Hello there rec.ponders:

I am a not-so-handy man who has promised a simple backyard pond to his
girlfriend for her birthday and, upon doing more research, is feeling a
bit over his head. Our backyard is quite small and mostly paved with
brick -- more a courtyard, really. Right now we have a raised
rectangular herb garden in the middle, approximately 2 feet by 5 feet,
with brick walls; our goal was to replace this with a rectangular raised
pond of roughly similar dimensions. We want the bottom of the pond to
go about 2 feet below the ground level, with lip of the pond to be about
18 inches off the ground,and wide enough to sit on, and to make a mosiac
on the outside wall of the pond. This seems like it should be a simple
matter, but in fact we are getting quickly overwhelmed as we try to plan
things.

From some books I've been able to read, it seems that the simplest
strategy would be to use a preformed fiberglass liner. As near as I can
tell, with a such liner, we could dig a hole, level the bottom, drop in
the liner, and then backfill it into place, and it would be rigid enough
to support itself partially above ground. The problem is that most
liners I've been able to find are much too large, and are in natural
pond shapes rather than a simple rectangle. The other option would seem
to be building up with concrete blocks and then lining with a flexible
liner, but the book we have on the subject says that we'd need to create
a poured concrete foundation for the blocks -- a task that is much more
ambitious than anything we've ever undertaken.

So, I guess my questions a Would it be possible to use a preformed
fiberglass liner as I described above to create a partially aboveground
pond? And what are reputable vendors of such liners? If I go the
concrete block route, do I really need the poured concrete foundation?
I'm sure I'll have follow-on questions but I suppose these are the ones
to start with. This total neophyte thanks any helpful posters in
advance. Oh, I should add that I am in Baltimore, MD, USA -- not a
terrifically harsh climate, but it does snow and freeze during the winter.

Thanks again
jf

http://puregold.aquaria.net/mypond/2000/p2000.htm
mine is exactly what you are talking about. I built it with stud walls and treated
lumber. I made a veggie filter that stacks right on top of the pond to take care of
the water quality and provides a trough for flowers. here it is a few years later in
August http://puregold.aquaria.net/mypond/2003/8-2003.htm
http://puregold.aquaria.net/landscape/gravel/gravel.htm
that is how it looks with gravel rather than grass.
Ingrid

Josh Fruhlinger wrote:
I am a not-so-handy man who has promised a simple backyard pond to his
girlfriend for her birthday and, upon doing more research, is feeling a
bit over his head. Our backyard is quite small and mostly paved with
brick -- more a courtyard, really. Right now we have a raised
rectangular herb garden in the middle, approximately 2 feet by 5 feet,
with brick walls; our goal was to replace this with a rectangular raised
pond of roughly similar dimensions. We want the bottom of the pond to
go about 2 feet below the ground level, with lip of the pond to be about
18 inches off the ground,and wide enough to sit on, and to make a mosiac
on the outside wall of the pond. This seems like it should be a simple
matter, but in fact we are getting quickly overwhelmed as we try to plan
things.

From some books I've been able to read, it seems that the simplest
strategy would be to use a preformed fiberglass liner. As near as I can
tell, with a such liner, we could dig a hole, level the bottom, drop in
the liner, and then backfill it into place, and it would be rigid enough
to support itself partially above ground. The problem is that most
liners I've been able to find are much too large, and are in natural
pond shapes rather than a simple rectangle. The other option would seem
to be building up with concrete blocks and then lining with a flexible
liner, but the book we have on the subject says that we'd need to create
a poured concrete foundation for the blocks -- a task that is much more
ambitious than anything we've ever undertaken.

So, I guess my questions a Would it be possible to use a preformed
fiberglass liner as I described above to create a partially aboveground
pond? And what are reputable vendors of such liners? If I go the
concrete block route, do I really need the poured concrete foundation?
I'm sure I'll have follow-on questions but I suppose these are the ones
to start with. This total neophyte thanks any helpful posters in
advance. Oh, I should add that I am in Baltimore, MD, USA -- not a
terrifically harsh climate, but it does snow and freeze during the winter.

Thanks again
jf



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Ingrid, you have a lovely area! I like the gravel, it accentuates the pond,
and is probably easier to keep.

Maureen

Ingrid's idea is excellent as you can see from her pictures.

Another option is to buy those retaining wall blocks that stack dry! 2 o3
high will give you the height you want, plus one more on top to cap it off
and keep the liner in place!

It goes without saying that you will still need the liner! Go to your local
home depot or lowes and you will see a display similar to what I just
babbled here!

Take care.

--
_______________________________________
"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is
like an eggs-and-ham breakfast:
The chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

http://community.webshots.com/user/godwino

wrote in message
...
http://puregold.aquaria.net/mypond/2000/p2000.htm
mine is exactly what you are talking about. I built it with stud walls
and treated
lumber. I made a veggie filter that stacks right on top of the pond to
take care of
the water quality and provides a trough for flowers. here it is a few
years later in
August http://puregold.aquaria.net/mypond/2003/8-2003.htm
http://puregold.aquaria.net/landscape/gravel/gravel.htm
that is how it looks with gravel rather than grass.
Ingrid

Josh Fruhlinger wrote:
I am a not-so-handy man who has promised a simple backyard pond to his
girlfriend for her birthday and, upon doing more research, is feeling a
bit over his head. Our backyard is quite small and mostly paved with
brick -- more a courtyard, really. Right now we have a raised
rectangular herb garden in the middle, approximately 2 feet by 5 feet,
with brick walls; our goal was to replace this with a rectangular raised
pond of roughly similar dimensions. We want the bottom of the pond to
go about 2 feet below the ground level, with lip of the pond to be about
18 inches off the ground,and wide enough to sit on, and to make a mosiac
on the outside wall of the pond. This seems like it should be a simple
matter, but in fact we are getting quickly overwhelmed as we try to plan
things.

From some books I've been able to read, it seems that the simplest
strategy would be to use a preformed fiberglass liner. As near as I can
tell, with a such liner, we could dig a hole, level the bottom, drop in
the liner, and then backfill it into place, and it would be rigid enough
to support itself partially above ground. The problem is that most
liners I've been able to find are much too large, and are in natural
pond shapes rather than a simple rectangle. The other option would seem
to be building up with concrete blocks and then lining with a flexible
liner, but the book we have on the subject says that we'd need to create
a poured concrete foundation for the blocks -- a task that is much more
ambitious than anything we've ever undertaken.

So, I guess my questions a Would it be possible to use a preformed
fiberglass liner as I described above to create a partially aboveground
pond? And what are reputable vendors of such liners? If I go the
concrete block route, do I really need the poured concrete foundation?
I'm sure I'll have follow-on questions but I suppose these are the ones
to start with. This total neophyte thanks any helpful posters in
advance. Oh, I should add that I am in Baltimore, MD, USA -- not a
terrifically harsh climate, but it does snow and freeze during the
winter.

Thanks again
jf



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

they will need to be tied together better... and they are huge (16"?) or so it would
take up quite a bit of the area. that would be almost 3 feet lost to brickwork.
Ingrid

"Just Me \"Koi\"" wrote:
Another option is to buy those retaining wall blocks that stack dry! 2 o3
high will give you the height you want, plus one more on top to cap it off
and keep the liner in place!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

True!

--
_______________________________________
"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is
like an eggs-and-ham breakfast:
The chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

http://community.webshots.com/user/godwino

wrote in message
...
they will need to be tied together better... and they are huge (16"?) or
so it would
take up quite a bit of the area. that would be almost 3 feet lost to
brickwork.
Ingrid

"Just Me \"Koi\"" wrote:
Another option is to buy those retaining wall blocks that stack dry! 2
o3
high will give you the height you want, plus one more on top to cap it
off
and keep the liner in place!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

http://puregold.aquaria.net/landscape/gravel/gravel.htm
that is how it looks with gravel rather than grass.
Ingrid

Boy, that's the broadest-leafed grass I've ever seen Ingrid. ;o) ~ jan


~ jan (Do you know where your water quality is?)

For a rectangle pond go to your local ranch & home, feed & grain, etc. type
store and look at their stock tanks. I think the one I have was call Ruff
Tuff something, not Rubbermaid, which are deeper and not smooth sided. I
have a small one pictured on my website on page 8 bottom, with the ice in
it (a problem that can be cure w/a stock tank and isn't such a problem if
it is dug in).

Personally, I'd go with liner. ~ jan


~ jan (Do you know where your water quality is?)

yurp. it was not only not grass, it wasnt cut either. DH loves the idea of a nice
lawn, not the reality of cutting it every week. Ingrid

~ jan JJsPond.us wrote:

http://puregold.aquaria.net/landscape/gravel/gravel.htm
that is how it looks with gravel rather than grass.
Ingrid

Boy, that's the broadest-leafed grass I've ever seen Ingrid. ;o) ~ jan


~ jan (Do you know where your water quality is?)



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

I have a rectangle preformed pond on my site that sounds like what you
are looking for. It's 30-gallons and is priced at $63.95.

If I were you, I would not even dig in the ground at all, rather buy
some sand at your local dirt retailer and build your flowerbed around
the preformed pond!

If you are interested, here is the link to my site with the preformed
pond:
http://www.texaspondandgarden.com/preformed_ponds.htm



Josh Fruhlinger wrote in message ...
Hello there rec.ponders:

I am a not-so-handy man who has promised a simple backyard pond to his
girlfriend for her birthday and, upon doing more research, is feeling a
bit over his head. Our backyard is quite small and mostly paved with
brick -- more a courtyard, really. Right now we have a raised
rectangular herb garden in the middle, approximately 2 feet by 5 feet,
with brick walls; our goal was to replace this with a rectangular raised
pond of roughly similar dimensions. We want the bottom of the pond to
go about 2 feet below the ground level, with lip of the pond to be about
18 inches off the ground,and wide enough to sit on, and to make a mosiac
on the outside wall of the pond. This seems like it should be a simple
matter, but in fact we are getting quickly overwhelmed as we try to plan
things.

From some books I've been able to read, it seems that the simplest
strategy would be to use a preformed fiberglass liner. As near as I can
tell, with a such liner, we could dig a hole, level the bottom, drop in
the liner, and then backfill it into place, and it would be rigid enough
to support itself partially above ground. The problem is that most
liners I've been able to find are much too large, and are in natural
pond shapes rather than a simple rectangle. The other option would seem
to be building up with concrete blocks and then lining with a flexible
liner, but the book we have on the subject says that we'd need to create
a poured concrete foundation for the blocks -- a task that is much more
ambitious than anything we've ever undertaken.

So, I guess my questions a Would it be possible to use a preformed
fiberglass liner as I described above to create a partially aboveground
pond? And what are reputable vendors of such liners? If I go the
concrete block route, do I really need the poured concrete foundation?
I'm sure I'll have follow-on questions but I suppose these are the ones
to start with. This total neophyte thanks any helpful posters in
advance. Oh, I should add that I am in Baltimore, MD, USA -- not a
terrifically harsh climate, but it does snow and freeze during the winter.

Thanks again
jf

On Tue, 20 Apr 2004 18:07:47 GMT, ~ jan JJsPond.us
wrote:

have a small one pictured on my website on page 8 bottom, with the ice in
it (a problem *that can be cure w/a stock tank* and isn't such a problem if
it is dug in).

English correction *that can be cureD w/a stock tank HEATER* ~ jan


~ jan (Do you know where your water quality is?)