NEVER DoNE AN ABOVE GROUNDER...What you guys think

3217 Views 10 Replies 5 Participants Last post by mdvaden, Sep 19, 2003

clyde

Discussion Starter · Jul 25, 2003

I have a client that wants a pond built in the courtyard area which is connected to the drive and has a masonary wall around it ......

Iam putting the windsor blocks around it....
but the pond is the Polyurethane black 2 level pond you buy at lowes or home depot or something like that for i think about 150.00

Well i am wandering should I

1. build a wooden frame place the black liner in it and place sand in it then place the pond in it .... then place the Blocks around THAT .....????? ( oh what would i do for the areas in between the blocks and the wood frame??? place another liner and fill it with sand or just fill it up with Rocks( how large?)

2 just build the wall then also place cement to hold the wall up and then slap the liner down then some sand and place pool in it ?

3 How much would you bill them for this an Hr or how ever?
its going to take up about 10x15ft.:blob2:

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GLAN

· #2 · Jul 25, 2003

Seems like your using a concrete wall system to build it up?

Are there any plants going in around it?

Why not just use fill for under the liners, the rest screened top soil for planting?

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Swack

· #3 · Sep 12, 2003

I have a project I may soon take on, and had a few ?'s for you. HO wants to put a 20x15 'mound' in the backyard, with a pond in the center. The thoughts are that the mound will peak @ 12" around the pond, and slant slowly down from there.. wants to dig 12" below in some areas, and use a fles liner. so that sone aereas are as much as 2', others @ 9-12".

I'll need to dig and then dump new soil, and shape the area..

My question if you've done an elevated pond... did it work well? Did you have to really pack the new soil before adding the3 line and water.. and if so, how much luck fif you have?

Thanks in advance for any help!

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clyde

Discussion Starter · #4 · Sep 12, 2003

swack yes i have done one b4

its very important to take your time ... with everything and to pay attention to detail ... because if you punchure the liner you lost your money.

i would FLOAT sand down into it

pick up some books on it and that should give you a good idea.

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Swack

· #5 · Sep 12, 2003

Thanks.. I assume you mean sand inside... my question was more whether the newly dumbed dirt mound needed any special treatment before i placed the liner, and wheter the fact that much of the mound/pond would be 1.5' abovew the surrounding ground would be a problem w/o and bricks or foundation and such...

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clyde

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 12, 2003

No about the only thing you need to worry about is sharp objects and not makeing the walls 90* exactly they need to curve up the material will break over a period of time ....... this is the same stradegy roofers use when applying a membrane. bank it in the corners if possible w/ 2 45degree bends.

i ment on the sand to use it under any areas that might have roots or in rocky area and you put it under the liner to make it easy to mold if need be ( sand is easy to float in with a water hose).

Go to lowes or books a mill and just sit in there for about 30 mins and read its easier to do that than to rework something in the heat 5 times ... and cheaper.

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WeatherMan

· #7 · Sep 13, 2003

Make sure the soil under the pond (liner) is packed and repacked otherwise your pond will settle and mess every thing up, Next I see you are in NY so if the HO wants Fish the you need to make a deep section of at least 3.5 feet so the fish wont die when it freeze's in the winter, next make sure the mound of dirt is below the pond liner so you dont have mud in the pond when it rains. and as far as under the liner I use felt not sand Cheaper and much easier to handle. Good Luck, and have fun

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Swack

· #8 · Sep 13, 2003

Great Ideas! Thanks...

I've looked through many books, and nothing seemed to address a pool on a new mound that is above average terrain (it's a flat yard) My concern is the liner/soil coming unpaked and making a real mess... not too sure hot to pack properly to keep that from happening.. guess I'll make the mound only 12", and taper it down, but they only want and 18x8 mound and want the pool to be 7x5, which leave me about 2 feet on all sides to taper down... Maybee I can get them to give it 20x10...

Any thought on how to firm it up? B4 putting th liner on the mound, dig ti, water it and let sit and as the shampoo bottles say, rinse and repeat?

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WeatherMan

· #9 · Sep 13, 2003

Dude it you water it that will be a mess for a week or so.. You Should use a gas powered Stamper, or hook a roller up to your mower and roll it If it was me I would just kept driving my bob cat over it. I hope you get the point

Have Fun

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GLAN

· #10 · Sep 14, 2003

Elevating a pond in the middle of the yard is unnatural and a bit unrealistic.

As you said the added amount of soil needed to elevate increases the cost.

How ever with the displaced soil from the hole it can be a couple inches in elevation and still appear as natural as possible going any higher then what your doing is creating a pool, not a pond.

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mdvaden

· #11 · Sep 19, 2003

We have a book here done by Mr Aamon Hughes, the man that did work in the Oregon Garden.

It has many forms of ponds, demonstrating that the main common reason for ponds is water and the sound of water, rather than a naturalistic look, the latter being "a" reason.

When you do this pond, consider adding some water weight on the inside before you fill around the edge, otherwise it can shift or dislodge.

If you flush water into sand, it can settle it more. I'd prefer sand for the lower tier where it can be hard to reach with chunky fill.

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