How to make a raised pond in a summer cottage

The raised pond can become the central decoration of your cottage. Surrounded by green spaces, it looks like a small oasis. In addition, such a reservoir is much safer for children and adults than the pool, because it is on the elevation and it is difficult to accidentally fall into it.

General rules for building a pond

You can not always dig a pond in the ground in a summer cottage, how to make a pond in such cases? There is a way out - you can build a pond on a hill. The deeper you want a pond, the higher you need to build its walls. In raised ponds, you can safely hide the filter system, and they also scare off her troops from the garden. There are many ways to build a raised pond with your own hands, but all methods have general rules:

1. Not always a pond in the center of the garden looks harmonious, it will look good surrounded by paths and lawns.
2. The forms of the pond are very different, the main thing is that it fits into the general view of the cottage.
3. The pond must necessarily be in the place where the sun happens, but at the same time it is not all day to be under its straight rays.
4. Under high trees, you also do not need to have a pond, otherwise it will be constantly contaminated.
5. It is advisable to build a reservoir near the source of electricity so that you can install a backlight or pump.
6. It is necessary to provide for the arrangement of the tank before frost, during this period the pond is very vulnerable.

Advantages of the raised pond:

1. Do not need a pit, which means that construction and costs are less.
2. In summer, it is easier to care for him than in a regular pond.
3. Safe, especially for children.
4. You can build on the slope.

Disadvantages of the raised pond:

1. Inferior in decorativeness to the usual pond.
2. You can not make a pond flowing.
3. You can’t bring a stream to him.
4. It completely freezes in the cold.

Pond from the finished shape

The store sells ready -made cast forms for the pond and it seems to many that making them a pond is much easier than building it from the beginning to the end, but this is not always true. First of all, ask the seller to show what a pond from ready -made containers in the photo in the catalogs will turn out. It is preferable to choose containers made of fiberglass, they are the most durable. You can also buy from reinforced plastic, but in this case you will have to make a reliable support to Earth from the outside so that the edges do not deform. These forms are made abroad and quite expensive. You can buy ordinary plastic, their cost is not high, but also quality. And their dimensions are not very large. And keep in mind that you need to buy a container preferably black.
Very often due to the fact that the soil in the gap between the pit and shape is incorrectly filled, the finished forms made of plastic are deformed. To prevent this from happening, you need to do the work correctly:

1. Pour a layer of sand 7 cm into the pit of sand. It is good to compact it and install the finished shape on it.
2. Pour a little water into the form, about 10 cm.
3. Pour sand into the gap between the wall and the pit, about 20 cm and pour it with water from the hose. As an option, to make a talker, mixing the ground, sand and water.
4. Wait until the talker becomes hard and again pour a little water into the pond.
5. Pour the talker in the same layer again in the gap.

And so gradually, adding the water into the pond, then the chatterbox into the gap, you will completely fill the gap. Only with this method can you install a plastic shape. As a result, it will stand hard and the edges will not be deformed. Of the finished containers, it is not necessary to drain water for the winter, otherwise it will be disintegrated without water from frost.

Reservoir from "solid" materials

A few years ago, concrete raised ponds were the most common in gardens and dachas. To build it, you need to perform a number of work:

1. Build the foundation made of concrete, with a thickness of 15 cm, and its width should be wider - by 10 cm than you plan, that there will be a ready -made pond.
2. In the center, install a grille from steel rods.
3. Several steel rods should protrude from concrete in a place where there will be a center of walls of two layers.
4. A wall is being built on both sides of the rods. On the outside, it can be stone or brick, and inside of small concrete blocks.
5. Two layers of the walls are connected by solution. Thanks to him, a reservoir can be built any form.
6. Build a plum and make a notch where the cable will enter.
7. After the construction of the walls, overlapping plates must be coated with lime solution. At the same time, the ceilings must go out a couple of cm, and 3 cm on the inside, so it will be more comfortable to coat. To prepare coating, you need to take part of the cement to 6 parts of the sand, add water, as a result, a pasty consistency should be obtained.
8. The coating is applied with a brush with hard bristles, first the first layer, and after five hours the second layer.
9. Apply coating so that the layer is thinner on top.
10. Paint the surface in the required color.
11. On top, apply an agent that does not pass water, this is necessary so that lime does not increase the acid-base balance, which will negatively affect the state of the reservoir.
12. Decorate the pond with decorative elements, it can be a skirting board, flowers, shelves.

Brick or stone pond with a lining

In order to build a pond with a lining in the country with your own hands, you need:

• Build a concrete base around the perimeter, which will be twice as wider than the walls. As a foundation, asphalt may also be suitable if it is strong enough. It will only require a small fit when you fasten it using a solution of lime, because asphalt often lies in an angle, and the bottom of the pond should be perfectly even.

• The walls are being built, as in the first version, in two layers and they are required to turn out very strong.
• As a lining, it is recommended to use synthetic rubber, its price is quite high, but it justifies itself in that it serves for a long time and is waterproof. Manufacturers give her a guarantee for 20 years, and with proper care and all 50 years. You can use polyvinyl film as an alternative, it costs cheaper, but its strength is weak.
• The lining has two disadvantages, it is easily damaged if it is inadvertently to turn, and it can spoil the entire general view when lowering the water level. Therefore, it is better to hide it behind layers of stone or brick.
• The pond needs to be filled with water and give lining for several hours so that it stretches.

Wooden pond with a lining

This is the most simple way to build a raised pond, since it does not need to build a complex foundation. The main thing is that it is perfectly even, and the tree used is massive. You can build a pond from railway sleepers, but in the heat of them an unpleasant smell will come from them and enjoy gatherings on the edge of the pond will not be very comfortable. It is best to use solid wooden bars in construction. They do not smell of tar and work with them is easy.
The principle of building wooden walls of the pond is similar to the construction of a log hut, that is, the beam is placed horizontally on each other. Belus are attached between themselves with screws and nails. And the lining is seasoned under the last beam, crushed on top with a sleeper.
The second way of building walls is to build them in two layers, from the outside of wood, and inside to build concrete blocks, which should end at the level of the penultimate wooden beam. The lining must be thrown over the wall and clamped by the penultimate wooden beam. Thus, if the water is slightly evaporated, then the lining will not be visible immediately.
It is preferable to use chestnut or oak from wood, because they do not need to be additionally treated with waterproof reagents that can fall into the water.

Decoration of the raised pond

To decorate the raised pond, you can use figures made of clay and ceramics. You can install flower flows on the sides. Railed ponds with fountains and waterfalls look good.
The bottom of the pond can be decorated with a lined pattern using tiles and mosaics. If you want to enhance the effect of the purity of your pond, then lay it out with blue and white tiles. At night, your pond will be unrecognizable if you decorate it with flashlights and lamps. Do not forget to isolate the wiring for this. It is better not to use the network voltage, but to put a transformer that has 24 to voltage when exit.

When decorating with stones of the pond, they need to be laid from the base of the walls. Together with the laying of the pebbles, throw the hose with water into the pond, gradually the water will put pressure on the housing and it will pass, and then you can adjust the shortcomings.
The upper row of stones should hide the edges of the shape, you can plant plants between the stones that do not require special care and you will get a kind of alpine slide with a pond.