A backyard pond can be beautiful addition to your home, and provide hours of relaxation. Water features can add permanent value to your home when well built and properly maintained. Building a backyard pond is hard work, but the work is worth it when your beautiful DIY backyard pond transforms your landscape. Most do it yourselfers can build a pond in a weekend with a few simple steps on how to make a backyard pond.
Step 1 Plan Your Ponds Shape and Size
First you need to decide on the shape and size of your DIY backyard pond. Of course this will depend on the size of your yard. Ideally the pond should always be a feature that works aesthetically with the landscaping so make sure the size you want is in relation to the size of your yard. If you’re in the small backyard category then a shallow pond will be best.
Even though shallow ponds are the best for small backyards, they can be more difficult to keep up and expensive. They are more prone to bacterial or algae infection and force your fish to swim in higher concentrations of toxins. Also, fish tend to grow in relation to the size of the environment, that being said, your fish will be smaller.
So maybe you have an extravagant backyard that can fit a large pond. A larger pond will allow your fish to reach maximum potential in growth, health and breeding cycles, and also make ongoing maintenance less expensive. However, a larger pond requires more digging and a lot more materials, and lets not forget, time consuming maintenance.
Step 2 Digging A Hole
Now that you’ve selected a size for your DIY backyard pond, you can start digging: using a garden hose, rope, or electric cord you can layout your chosen shape, and size of pond. Most people can dig an average pond themselves, or invite some friends over for the cost of a few pizzas. If these are not options expect to pay $50 an hour to have a contractor dig your pond.
Step 3 Choosing A Liner
“So I dug my hole, lets get some water.” If this is running through your head your sure to have a muddy nightmare that the little ones will love in the morning. To make your “pond” a pond you need to add a liner. Concrete spray is the best option if the goal is to make a pond that will last. This concrete spray is more likely to last decades with very little maintenance but it is expensive. Prices will vary but a medium size pond will run you around $5000 for the initial treatment.
Many pond owners use rubber liners which is a much more inexpensive route. Rubber liners are strips of tough rubber that lay across the bottom of the pond. They are sealed together tightly to reduce leaks, however, they can be corrupted by burrowing animals and will wear overtime. Lining the hole with full concrete bags then watering carefully before installing rubber liners can help prevent rodent invaders. This option is much cheaper ranging from a low $800 to $1500 for most ponds.
Another option would be a pre-made plastic tub, which is the easiest to install. Plastic tubs are unlikely to be ruined by animals and will last a long time but they do have there limitations. They are limited in size and shape and also, tubs are precast and will not grow with the environment. This is also a cheap option at a round $800 or more.
Step 4 Adding Filtration
Now that our “pond” is in fact a pond, its time for the filtration system and we might as well get the landscaping done to. It is very important that your pond is filtered and posses moving water so algae and fish waste do not build up inside the pond. Aeration is extremely vital for a vibrant community of aquatic animals. Your local pool and pond supplier will have pumps and filtration systems waiting for you. The instructions are usually easy to follow and installation is generally quick.
Step 5 Add Landscaping
Now your pond is functioning, all you have to do now is make it look beautiful. Add your landscaping as you please to create the extravagant looking pond you want. Be sure that the landscaping does not interfere with the functions of the pond. Fish love to wallow in shadows under objects so consider a well-placed bridge or structure work as a captivating piece.
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