Underlayment - A Pond "Do"

When you consider that a pond liner will have tens of thousands of pounds of pressure pushing it into the soil below, it makes sense to put some sort of cushion underneath it. Commercial underlayment material has been designed for this purpose, and – for a variety of reasons – we won't use anything else.

1. The dense, tightly woven synthetic matting protects the rubber liner from tears and punctures caused by tree roots, rocks and other sharp objects. The tight weave can also keep moles and other burrowing critters from tearing your liner. A torn liner can be a very messy, time-consuming and expensive repair!

2. Underlayment is fairly thin and quite flexible, so it molds easily to the shape of the pond, waterfall and stream. Excess underlayment folds easily without adding bulk, so there is no need to cut and piece it in the pond (pieces can shift and leave an area of liner unprotected).

3. Most ponds utilize rubber pond liner from Firestone, and using any other material – or none at all – will void the liner warranty.

4. Because the material is synthetic, it will not rot or disintegrate over time. We have fixed leaks in ponds that had old carpet pad, carpet remnants, canvas tarps and even newspaper under the liner. Over time these materials turned into clumps of rotted garbage and failed to protect the liner from sharp objects.

Help! I Think I Have a Leaky Pond!

WHERE DID THE WATER GO?

In any system with water, pipes, liners and rocks, leaks can – and do – develop.  Finding those leaks can be tricky, but there are some steps you can take to help narrow down the problem area.

Construction - Plan Twice, Dig Once

CONSTRUCTION
Before you begin construction, ask yourself what you want from your pond. Will it be purely decorative, or filled with plants and fish? Our Design Thoughts article can help guide you through these early steps. Once you have determined the purpose, shape, depth and location of your new pond, your installer can start digging. Well, almost…

Our Resident Red-legged Frog

This is why we will never be without a pond in our lives! We usually spot this guy resting in the vegetation around our pond, but this weekend he (she?) decided to lounge around on the deck chairs. We were out cleaning filters, trimming plants and pulling weeds, and our supervisor here just took it all in!

We're pretty sure this is a Northern Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora), as it matches all of the images and characteristics we were able to find in our research. For anyone studying the species, they seem to do quite well in a semi-rural backyard pond. We'll keep an eye out for tadpoles – let's hope the koi didn't eat all the eggs...

Before & After: David's Pond

David had a beautiful backyard pond installed about six years ago. Early in the spring, a large section of the wall near the patio collapsed into the pond. The dirt under the exposed liner that you see on the left felt spongy, and obviously wasn't holding a shape.

Maintenance - Ponds

MAINTENANCE
Much as with household pets, our fish rely on us for a certain amount of care. It is up to us to make sure that the water is chemically safe, free of debris, and well oxygenated. For the most part, a few minutes a day can ensure the health of the pond and our continued enjoyment.