To make a good concrete pond, you can't cut corners. If you don't use the right methods, you might end up spending more money on maintenance, repairs, or replacements than you did on the initial building. Follow these general rules to make sure your concrete pond is built right the first time and will last a lifetime or longer.
Keep in mind that you need to pour the concrete to a thickness of four to six inches for a good concrete pond. After deciding on the size and making a rough outline, all of the soil and rocks should be dug out. Then, forms need to be built and put in place where the concrete will be poured. Cut-to-fit reinforcement bars also need to be put in the right places (rebar).
You will need shovels, picks, a crowbar, and, of course, a wheelbarrow to dig out the area where the concrete pond will go. A carpenter's level, string, stakes, sheets of plastic, and a long two-by-four are some of the other things you will need.
Pouring the cement for a concrete pond should take one day, unless the pond is very big, in which case it needs to be done in sections. First, pour cement in the bottom of the pool. Then, pour cement along the sides. If shelves were dug out, the next step is to pour cement there. The last step is to pour cement on the top of the pond and any coping that may be needed.
After you've finished these first steps of building a concrete pond, you need to let the cement set for a few days while it's covered with plastic. Using muriatic acid at this stage helps keep the pH of the water from getting too high, which is good for fish and plants. After the acid treatment, apply several coats of pool paint or masonry sealant, letting each coat dry completely between coats.
Building a concrete pond can be a great way to learn. It's best to start with a smaller pond and then, if that goes well, move on to a bigger one. But once you know how to build a concrete pond, there's no telling what you can do with it. So, learn, build, and then keep building!
