How to Build an Elevated Wood Koi Pond

Make a beautiful habitat for koi in your own backyard.

A koi pond is not only an aesthetically pleasing addition to your garden or patio but also a soothing one. Koi are colorful, delicate fish that inspire serenity with their graceful movements. Creating an elevated wood koi pond is not a project for the novice builder. In addition to some previous woodworking experience, those wishing to tend koi must have a good knowledge of the care koi require to thrive.

Things You'll Need

• Hand tamp
• Level
• 4-by-4-inch pressure-treated lumber
• Measuring tape
• Circular saw
• Hearing protection
• Safety goggles
• 1-inch thick sheet of plywood, 24 by 48 inches
• Power drill with 1-inch drill bit
• 10-inch long bolts with washers and nuts
• Power sander with sandpaper
• Flexible pond liner, 8-by-10-feet
• 2-by-4-inch lumber
• 2-inch nails
• Hammer
• Sharp scissors
• Piece of wire mesh fence
• Wire cutters
• Water source
• Water plants
• Koi fish

Instructions

1. Select a location to build the koi pond. The area should be at least partly shady to protect the koi from the sun's harsh rays. Use a hand tamp to pack down the earth in the selected location to make it level. If you are building your pond on a deck, patio or other level area this process is not needed.

2. 

   Remember safety protection when cutting lumber.

   Use a circular saw to cut the lumber to proper length for the pond. Cut 12 short sides to measure 24 inches long. Cut twelve long sides to measure 48 inches long. Set all of the cut lumber aside for later use.

3. Place a 24-by-48-inch piece of 1-inch plywood on the ground in the area you prepared in Step 1. This is the bottom of the pond and your guide for installing the walls.

4. Place two short sides and two long sides on top of the plywood. Arrange the four boards to form a perfect rectangle, flush with the edges of the plywood bottom. The ends of the sides should overlap each other. Use a power drill to drill a hole diagonally across each corner of the rectangle, drilling through two of the side boards. Stick a 10-inch bolt through the drilled hole. Screw the bolt in place with a washer on each end. Repeat on each corner.

5. Place two more of the short sides and two more of the long sides on top of the rectangle. Arrange the boards to form a second rectangle on top of the first. Attach the corners of the rectangle together the same way you did the first one.

6. Repeat step 5 to build the rest of the walls. The finished walls will measure 2 feet wide, 4 feet long and 2 feet deep.

7. Use a power sander to sand the inside of the pond's walls. This will prevent splintering wood from puncturing the pond liner.

8. Place the pond liner inside the pond. Carefully mold the liner to fit the pond's sides. Fold the liner in the corners for a tight fit. Allow the extra liner to overhang the edge of the pond. Smooth out any creases in the bottom and sides of the pond.

9. Cut two pieces of 2-by-4-inch lumber measuring 48 inches long, and two to measure 24 inches long. These are the top boards for the pond. Place these boards on top of the overlapping pond liner forming a rectangle directly on top of the walls of the pond. Nail the boards in place, nailing through the liner and into the pond walls every 12 inches.

10. Cut off the excess liner using sharp scissors. Follow the edge of the top boards for a straight cut.

11. Cut a piece of wire mesh fence to fit on top of the pond. The wire mesh will protect your koi from hungry birds such as herons.

12. Finish your pond by adding water, plants, and fish. The water plants will give the koi a place to hide and help add oxygen to the water.

Tips & Warnings

• Adjust the board to make the pond larger or smaller.

• Always wear safety protection when operating power tools.

References

• Koi and Koi Ponds: How to Build a Wooden Pond
• Flare Development Group: My Koi Pond
• The Family Handyman: Outdoor Pond Ideas: Pond in a Box

Resources

• Building a Koi Pond
• The Family Handyman: How to Build a Garden Pond and Deck