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Main page > Garden improvements > Basins and ponds

Basins and ponds

Garden basin planning is multi-edged and creative process. If you decide to make a pond near the house, it will be influential center of the garden composition. The most popular solution is to build a pond with waterproof film.
Film pond is inexpensive and easy solution. There are a big choice of different sizes, thickness and temperature films in DIYs. The larger the pond, the thicker the film should be. The most popular materials are PVC and butylrubber.

PVC film thickness is 0,5, 0,8 and 1 mm. Produced as rolls. Roll Length - 20-25 meters, width - 4, 6 and 8 m. Rubber film for a pond (EPDM membrane) - a thin layer of rubber. It is more cold-resistant and is recommended by specialists for the regions where winter temperatures drop below -20C . This film suits ideally for large ponds, with great depth or uneven rocky bottom.
Besides the film, you still need a filter and pump. If your pond is big, then you can need a special glue for bonding PVC film, or special adhesive tapes for rubber film.
It is better to make film pond in the warm season, because during low temperature season film became dense and hard to work with. Perfect to lay out the film in sunny weather, because the sun heats the film, it becomes elastic and convenient to unfolding.
Construction of film pond usually occurs as follows:
1. Pond location
First of all, thinking of pond creation, it is necessary to remember that it requires regular maintenance, which will take a plenty of time. Therefore, if it is decided, you need to think about how to minimize the time for its maintenance. Firstly, pond location. We need to provide easy access to water from all sides so do not place the pond in the corner or not far from buildings or fense.
It should also consider the location of the pond to protect it from the falling leaves (plan the trees planting in the distance from the pond), otherwise there is danger of pond pollution and filter damage. In addition, the leaves, falling into the water, begins to rot and water must be cleaned.
If you decide to cultivate water plants, you should remember that they are not only light-requiring, but do not carry large amount of direct sunlight as well. That is, the location of the pond should provide the indirect scattered rays of the sun.
So, when you have chosen the pond location, you can think about the pond shape.

• The pond shape

The pond shape depends on your imagination and the size of your plot.
Once you decide about the shape, put it on paper and start to mark out.

• Marking out of the pond and film calculating

Mark the contours of your future pond with pegs and twine. It is better if someone helps you to place the pegs from a distance of 5-10 meters. Sight should be directed to the height of man’s growth. This is an ideal distance to look at your future pond placement.
Once you placed the pond, start to measure it, make corrections to the paper version and proceed to the film calculation. The calculation should be done as follows:
Length (L) = max L + 2Water depth + 80 cm;
Width = max width + 2Water depth + 80 cm;
This 80 cm – reserve for rim creation and drop in the pond depth.

3. Pond digging

When you will dig, remember that film pond should be shallow, otherwise the film may tears. The ideal depth of the pond - about 2 meters. This depth is also good for those who plan to breed fish in the pond. The pond should have gently sloping flat bottom, and should be equipped with uniform stepped terraces on the edges/ Each of the steps have to be about 30-40 cm of width and 40-50 cm of height. We need of these terraces to ensure that the water pressure on the film was distributed evenly. In addition, you can set the containers for water plants there.

After digging the pond and steps formation it is necessary to create the gutter about 20-40 centimeters of depth on the edge of the reservoir to strengthen the waterproof film.Before to lay the film, you need to examine the bottom carefully, in order do not to leave the stones, glass or sharp roots there - all of it can damage the film. Also, in order to protect the film from tears, you can sand the bottom (thickness - minimum 10 cm). Another way to secure the film – is tolay a geotextile or a special building insulation fleece to the bottom. When you have done all of this, you can start to lay the waterproof film out.

4. Laying the film

The film is neatly spreading out with a smooth side down by rolling - from one side of the pond to the other, trying not to damage the terraces. If the pond is big, then the film to be rolled from its center to the edges.
There is another method of rolling the film - the film is put to the center of the pond and fill it with water as rolling from the center to the edges. This method allows to place the film exactly, without folds and wrinkles, and taking into account all drops of the bottom. This method is primarily recommended for ponds with an uneven bottom. You can glue the film if necessary, and roll the edges neatly to the gutter. Sometimes the edges buried to the ground, but this method leads to the situation the water in the pond will be absorbed by plants’ roots and the water level will be reduced. More successful method is to secure the film ledge with the soil with large rocks and sprinkle with pebbles. You can also hide the edge of the film under the decorative tile, track or wooden flooring. There is a special decorative film, which decorated with a layer of pebbles, but it is just decorative film without waterproofing characteristic.

Once the pond has been created we set the pump and filter to the bottom and then poured pond with water. In essence, it is possible to complete the story about the pond creation on your garden, but the basin will look empty if it does not decorate with the plants.

5. Planting of water plants

Typical pond plants are lilies and various types of nymphoids. Around the pond you can place a tree, such as willow, which looks great near water. Charming and delicate iris and forget-me-not flowers adorn the place in the best way. Also we can recommend marsh marigold, sedges, reeds, aquilegia and other wetland plants.

- to look the article is equipping modern with amenities.