inch every few days in good weather? That said, I figured that the stuff was on there for a reason and maybe it creates a slow leak having it flake off like that. And since I drained the thing to clean it out its the perfect time to do some work.

I'll certainly keep you all updated after I talk to a pro, just to pass the knowledge around and do a sniff test.

 

[GBBUDD]

which ever route you choise I would remove ALL stones the center waterfall stones to the edging stones ALL and then apply your fix once that's done then replace the stones using mortar or caulking like a polyurethane the pls30 is what the pond guy uses as non toxic for his water tight bonds. the reason for this is trying to seal to a natural rock with cracks and fissures is next to impossible and they expand and contract at different rates and will have hair line cracks to the bond

 

[mgmine]

I would drop a liner into it and call it a day but to patch concrete and stop water you should use hydraulic cement.


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikret...bdc99dabe8dd&dclid=CP-nicvhjNsCFU07Twod6E0HPw

 

[Guyanthalas]

Just letting everyone know where I'm at so far:

Had a local guy come out and take a look at it. His assessment of the pond is that they used a concrete foundation then used a rubberized material to put on top of it (dark blue thing in the OP pictures) then applied a pool paint on top of the rubberized coating (sky blue that is flaking off).

He's going to scrap off all the existing flaking parts, pressure wash the entire pond let it dry then coat it with Pond Armor. Also, apply some pond foam underneath the pre-fab waterfall which might be resulting in a slow leak due to backsplash. P&L will be $950. Not exactly an EASY amount to swallow, but based on the effort (and how freaking expensive pond armor is[!!!]) it has good value to time.

Also, we talked about the possibility of using a pond liner but he thinks it would be difficult to get it around all the rocks without it tearing. There is also concern with how shallow the pond is (about 2ft at its deepest) that raccoons playing in the water will tear through it. Apparently he had to recently replace someone's who had that happen.

Thanks everyone in the forums for your suggestions. I'll post some pictures after its done!

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

Sounds like a plan, do keep us updated and post pictures! I'm sure it's gonna look awesome AND you're gonna get a lot of enjoyment out of it which is what matters most at the end of the day.

 

[Guyanthalas]

Here is what it looks like after doing some resurface and pond armor!