I want to squeeze a tiny pond into my tiny garden - maybe a metre by a
metre and a half. A rigid liner of irregular shape looks good for this
but does anyone know how to create a hole that matches the shape of the
liner?

--
Sue ]

MadCow wrote:
I want to squeeze a tiny pond into my tiny garden - maybe a metre by a
metre and a half. A rigid liner of irregular shape looks good for
this but does anyone know how to create a hole that matches the shape
of the liner?

Nope! I struggled with this thought, and eventually opted to use a liner.
--
ßôyþëtë

"BoyPete" wrote in message
...
MadCow wrote:

I want to squeeze a tiny pond into my tiny garden - maybe a metre by a
metre and a half. A rigid liner of irregular shape looks good for
this but does anyone know how to create a hole that matches the shape
of the liner?


http://www.crocus.co.uk/alanshowto/whichliner/

Or for the vaguely curious, or anyone reading offline

Courtesy of Crocus and Alan Titchmarsh

quote

Installing a rigid liner


Stand the liner in the correct position and then mark the position of the
edge of the liner on the ground with sand or spray paint. Make a second mark
about 30cm (12in) further out to indicate the area to be excavated.

Dig the whole area down to the depth of the marginal shelf plus 5cm (2in).
Make the sides slightly sloping towards the center of the pond.

Then mark the deep water areas and dig out the soil in the middle of the
pond to the maximum depth of the liner plus 5cm (2in), again making the
sides slightly sloping. At each stage of excavation, check that the top edge
of the pond and marginal shelves are level in both directions using a
spirit-level.

Once excavation is complete, remove any stones protruding into the hole
before lining the bottom of the deep-water area with a 5cm thick layer of
damp sand.

Stand the rigid liner on the sand and check the levels of the liner. When it
is in the right position, wedge pieces of wood around the sides to hold it
steady. Then carefully fill in around the sides of the pond, while slowly
adding water to the liner from a hosepipe.

Ram the infill down with a piece of wood to make sure there are no
air-pockets, paying particular attention to the areas under the marginal
shelves. Check the liner is still level from time to time and make any minor
adjustments necessary. Once all the gaps around the liner are filled and the
pond is full of water, leave it for 24 hours before adding the edging.

/quote


michael adams

BoyPete wrote:

MadCow wrote:
I want to squeeze a tiny pond into my tiny garden - maybe a metre by a
metre and a half. A rigid liner of irregular shape looks good for
this but does anyone know how to create a hole that matches the shape
of the liner?

Nope! I struggled with this thought, and eventually opted to use a liner.

I couldn't find an answer to that problem, so I dug a hole that looked
about the right size, ltemporarily ined it with a cheap tarpaulin and
then lined it with slightly damp sand pressed to the walls.

By offering the liner to the hole. it left smooth marks where it touched
and undisturbed parts where it didn't. A stick could be pushed into the
sand to check how thick it was. I was aiming for a 1" lining of sand.

When an adjustment was needed, I lifted out the tarpaulin, tipped the
sand into a container, dug away some soil and repeated the process.

Eventually I was satisfied with the fit, so I removed the tarpaulin and
lined the hole directly with the sand and put some part way up the
walls. With the liner in place, I used poured dry sand between the liner
and earth in the hope that the gaps would fill properly. I tamped it
down with a suitable piece of wood to minimise the possibility of gaps.

It served us well for at least ten years before we moved, but I must
admit that our current house has a pool which I made with a butyl rubber
liner.

"MadCow" wrote in message
...

I want to squeeze a tiny pond into my tiny garden - maybe a metre by a
metre and a half. A rigid liner of irregular shape looks good for this
but does anyone know how to create a hole that matches the shape of the
liner?


An alternative to digging a full sized hole is to install the rigid liner
into the equivalent of a raised bed. If you excavate a hole for the deep
water section, the spoil can be used to help support the marginal section.
Something like log-roll screwed to timber stakes can be used as a temporary
retaining wall when you're backfilling under the margins.

In article ,
"BAC" wrote:

An alternative to digging a full sized hole is to install the rigid liner
into the equivalent of a raised bed. If you excavate a hole for the deep
water section, the spoil can be used to help support the marginal section.
Something like log-roll screwed to timber stakes can be used as a temporary
retaining wall when you're backfilling under the margins.

I definitely like this idea. I've had a few ponds by now; the one time
I tried with a rigid liner, I followed all the advice and instructions
carefully, but despite all my best efforts, the liner "settled" at one
edge a few days after I'd filled it, and I was left with an awful
unsightly edge of the liner poking up for at least half the
circumference of the pond. It was a very big liner, so I was greatly
disinclined to empty it and start all over again (especially as I'd
transferred all my ongoing pond mud, complete with creatures). Yes, I
like the built-up idea -- doesn't have to be very built-up, does it.

John

"John" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"BAC" wrote:

An alternative to digging a full sized hole is to install the rigid
liner
into the equivalent of a raised bed. If you excavate a hole for the deep
water section, the spoil can be used to help support the marginal
section.
Something like log-roll screwed to timber stakes can be used as a
temporary
retaining wall when you're backfilling under the margins.

I definitely like this idea. I've had a few ponds by now; the one time
I tried with a rigid liner, I followed all the advice and instructions
carefully, but despite all my best efforts, the liner "settled" at one
edge a few days after I'd filled it, and I was left with an awful
unsightly edge of the liner poking up for at least half the
circumference of the pond. It was a very big liner, so I was greatly
disinclined to empty it and start all over again (especially as I'd
transferred all my ongoing pond mud, complete with creatures). Yes, I
like the built-up idea -- doesn't have to be very built-up, does it.


No, it doesn't, and the dimensions of the liner quoted were not very great.

I've seen two ponds installed by the method I described, and they have
worked fine and looked OK. If you don't try to follow the shape of the
liner too closely with the 'retaining wall', you can create room for
pondside planting, filter, or whatever, as required.

In message , BAC
writes

An alternative to digging a full sized hole is to install the rigid
liner
into the equivalent of a raised bed. If you excavate a hole for the deep

I definitely like this idea. I've had a few ponds by now; the one time
I tried with a rigid liner, I followed all the advice and instructions
carefully, but despite all my best efforts, the liner "settled" at one
edge a few days after I'd filled it, and I was left with an awful

like the built-up idea -- doesn't have to be very built-up, does it.

I've seen two ponds installed by the method I described, and they have
worked fine and looked OK. If you don't try to follow the shape of the
liner too closely with the 'retaining wall', you can create room for
pondside planting, filter, or whatever, as required.


Thanks for that - I like it too, as the bank will use up some of the
spoil from the hole.

I've asked about this all over the place, and a koi-carp enthusiast told
me his method:
Dig the hole 2-3 inches larger than the liner, put a layer of dry sand
in the bottom of the hole and wriggle the liner into it. You make it
slightly off-level so that it overflows where you want it to.
Then you part fill the liner with water to hold it down.
Then you pour water down the outside of the liner to wet the sand under
it so it packs down, making sure the water level inside is always higher
or it'll float and you'll have to start again.
When that's all soaked in you pour some more dry sand down the sides,
wet that and repeat.

It sounds feasible but you'd have extra soil left over.

--
Sue ]