I'm building a pond - is my plan ok?

THere we are great minds think a like

 

Was just thinking about lining again.

I'm a bit tight really. I like to experiment with unorthodox but potentially very economical solutions to problems.

I'm having second thoughts about pond liner for a number of reasons, all of which I think I can overcome with another idea. Here's my reasons for thinking twice about conventional pond liners:

* I can't be bother to ensure that the ground is completely free of sharp stones.
* I'm not sure I want to use black material. I always wanted a sort of seaside themed garden, so would like the pond to be blue or sand colour.
* I'm never satisfied/always changing stuff, so I'd like to be able to modify the pond with ease and little expense.
* I can't see how pond liner could not be slippy for any creatures that might fall in and need to climb out.

To that end, here's my idea. I've read of Papercrete.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papercrete

It seems to me that I could line the pond with old newspaper, each layer several pages thick, and then paint over each layer with a very sloppy cement mix. I expect that would be strong enough and watertight. I could paint it any colour I like, because presumably there are full waterproof masonry paints available. It would presumably less slippy, and if I need to make any changes, it would probably be possible to cut away parts of the papercrete lining and reseal afterwards without too much disruption, whereas I've read that once pond liner is ripped or punctured, you have to fully drain the pond to repair it.

Any thoughts?

EDIT: Since posting, I've had a google about, and it seems papercrete is probably a good idea. I saw a couple of examples of ponds much larger than the one I'm doing, both lined with papercrete. I can easily source old newspaper, and cement and sand are cheap as chips, so it looks like that's the way to go.

 

Replacing / Repairing a leaking pond liner is the ultimate PITA ...

Not exactly "cheap" but you can get "beach on a roll" - a foot or two wide - that you can drape around the waterline so that you have stones or similar at the visible point. Its basically small stone/gravel stuck to pond liner and comes on a roll (I'll dig out a link if you are interested).

 

Hiya C1.

I think that you need to consider the use of such material very carefully. My gut feeling is that it will fail. Even concrete ponds have been known to fail, but I would consider concrete a better option. I'd be interested in seeing these examples you speak of where this material has been used.

Cheers...Freddy

 

Mine has. Previous people build large concrete ponds. They were significantly cracked by the time we arrived, and not holding water. We just put under-lay and liners in the ones we wanted to keep as they are basically very strong structures.

 

Lined ours (2 moves back ) with sand and a 10 year guaranteed liner. Never had a leak in 17 years. I am having negative vibes about your paper liner, sorry.
I do hope you will introduce fish - I still have that feeling of spiritual tranquility when I remember going down to the pond in the early morning to feed the mix of koi, golden orfe and an olive green tench ( a bottom feeder). They could detect the vibration of my body weight coming down the path and were all there waiting in the soft dawn light. Your little lad will always remember his trips to feed his fish Clueless with his Dad.

 

I'm having second thoughts about the papercrete lining too to be honest. I figured it would easily be strong enough, given that it will have all the integrity of several tonnes of earth resisting the force of the weight of water on the opposite side of it. Great, except it wont have that weight of water in place when I do it, so inevitably it wont be pressing firmly against the earth walls, so when I fill it up, I reckon then it will break.

The papercrete pond examples I saw on t'interweb seemed to be build using papercrete breeze blocks, so much thicker than I'd use.

Still not ruling it out though. Its only a tiny pond, so I can get away with filling it and draining it a few times. I might papercrete line it quite thinly, fill it, let it break under the weight of the water (by which time the surviving chunks of the thin layer of papercrete will be packed firmly to the contours of the pond), drain it, then add another layer or two.

 

Hiya C1.

My fear is that you get it all done, and seems fine initially, but then fails further down the line. It would be a right pain in the 'tree' to have to do it all again. Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to put you off having a pond, or putting down your ideas, I just think that this option is a non-starter, sorry. However, if you choose to go ahead with it, I wish you well

 

Still nothing firmly decided yet Freddy. I'm kind of halfy halfy between conventional pond liner and experimental one.

 

Need to also have in mind the risk from water pressure below the liner. Clearly a problem if the pond is emptied at any time, but also IME a problem even when the pond has water in it. Maybe not to a pond that is only a few inches deep, but we have certainly had the liner in our pond lift, from water pressure below. Its a strange thing, our middle pond appears full (any excess water overflows to the lower pond), but if the ground water has pushed the liner up and then the ground water percolates away, the weight of the pond liner then pushes the liner back down and within 24 hours the pond can be a foot lower than the previous day! (if the circulation pump is off, natch!)

 

I emptied a one of those massive plastic storage boxes that had filled up with rain water, into the hole that will be my pond. That was about an hour ago, and the water hasn't gone. I think that's because I've dug right into the clay subsoil. I reckon if I put the hose on it and attempted to fill without any liner, the water level would rise a few more inches and then just find its way out through the much more porous upper levels of soil, but at least its reassuring that once its done and I have fish in it, even if there is a massive leak, at least the fish should be able to take refuge in the lowest part that naturally retains water.

 

In the summer a pond will usually evaporate about 1/2" a week (from memory). Shallower ponds, which will naturally get warmer, will presumably evaporate faster.

In a good year (from Pond's perspective ) rain will replenish at the same rate.

Might be something to consider when you are away on holiday etc. In a deep pond losing a couple of inches from the level is not an issue (but the more it falls the more [cold] water it takes to replenish, which can upset the fish - including the introduction of proportionately rather a lot of Chlorine - although my fish have never been upset by that, and at times I have topped up with a lot of tap water, but I don't have any fancy breeds)

 

I've just realised I've left all my tools out. They're somewhere near a massive hole in the ground and its pitch black outside. I might have a comedy moment in the next few minutes.

 

Sometimes, we have to accept our limitations, and let the younger lads do the hard work.