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Landscaping Tips: Concrete Pond Construction
Landscaping Tips: Concrete Pond Construction
By Carlo Morelli
Good concrete pond construction means not taking any shortcuts. Improper methods can lead to more money spent on maintenance, repairs, or replacement than on the cost of the initial concrete pond construction. Since good concrete pond construction equates to having one that lasts a lifetime or longer, follow these rules of thumb to get it right - the first time!
Keep in mind that for suitable concrete pond construction, you need to pour the concrete to a thickness of four to six inches. After deciding on the dimensions and outlining the area, all soil (and rocks!) should then be dug out. Concrete forms then need to be built and placed where concrete is to be poured, along with the proper placement of cut-to-fit reinforcement bars (rebar).
For digging out the area for concrete pond construction, you will need shovels, picks, a crowbar, and of course, a wheelbarrow. Some other necessary items include a carpenter's level, string, stakes, sheets of plastic, and a long two-by-four for spreading the concrete.
Pouring the concrete in concrete pond construction should be done in one day, unless the pond is very large, and then it must be poured in sections. Pour concrete in the bottom of the pool first, then the sides. If shelves have been dug out, pour concrete there, next. Finally, pour concrete for the top of the pond and for any coping that may be involved.
After you have completed these first steps of your concrete pond construction project, you need to let the concrete cure for several days under plastic. Treating with muriatic acid at this stage helps prevent high pH levels in the water later on, which benefits fish and plants. After the acid treatment, apply several coats of paint to the concrete. Use a paint made for pools, concrete or masonry sealant, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly.
Concrete pond construction can be a true learning experience. It's best to start with a smaller concrete pond, if you meet with success, you can then move on to a larger project. But once you get the hang of concrete pond construction, there's no limit to where you can go from there. So learn, build, and then build some more!
Carlo Morelli writes for http://www.OnlineTips.Org, where you can read tips on ceramic tiling, metal roofing and other home/garden topics.
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