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1-
As stated in the FAQ page,
the absolute first thing you need to do is call
the dig line! No ifs, ands, or buts, just call.
2-
As often as not, upon
arrival at a consult site I find myself standing
under a tree. I am the first to admire well
established shade trees, but they present many
issues beyond ease of digging. If at all
possible stay outside of the 'drip line', the
outer reaches of the branches. Not only will
this allow you to have easier digging, it is
possible to damage or kill the tree if you hit
too many of the feeder roots near the surface.
Another consideration is that there are very few
shade water plants. While water lilies will
survive in partial sun, they will not bloom to
full capability without full sun. This is even
more important for lotus as well as many
marginal and floating water plants. Finally,
those leaves eventually fall off, and it will
cause filtration and health issues if you do not
have a quality skimmer and keep a vigilant eye
on the pond.
3-
A secluded retreat is
great, but if you want to enjoy the sounds from
a patio by the house or inside of the house, you
will want to consider proximity to where you
gather and socialize the most. A small feature
can be tucked away, but if you want a relaxing
center piece, it should be easily accessible and
near your gathering point.
4-
Not using 45 mil EPDM
liner. Many 'big box' stores carry kits with 30
mil liner or some other cost saving material.
They may cost less up-front, but you will likely
pay more in the long term. These other types of
liner more easily tear and just do not wear like
the 45 mil EPDM. Also consider that most DIY
build small and eventually expand or add
features. Mixing different types of liner seem
to lead to iffy patches at best. I will not say
to never use pre-form kits, but I will strongly
suggest against it. Few are large enough to
create a stable eco-system, let alone a myriad
of other issues. Even though smaller, they are
often more maintenance than their larger rubber
liner counterparts.
5-
Piling rock all over to
cover that ugly black liner and up the sides.
At least in our region the most commonly used
stone is generally round-ish river rock. Unless
you have angular and well stacked rock this will
eventually fall into the pond and expose the
liner anyway. Spending money on rock that is
going to be covered in carpet algae is just a
waste of money. If you must have a rock bottom
pond buy the cheapest rock available. It is all
going to be green within a month anyway. And by
the way, that short carpet algae is a sign of a
healthy pond!
6-
Waterfall foam. Its a
great material when used properly, but it is not
the duct tape of the pond world. It is not a
structural material! If it is structural, use
mortar, the foam will eventually break down in a
traffic or structure setting. It is great for
getting water up and over rocks. Water fall
ledges, rivulets, and non-structure areas that
would otherwise let water disappear under and
through the rock.
7- Cutting
the liner too soon or too close. I can't even
guess how many times I've shown up for a leak
and found that the liner was cut too close to
the water level. The edges, no matter how well
compacted, will likely settle at least a
little. Leave 6" at the very least and fold it
over so if that settling occurs you can just
unroll a little more, add dirt, and compact.
This is a BIG one folks, make sure to do this.
You can't effectively patch on a little more
liner, but you can always fold the excess behind
itself. Also if possible dig before you buy
liner. While there are issues with erosion if
you get a heavy rain before you get the liner
down it is more common to buy liner, dig too
much, and than not have enough liner to cover
you oversized hole.
8-
Edging. This is probably
the most artistic and frustrating part of the
pond. If done properly it can be absolutely
amazing, but more often than not ends up looking
like a stone collar around the water. There are
tons of books out there, read some and if there
are any in your area, consult a specialist.
You'll be happy you did.
9-
That annoying slack that
needs to be below the skimmer intake. It
doesn't seem that important when you're
installing the skimmer, but when you see the
liner stretch to its limit when you fill the
pond you will be kicking yourself. Outside of
cutting liner too close and waterfall/stream
edges, this is probably the next most common
leak issue I see. The pressure that is put on
the liner from the weight of the water can pull
the liner from the bolts or compression system
that seals the liner between the skimmer and
faceplate. This is a somewhat difficult fix,
especially for a DIYer.
10-
Stream depth and width.
If you think your stream is too shallow, it
definitely is. If you think it is about right,
dig more. If you think it is too deep, maybe
add another inch. Width and depth is rapidly
consumed by rock, silt, and settling. If you
want 2' wide and 6" deep, depending on the size
of the rock you could probably double the trench
size and come out right most times.
There are many other
tips a specialist could pass on to make your DIY
project go smoothly. This is a most common DIY
mistake page, not every mistake page. Just make
sure to research and speak to a pro and you will
likely evade most of the DIY mistakes. Don't be
intimidated with all of the horror stories and
warnings, just be educated and know what you
want before you dig. Good luck with creating
your dream water featue.
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