Waterfall build question

[haver79]

We just filled the new pond yesterday. Approx 3200 gal. I know we should of worked on the waterfall before we filled but for several reasons we didn't get it done beforehand.
Waterfall will be in one corner and we have a 100 gal skippy that will be feeding the falls. We are using concrete blocks for a base for the falls. Any advice for placement of the blocks. (ie how far away from eht edge of the pond to start the blocks) Our plan is to use the blocks as a base and fill in with rocks in and around the falls. Thinking about 3 foot high using 2 tier of blocks???? Any advice or pics would be helpful.

Thanks
Kristi

 

[cr8tivguy]

It's looking great! Only advice I can provide is make sure you have enough of a ledge to place rock on and that your liner is long enough to keep the water in around the edges of the pond.

Two things I wish I would have done.

 

[haver79]

Thanks for the advice. We will have to get a seperate peice of liner for the water falls. I am concerned about leakage at the pond edge. How much overhang into the pond is you fall liner. Did you seal the 2 peices together?
Someone mentioned using PL roofing goop to seal the 2 peices. I have 45 ml liner in the pond but was thinking of picking up a peice at local box store. What I seen was 20 ml. We thought we could double it up. We would underlay over the concrete blocks we are using with old carpet? Any thoughts on this?

 

[haver79]

I think we have changed our mind here. Getting rid of the blocks (too big, too high)and putting in a berm with maybe 5' small creek back into pond. More natural looking. Good thing we have a long weekend this week.

 

[cr8tivguy]

i've had pretty good luck building the sides (above the water level) with the sand bags you put in trucks for traction in the winter. In fact, that's how I built my bog. It lends itself to a nice natural outline and they are easily stacked. The rounded edges along the top look great when I covered it with Rock-on-a-Roll (see my photos).

I'm not sure how to piece the two together. How I did mine was lay the pond liner in place and it overlapped where the waterfall would be up into the bog. There was a lip (weir) just past the waterfall before the bog area. Then I took the other liner and laid it over the pond liner and down the where the waterfall was. I used PL40 and roofing tar (in a caulk tube) to seal the edges together. The overlap is close to 20 inches. With the weir in between the two pieces, it sort of created a water barrier. This was then covered with the Rock-on-a-Roll material and stones. I filled my bog with pea gravel and planted a bunch of plants in it. (See pictures). The front part of my bog-just before the waterfall has no pebbles. This is were I placed my water hyacinth.

 

[haver79]

Nice idea using sand bags. Will get some PL roofing goop. Im sure I will have some more silly questions as we progress!

 

[sissy]

I used block and most do but I put liner all around my filter and put that foam insulation all around it before I put the liner in and left space around the filter and also on the back of my filter I put an over flow and an elbow so any water would go right back into the pond .All of my pipes run inside the water also any leaks and i am safe ,HOPEFULLY :cheerful:
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[haver79]

Thanks Sissy, would definately be safer to have liner under everything! I guess we will just be winging it so we will see what we come up with.

 

[DrDave]

I have used old carpet before where I was worried about sharp rocks and broken concrete penetrating my liner. It worked great for me. As for the bottom, I always put a layer of sand down before I install the liner. If you have to get into the pond and walk around, the sand will provide a good medium.

 

[haver79]

Dr Dave I did use a thin carpet over my concrete blocks. It does help. I have decided to redo my waterfall this spring. Order some 40ml liner (we used thinner on the falls) and lower and hide my filter a little better.

I wished I had use a layer of sand in the bottom of my pond. Hind site

 

[sissy]

I used sand and landscape fabric and on the sides old deer corn bags under the landscape fabric just in case .Over my concrete block I used the deer corn bags also and looked when I raised the sides this year and they are still like new.I used the really heavy landscape fabric ,I could not get the underlayment here at the time I built the pond and figured it was close to the same