Raised Pond

[evesta]

I was thinking about having a semi raised pond to add a foot to my pond depth and so my pump will be below pond level instead of digging a pit.. Has anyone dry stacked a pond like this? What type of material did you use? Any suggestions?

If I do use mortar do I have to make a concrete collar or can I just level the first row and then use mortar on the other blocks?

Thanks!

 

[koiguy1969]

i would consider laying a slag footing and use block adhesive instead of mortar..if your in a freeze/thaw area. adhesive remains plyable, it wont crack. and if theyre made for it, pound some rebar or metal conduit thru the bottom row.

 

[evesta]

Slag footing? Is that like a collar?

 

[koiguy1969]

slag is crushed stone or concrete ...you dig a shallow footing fill and compact the slag stack your block on top and glue the 2nd and up courses. with the block adhesive...a landscape / stone supply will have the crushed stone and/or concrete. i imagine lowes and home depot might carry it too.... you'll want a tamper to pack the slag.you can rent a power tamper if theres alot to pack.
the slag will pack hard "like concrete", but allow water to drain rather than hold it.
after thought....place(dry set) your first row and pound in the rebar if you decide to use it. remove the block and lay your slag. when its packed replace your block

 

[evesta]

Ok thanks. That sounds more my speed

 

[scooter7728]

i actually just built a half in the ground half out of the ground with weather treated 4x4 posts lined the inside with siding insulation and doing ledge stone veneer for the outside layer and trex decking as a cap/ledge. you could do the same to raise the height i would just drive rebar thru it to stake it in the ground

 

[koiguy1969]

thats fine too. if you want a square or rectangular pond. but lumber isnt the ticket if you want some curves in your design.

 

[scooter7728]

no this is true, but safety (new toddler walking) and easier maintenance were my main concerns

 

[evesta]

Do you have pics? That sounds complicated and I don't have handy men in my life

 

[Johnnie]

I was thinking about having a semi raised pond to add a foot to my pond depth and so my pump will be below pond level instead of digging a pit.. Has anyone dry stacked a pond like this? What type of material did you use? Any suggestions?

If I do use mortar do I have to make a concrete collar or can I just level the first row and then use mortar on the other blocks?

Thanks!

Hey Evesta, A raise pond? Yes, I'd done what you're thinking. Here's how I did it:

1) I stacked and screwed railroad tiles into brackets like these:

2) Then I entombed the brackets with cements like this.

My raised pond comes in handy when I need to cover it up during winters like these:

Evesta, good luck on your pond project :wink:.
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[scooter7728]

not complicated just need the tools and time. any local handy man couldn't charge you more than a days labor to make the extension,

 

[sissy]

neat build mine is done with retaining wall block do not have any pics of build .But one side of my ponds level with the upper slope other is about 2 feet off the ground

 

[addy1]

I have used slag here, it does compact down to one hard surface, I put it under some blocks around my bog. With rain and snow it does help that the water seeps through the slag.

 

[evesta]

Thanks everyone! I went out yesterday and measured and I am thinking that I would raise the sides 1 foot. I am leaning towards slag. The main reason I want to do this is I wouldn't have to dig a filter pit. Instead I would put my filter in my pump in my garage which is lower than my yard anyway. I figured out the minimum I would have to go(10 inches for water line) so the water level would be higher than any piping running to the pump. This is what I would like to do anyway. It would be nice to have it in there so I don't have to look at them or worry about the weather.

I still don't know if I'm getting the field stone or not and that might change plans if I don't because that means most of my free rock is not as stackable. In that case I will probably just make a more natural pond.

Has anyone ever used blocks or stone stacked on 3 sides and on one side use rocks for a more natural waterfall look? I'm thinking about this because 3 of my sides are very straight and the other isn't and is where I want to put the waterfall.

 

[addy1]

It is in the eye of the beholder evesta, it would look great the way you are describing it. A natural waterfall into a nice fish pond.