The right cement - pond crazy paving

I built a pond some dozen years ago. The water, fed from the circulating pump, drops a couple of feet over some stone blocks and then runs 3ft over crazy paving type slab stone bedded into traditional mortar into the pond.

Time, water and frost have had their go at this bedding and attention is needed to re-set all these stones.

What should I use ?

Thanks Rob

Reply to
robgraham
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12 years? how long do you want it to last this time?

maybe a stronger mix?

Jim K

Reply to
Jim K

Well you need a substantial concrete base, not cheap. Think of the weight of the water. But you will have to start again. I don't think the existing will be fixable.

Best bet this time is a butyl pool liner. Put a double layer using scraps over the edge where exposed to sunlight for max life. Repairs are possible.

Reply to
harryagain

Come on guys - it wasn't that badly worded; the problem is the bed of the s tream from the waterfall into the pond, not the pond itself. Surely there is cement that will tolerate being wet and getting some frost into it; and making ordinary mortar stronger makes it more brittle and therefore more se nsitive to damp and frost, doesn't it.

Rob

Reply to
robgraham

Come on guys - it wasn't that badly worded; the problem is the bed of the stream from the waterfall into the pond, not the pond itself. Surely there is cement that will tolerate being wet and getting some frost into it; and making ordinary mortar stronger makes it more brittle and therefore more sensitive to damp and frost, doesn't it.

Rob

Well a stream bed is even worse. You have a long thin inflexible structure. The slightest ground movement will caus cracks to form, (esp if you have boulders incorporated) frost gets in and bingo, it breaks up.

If you look at properly built one, it is on a reinforced concrete slab so no movement/cracking is possible. All expensive, so people resort to channels formed out of bits of plastic or rubber, looks like shit. My neighbour has one.

The other thing is fibre glass, homemade or bought. But again looks like shit as it's true nature can't be hidden. And not totally weather proof either.

So most people avoid babbling brooks or keep them very short. Unless they got loads-a-dosh. Or the real McCoy.

There aren't many replies because there are no real solutions, not people being awkward.

Reply to
harryagain

stream from the waterfall into the pond, not the pond itself. Surely ther e is cement that will tolerate being wet and getting some frost into it; an d making ordinary mortar stronger makes it more brittle and therefore more sensitive to damp and frost, doesn't it.

If it will overcoat G4 sealer, wear a mask its moisture cured polyurethane. ..

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for extended life, 150+years Pulhamite

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Reply to
Adam Aglionby

Thanks guys - I looked at the G4 product and saw a review that put me to a UK company Antel who possibly make a better product; I've put the question to them.

Harry - your point is absolutely right, and it may be that a dozen or so ye ars is as much as I'm going to get before re-bedding has to take place. Bu t before I did so, I did wonder if there was something better for this than ordinary mortar. It does surprise me somewhat that there isn't, and I thin k I'll cast my net a bit wider before I set to on the task.

Reply to
robgraham

Also you have to consider any fish you want in the pond. They don't like fresh concrete all that much. Even most natural stones don't tolerate getting water in cracks and freeze thaw action.

The stuff sold fr making the lower parts of walls waterproof - mostly sodium silicate might provide some additional water resistance but I suspect your fish will suffer badly for it.

Consider doing it dry stone walling style with loose rocks?

Anything rigid is sure to break up unless on stout foundations.

If you can get hold of it (and for a price) then Ucrete ought to last up under these conditions. It is a tough waterproof polyurethane concrete hybrid mix generally used for food safe areas today.

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Our old pond waterfall was done with a sheet of lead thick enough to be self supporting as the spout.

Reply to
Martin Brown

How about fibre-reinforced mortar?

Reply to
Martin Bonner

Another way is to strip the stones up, lay some butyl pond liner on a bed of soft sand, and then set the rocks/slabs on top. Any loose or difficult to set stones can be held in place and to each other with expanding foam[1] with a sprinkling of dirt over it to disguise.

[1] There's a special pond/waterfall type - black and UV resistant.
Reply to
Tim Watts

Ooh - LEAD! There's an idea!

I've been following this thread with great interest, as I'm actually in the process of creating a waterfall in my pond (that I originally made about 15 years ago,and which undergoes renovations- redesigns- improvements every couple of years).

My own solution to Rob's original point has so far (I haven't finished the waterfall yet) been to use ordinary concrete mortar: *very thick* ordinary concrete mortar. I might use the lead solution in some way as well (I've seen this used in installations over the years and had forgotten about it.)

Now someone will come along and say "Go ahead: give all your frogs/newts/pondlife lead poisoning".

John

Reply to
Another John

Pulhamite restoration is a good starting place

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Reply to
Adam Aglionby

You can get special pond paint for concrete ponds (OK for fish). I painted my pond & added fish, it was OK.

Reply to
harryagain

It will too. Haven't you noticed the lack of mosses around lead flashing? You can use bits of rigid plastic.

Reply to
harryagain

Didn't seem to bother our fish at all. In fact they were happy enough to reproduce which was fun because tiny goldfish fry are brown.

I have known careless use of fresh concrete kill fish.

Unless the water is very soft the lead just forms an impermeable lead oxide/carbonate/hydroxide layer and then settles down. The same way as it used to do in domestic lead water pipes back in the good old days when plumbing really meant what it said on the tin.

Lead sheet is much easier to work with and looks better. (heavy to handle and expensive though)

Reply to
Martin Brown

Bondaglass-Voss (makers of G4) are experts on this sort of thing, but alas they STILL don't have a website. Grrr

Reply to
stuart noble

Not to be confused with G4S - that'd let the water escape!

Reply to
PeterC

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