Pool to Pond 2013

[joesandy1822]

We've had our pond in since late May, but I never thought to post any photos while in progress. In all honesty, I didn't even take that many because I was too busy digging this thing! Anyhow, I'm gonna try to find a few and put here. I initially thought I'd stick them in the Pond Showcase thread, but I wanted people to be able to comment, so I'll do it here instead.

The space had currently been occupied by a 13,000 gallon, above-ground swimming pool for the past 13 years. The kids are mostly grown, and the pool was not getting used much anymore. I had always wanted a proper pond, as my previous one was just a little 30-gallon tub.

 

[joesandy1822]

Here is a photo of what the area looked like with the pool.

 

[sissy]

forgot some thing .I think digging has gotten to you :cheerful:

 

[joesandy1822]

forgot some thing .I think digging has gotten to you :cheerful:

Nope, I can't figure out how to use THUMBNAILS to access my photos. They keep coming in as a huge photo and not a thumbnail. Help!

 

[sissy]

I just click more reply options and post from my puter album .I used to use photobucket and then found I could do pics on my puter as i did not know I had free photo shop on it

 

[joesandy1822]

Still can't figure out how to do thumbnails, so until I can, will continue posting as I know how.

Here is what the area looked like once the pool had been taken down. Notice the deck is still there. Hmmmm, what to do with that?

 

[joesandy1822]

Look who was hiding under the pool liner!

 

[joesandy1822]

Myself and our oldest son starting to dig. The song from the movie "Holes" kept going through my head for days and days......and days, and days, and days....

 

[joesandy1822]

Here is what the hole looked like when we FINALLY got it done. Husband helped some too, but I don't have any pictures of him.

 

[joesandy1822]

Underlayment is put in.

 

[joesandy1822]

Here we have the liner in place, and I'm attaching the liner to the skimmer. I remember digging the hole for the skimmer to be a real pain. Trying to get it perfectly level in our soil was a challenge. Sandy soil likes to cave in at every opportunity.

 

[joesandy1822]

Here I have leveled the filter falls and attached the liner.

 

[joesandy1822]

Adding water. And before anybody tells me I did this in the wrong order, guess what? I figured that out. We live and we learn...hopefully. And hey, I think it's a good day when we come away having learned something.

 

[joesandy1822]

Here the pond is filled. You can see my REALLY COMPLEX plumbing job. One pipe running from the skimmer to the back of the falls. That's it. I ended up burying the pipe about 8" down. It's supposed to be freeze proof. We'll see about that. All I know is that if the weather is not HOT, that pipe is like wrestling with a live, HUGE snake! I tried a heat gun, blowdryer, crying.....It does not soften up unless it sits in the hot sun for hours and hours, and, well, it was NOT hot at the end of May where I live. Even the weight of 40' of it was unbelievable. Keep in mind, I'm only 5'3" and I was doing this pretty much alone at this point, although I did employ my husband one night when I was about to give up.

 

[joesandy1822]

Filter falls are turned on for the first time, and I'm starting to add rocks. Yes, I know. The whole idea of the dreaded "necklace" or "ring of rocks". Well, I fretted about it for awhile. That and how to get the falls to look halfway natural and not like a "volcano". But then I just decided life is to short to worry about silly things like that, and I just took the next step as we all do. And in the end.....I love how it looks.