Step-by-step photos show you how to lay out the shape, dig the right size hole, install the EPDM liner, and install the submersible pump and filter. Design and maintenance issues are discussed. Tips for making your pond hospitable to plants and fish are included, together with a complete Buyers Guide for materials, fountains and supplies.
This is a completely updated version of a popular story
first run in the July/Aug. ’95 issue of
The Family
Handyman.
Click image to enlarge.
There’s something soothing about the scent, sound and
sight of water, something that washes away stress and strain. While you
can’t stop by the French Riviera or Walden Pond after a hectic day of
work, you can have a private oasis waiting for you at home, complete with
gurgling water and colorful fish.
In this story, we’ll walk you through the basic
steps for building a backyard pond. Roll up your sleeves -- it’s
mostly muscle work. There’s no need for precise measurements, no
unforgiving blueprint to follow, and no deadlines. Working like beavers, you
and anyone else with a strong back could probably finish a large pond in a
couple of weekends. But that would take the fun out of it. Give yourself plenty
of time and creating a pond will be almost as relaxing as sitting beside
it.
It's the Hardware, Not the Size, That Affects Costs
You can install a basic 10 x 16-ft. pond with a
good-quality liner and high-efficiency pump, complete with rocks and gravel,
for less than $1,000. For an additional $500, you can add the convenience of a
filtration system, which will reduce your weekly maintenance chores. Larger
ponds won’t cost a whole lot more; you’ve already made most of your
investment in pumps and filters.
Careful Planning Prevents a Slew of Trouble
Later On
Digging out a pond hole is grunt work, not an
intellectual endeavor. Still, it requires some planning. Before you grab your
shovel, roughly map out the shape, desired plant shelves (Photo 2), and the pump and waterfall locations.
Here are some more key considerations:
Select a location where you can readily enjoy your pond,
close to a patio or visible from a window. Don’t stick your pond in the
back corner of your yard where only the squirrels will enjoy
it.
You can locate your pond in most any area of your yard as
long as it doesn’t receive runoff from rainfall. You don’t want
lawn and garden chemicals washing into your pond. As a rule, the more sun the
better, but don’t discount a shadier spot. Just stay away from the area
inside the canopy of your trees, the “drip line.” If you locate
your pond near trees, be prepared to clean leaves from the pond more often.
Most water plants prefer sun, but some can survive in shade. Choose hardier
plants and fertilize more often if you select a shaded site.
Use a tablet-style fertilizer pressed into the soil around
your nearby landscape plantings so the nutrients don’t leach into the
water.
A toddler can drown in the smallest pond, so some
building codes require fences around ponds 18 in. deep and deeper. Call your
local Department of Inspections, explain that you’re building a water
garden (not a swimming pool) and ask what rules apply. But if you have young
kids, consider installing a fence around it anyway. Be sure to choose a fence
that cannot be climbed.
Mandatory: Before you dig,
call your utility company and ask to have someone come out and mark your
property for buried utilities. Utility companies usually won’t mark
“private” lines, that is, lines added for convenience, such as a
power line from a house to the garage or a gas line to an outdoor grill. Turn
off the power or gas to these areas if you suspect a line is in the vicinity of
your digging.
Use
the excavated dirt to berm up around your pond or build up your waterfall area.
It will save you the hassle of having it hauled away or running it around your
yard in a wheelbarrow.
Oversize your pond if possible. Once you stock it with
fish and plants, you’ll be surprised how much smaller it’ll look.
Besides, a large pond is often easier to take care of than a small one.
(Controlling algae is often easier with a large pond.) The additional expense
is minimal. A 10 x 16-ft. size is a good starting point.
Water circulation is important, so position the pump as
far as possible from the water inlet (waterfall, stream or
fountain).
Digging even a small pond is a big job. Plan plenty of
breaks or enlist the neighborhood teenagers to help you out for a
day.
To power the pump, you’ll need an outdoor
electrical outlet (Fig. A). Have a licensed
electrician install a GFCI-protected outlet.
Before you start digging, lay on the ground the water
circulation pipe that goes from the pump to the waterfall. Throw the excavated
soil on top of it. This will save you the work of digging a trench to bury the
pipe.
Keep It Simple -- Choose a Flexible
Liner
We’re using a flexible liner made of a synthetic
rubber called EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer). The liner is economical,
durable and easy to install. You can create almost any shape and it adapts well
to most site conditions.
Flexible plastic liners are also available. They’re
made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and HDPE (high-density polyethylenes). These
liners aren’t as flexible as rubber liners. Plastic liners are often used
on large holding ponds when economy is a concern and flexibility is not. The
preformed liners found at many home and garden centers are less desirable.
These are essentially large plastic or fiberglass tubs. At first glance, these
seem easier to install, but this usually isn’t the case. Preformed liners
can be difficult to handle and level and, when lined with rocks and boulders,
aren’t as forgiving as flexible ones.
Guidelines for Purchasing a
Liner
Most professionals use a 45-mil EPDM liner. (A mil is a
thousandth of an inch.) It’s strong, yet flexible enough to handle easily
(Photo 5).
If you plan to have fish, make sure your liner is stamped
“fish-safe.” Roofers often use a type of EPDM that’s been
treated with chemicals that can harm fish.
Purchase your liner in one single sheet, large enough to
cover the entire pond bottom and sides. Liners are commonly cut and sold from
100-ft. rolls with 10- to 20-ft. widths; you can custom-order liners up to 45
ft. wide. Liners can be spliced if necessary, but it involves more work and
provides an opportunity for a leak. If your waterfall or stream requires extra
length, use a separate piece of liner. You don’t need to glue the two
liners together as long as the stream or waterfall liner is higher than the
water level of the pond.
Calculate the dimensions of the liner by measuring the
maximum length and the maximum width of your pond, then add three times the
depth measurement to each dimension. Better a bit big than a bit
small.
Fig. A Pond features
Click image to enlarge. Click image to enlarge. 1. Lay out
a garden hose to establish approximate pond borders, adjusting and readjusting
until you’re satisfied with the shape of the pond. Then dig out the pond
bed, terracing both shallow and deeper areas for plants. Exposed rocks, tree
roots and anything else that might puncture the liner must be removed from the
hole.
Click image to enlarge. 2.
Establish the pond borders by setting a level on a board long enough to span
the hole. Make the banks level by building up low spots or cutting down high
spots.
Click image to enlarge. 3. Measure the depth of the hole and plant shelves, keeping in mind that the water level will be a few
inches below the banks of the pond. Fish require a section at least 18 in.
deep.
Click image to enlarge. 4. Line the pond bed with a 1/2-in. layer of newspapers. The newspaper helps prevent liner
punctures and will eventually decompose and form a clay-like layer. You can
also use the special pond underlayment that’s available at your pond
supply dealer. It costs about $3 per square yard.
Click image to enlarge. 5. Lay in the liner so it loosely conforms to the contours of the hole. Don’t worry
about folds and ripples; they’ll flatten out when you add water. Put
rocks on one side to hold the liner in place while you adjust the other. Any
excess material can be trimmed off with scissors or a utility knife after the
pond is full of water and encircled with rocks.
Click image to enlarge. 6. Line the pond sides with boulders and set in the pump container. Wash down the rocks
after they’re in place and then empty the pond with your pump. For large
rocks, lay a scrap piece of liner slightly smaller than the rock on top of the
pond liner before positioning the rock. This helps prevent
punctures.
