Perfect for a reflecting pool in a formal garden, it also makes a fine showcase for fish. Formalĭefined by geometric shapes, this style of pond is often edged in expensive mortared stone or poured concrete. Taking cues from the existing hardscape around a home, this most popular pond type has free-form edges set next to a brick, concrete, or stone patio. Meant to blend in like an integral part of the landscape, this kind of pond has free-form edges that don’t follow a straight or predictable course, and incorporates stones and plants native to the area.įrom left: iStock Tim Street-Porter Seminatural Where are the utility lines? Dial 811 to have their location marked. What do the codes say?Īsk your local building department about how far a pond has to be set back from property lines.
And if they’re farther than 20 feet from your patio, you likely won’t hear the gurgling of a waterfall or fountain. Ponds that are out of sight tend to get neglected. If a nearby tree is young, factor in its mature spread before settling on the pond’s location. What about overhanging trees?Ī tree’s afternoon shade is welcome, but a pond directly under a tree’s branches will quickly clog with leaves, seeds, or needles unless given constant maintenance. This keeps the water cooler, discouraging algae blooms. Ideally, ponds should receive sunlight in the morning and shade in the afternoon. The location of a pond determines its health and your ability to enjoy it. A pond-maintenance firm starts at about $1,000 a year. The electricity to run a pump for a typical 176-square-foot pond costs about $260 a year. The best ones have a 20-year warranty and 30- to 40-year life span. Smaller ponds are good DIY projects, but let pros handle the plumbing and electrical work. Ponds longer than 6 feet on a side and deeper than 18 inches require so much digging and other heavy work that they are best left to pros.
Prefab pond pro#
A more typical 176-square-footer installed by a pro starts at $5,000, while more grandiose versions can easily exceed $50,000. Home-center kits start at $70 for a simple 9-square-foot, 84-gallon pond.
Prefab pond how to#
To read more about either type of liner, please see our pages on fiberglass liners, plastic liners, or box-welded liners.Related How to Create a Backyard Pond What do backyard ponds cost? To learn more, please see the box-welded liner in store. A potential downside is that they are usually a variation of a rectangular or square shape. The advantage of our polypropylene is that is is strong, light and safe for fish, plants and human. Box-welding is the process of taking a flexible liner (we like polypropylene), and using heat welding equipment to melt multiple panels of liner together to create a shape.
Prefab pond crack#
A third option that won't crack like plastic, but is less expensive than fiberglass is a box-welded liner. However, as a downside, fiberglass is MUCH more expensive to buy and ship since they are heavy and large. Fiberglass liners are also much tougher than plastic liners, and can handle more abuse before damage and leaks will occur. In contrast, fiberglass liners need no confinement whatsoever and can even remain freestanding on the ground while filled with water. Plastic liners are less expensive than fiberglass liners or box-welded liners, but must be fully confined inside the ground to prevent the liner from flexing, and as a result, cracking. In general, there are three common materials available for preformed ponds: rigid plastic, fiberglass and flexible liner that is box-welded to create a certain shape. However, that being said, you could always start small in the beginning and then build a second or adjoining pond later. If you do decide to go with a preformed pond liner, and would like to leave your options open for the future, try to get the deepest pond you can, with a volume of water in excess of 1000L since larger volumes of water react slower to temperature changes.
The problem with many rigid pond liners is that often times they are simply too shallow to properly control the water temperature for fish. Over time, you may desire a more advanced pond, such as a koi or goldfish pond. However, like many other hobbies, pond keeping can slowly enthrall a person. If you're the type of person who is good with planning, then this may not be a problem. The main disadvantage of preformed pond liners is that once you buy a liner, your pond design is set in stone and can't be changed without purchasing a new liner.
Prefab pond full#
However, to be clear, this isn't the case with all preformed liners since plastic liners require full confinement in the ground to prevent cracking. This means that a fiberglass pond can be installed above ground, and then later hidden with landscaping. Because fiberglass is quite rigid, the pond can be placed on the ground and filled with water straight away, with no other support necessary. In the case of using fiberglass preformed pond liners, an important advantage is the ease of installation.
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