How to Install a Pond Water Feature

Everyone loves a pond. Fortunately, today you can build your own without digging a huge hole and then having to learn basic concrete skills. The two easiest pond types to build are the preformed and plastic liner varieties. Both types can be in ground or above ground. The choice is yours. Just remember one thing: whatever size you pick, you will want a bigger one when you are done. Important things to remember are appropriate site selection and drainage. Locating a pond under a tree that sheds millions of leaves is not a great idea. Also, plan for that never ending rainstorm. Where do you want the excess water to go, on your lawn or patio? Whether above ground or below ground makes little difference unless you love digging holes. Here we will be discussing the in ground pond.

Things You'll Need

• Water hose for design layout and filling the pond.
• Shovel
• Preformed pond or pond liner
• Roofing felt and/or sand
• Decorative rock

Instructions

How To Install a Pond

1. Pick an appropriate site with no messy trees overhead and at least five hours of direct sunlight a day for maximum plant growth.

2. Decide if you want to use a preformed pond or a liner style pond and decide where the extra water is going to drain. Make that side of the pond ½ inch lower than the opposite side.

3. If your heart is set on an in ground pond, start digging but keep in mind that 12 to 14 inches is perfect. Once you have achieved the shape and desired depth, it is time to line the pond. With either preformed or liner, cover the bottom of the hole with roofing felt to cushion the pond and prevent weeds and roots from being a problem. If using a preformed pond, just place in the ground and back-fill remembering to adjust one side ½ inch higher for drainage. When using a pond liner use, extra roofing felt or sand and place the liner in the hole and start spreading the pond liner out.

4. Once you have installed the liner or preformed pond, start adding water. If you used a liner, the weight of the water will most likely remove any wrinkles.

5. After the pond is filled, back-fill where appropriate and cover the edges of either the preformed or liner with decorative rock to help prevent damage from the sun.

Tips & Warnings

• If using a pond liner do not staple the liner to the sides until the pond is completely filled with water to prevent tearing the liner.

• No more than 14 inches deep is recommended.

• Locate your pond away from messy plants and where it will receive at least five hours of direct sunlight daily.

• Use bricks to raise plants located in the pond if needed.

• Be sure to cushion the bottom of the pond with roofing felt or sand.

• Add a DE-chlorinating product prior to introducing plants or fish.