CW's Back Yard Water Garden Begins!

[Lisak1]

DID ONE OF YOUR NEW FISH DIE ??

I think @ATP meant hypothetically - like all the things we have to think about once the pond is actually done.

 

[GBBUDD]

I think @ATP meant hypothetically - like all the things we have to think about once the pond is actually done.

Thats what i was hoping, EVEN WITH A NEW POND IF IT WASN'T THE CASE I'D REACH OUT TO THE STORE AND COMPLAIN , IF THAT HAD BEEN THE CASE

 

[combatwombat]

Well friends. I have leaks. A lot of them. All small. Pinholes around the top edge of the liner. Some at factory seams that appeared in good shape.

Had big plans for starting the patio today. Now I’m lost and have no idea what to do. Spent the better part of the morning digging around the edges and looking for little drips in the liner. Lots of them. Am I just finding the ones at the top and they’re actually all over? Never noticed leaks before while building.

Trying not to panic. Just going to keep busy today, try to figure out how to not be a wreck with my family tonight, and come up with a plan tomorrow.

If anyone wants to help me come up with a plan, I’m all ears. I am very depressed right now.

 

[GBBUDD]

Not welcoming news.

There are a couple products on the market that claim . Their product will plug small leaks in ponds I saved it once apon a time as a favorite but I'm afraid it was on my old pc . I believe it's like bentonite.

did you also use fabric below the liner?

You almost had me talked into hdrpe when I went to do the bog. The way that stuff frays on the ends and all the weave points I never got comfortable with.

Look at it this way we all have a leak to solve. When we fire up for the first time.
Pls30 use it more like a paint.
Fiber glass coating
Bentonite
Waterproof paints and caulk
Call manufacturer.
Like we say to questions here take a pic so we can see a little better of what we have to work with.

You went for the ferrairi sir they need a little redesign here and there and some new paint after rounding the corner.

 

[SarahT]

Well friends. I have leaks. A lot of them. All small. Pinholes around the top edge of the liner. Some at factory seams that appeared in good shape.

Had big plans for starting the patio today. Now I’m lost and have no idea what to do. Spent the better part of the morning digging around the edges and looking for little drips in the liner. Lots of them. Am I just finding the ones at the top and they’re actually all over? Never noticed leaks before while building.

Trying not to panic. Just going to keep busy today, try to figure out how to not be a wreck with my family tonight, and come up with a plan tomorrow.

If anyone wants to help me come up with a plan, I’m all ears. I am very depressed right now.

Friend, don't panic. (Panic only if there's a bear in the pond making those holes, in which case, a nice panicky run to escape fits the bill.)
Second part of your plan: yes, come up with a plan tomorrow - or the day after tomorrow. You have mastered many problems and you'll come out on top of this one, too. Cease the tinkering for a day or two and see where the water level ends up.
I agree with @ggbudd - send pictures. (Then you'll get pages of advice!)
Hug your family tonight, focus on and take joy in them.
It's going to be fine.

 

[combatwombat]

Thanks both of you. Hopefully I’m just awfulizing right now and these are just little bits of damage that can be easily fixed.

I just have this fear that the whole liner is shot and there’s nothing I can do about it besides remove and replace.

 

[GBBUDD]

In roofing we use the blue Tarps sam principle as hdrpe but cheaper and what we do where ever it is cut is to wrap the tarp up inbetween two boards 3/4 or 2x4 matters not roll them with the liner wrapped around one and use a second to screw through the liner and into the other board. Now this won't stop what's leaking but it very well may stop any more. From showing up.

 

[GBBUDD]

Panic only if there's a bear in the pond making those holes, in which case, a nice panicky run to escape fits the bill.)

Na that's when you get pissed and break out the shotgun after 19 months of hard work and I love bears . Heck my photo this month in life is a momma bear and her cub

 

[SarahT]

Thanks both of you. Hopefully I’m just awfulizing right now and these are just little bits of damage that can be easily fixed.

I just have this fear that the whole liner is shot and there’s nothing I can do about it besides remove and replace.

Love the term "awfulizing". Take a break, move into that panic-free, picture taking, toddler-tickling, bear-free zone.

 

[Rabungalow]

Not welcoming news.

There are a couple products on the market that claim . Their product will plug small leaks in ponds I saved it once apon a time as a favorite but I'm afraid it was on my old pc . I believe it's like bentonite.

did you also use fabric below the liner?

You almost had me talked into hdrpe when I went to do the bog. The way that stuff frays on the ends and all the weave points I never got comfortable with.

Look at it this way we all have a leak to solve. When we fire up for the first time.
Pls30 use it more like a paint.
Fiber glass coating
Bentonite
Waterproof paints and caulk
Call manufacturer.
Like we say to questions here take a pic so we can see a little better of what we have to work with.

You went for the ferrairi sir they need a little redesign here and there and some new paint after rounding the corner.

Stick with it sir, you’ve done a heck of a job already. I can only 2nd what @GBBUDD has already said as it’s great advice. I wish I could add some useful information, but I’m not familiar enough with hdrpe liner.

 

[Jhn]

@combatwombat you‘ll get it straightened ou. As @GBBUDD said we all have leaks on the first fire up of the pond. I did, as Well last year when I added onto my pond. it took me about a week to find the leak, under a small 100lb. rock of all places, not where I thought it would be.

 

[GBBUDD]

@combatwombat you‘ll get it straightened ou. As @GBBUDD said we all have leaks on the first fire up of the pond. I did, as Well last year when I added onto my pond. it took me about a week to find the leak, under a small 100lb. rock of all places, not where I thought it would be.

I have since found that they also make a 12 and a 16 and 20 oz fabric next time around im doing the 20 and protect the heck out of the liner and now have any chance of something leaking.

 

[combatwombat]

Ok, I've accepted the reality of my situation because... what else am I going to do. All in all, I found 20 leaks. There are probably more. They are all very small. In fact, I cannot even see a hole. Water just seeps slowly out in these spots. The only way I'd ever find them is from the back of the liner, seeing the wet spot. No chance you'd find them from inside the pond. A few of them are on factory seams, and that really pisses me off.

I've spray painted the dirt around the pond with arrows indicating everywhere I've found leaks so far. I didn't check the bog. Ran out of time and will to go on.

The problem is not finding leaks. They are fucking everywhere. And perhaps they are easy repairs. What worries me now is that the pond is full of these from top to bottom and it's only practical for me to find and repair the ones in the top 6 or so inches.

Yes, I did use a very tough woven underlayment. This liner (American Tilapia 30mil HDRPE) shouldn't even need it, especially in my mostly baby-smooth soil.

I am very much hoping these leaks really are just in the top few inches where I've had the extra liner exposed for a year and a half with no under or overlayment and it's just leaking because I beat the shit out of it while building and then decided to "make the pond a little bigger."

So far all but one leak has been in the main pond liner, which is the oldest and most abused.

So here's my tentative plan:

0. Forget this bullshit for a few days and build a patio to convince myself the pond is staying and the future is still bright.

1. Figure out how to repair the leaks I found. PL-S30 alone? PL-S30 to hold a patch? Special RPE patch tape? Whatever it is, it'll probably need to be able to be applied wet because I really don't know how I'm going to locate the leaks dry.

2. Make the repairs.

3. Turn off the pump and use my utility pump to get water "out of motion" as quickly as possible.

4. Perform the "bucket test" to determine remaining leakage vs. evaporation.

5. Depending on results, I will either be satisfied and move on with my life or delete every shred of evidence of this pond from the internet and try to sell the house.

If you have any feedback on this plan for ways to improve, please share them. I need all the help I can get right now. Absolutely cannot believe I'm dealing with this on a brand new pond.

@GBBUDD: I get what you're saying about how you fix tarps to a roof, but not understanding how to apply it in this scenario.

 

[combatwombat]

Forgot I posted this on Youtube today. The negative edge waterfalls are alive. Ah, happier times... just hours ago. Hate that such a cool part of the build is now overshadowed by something so negative.

 

[bagsmom]

Forgot I posted this on Youtube today. The negative edge waterfalls are alive. Ah, happier times... just hours ago. Hate that such a cool part of the build is now overshadowed by something so negative.

This looks SO GOOD!