It has begun

[MTguy]

Good luck with the next steps! Are those septic tank/field materials you're using? I looked all over for that kind of stuff, but no one sells it where I am.

They are septic chambers. I got them at Menards. It’s nice because they have technical information to go with them. They’re a lot cheaper than aquablox as well.

 

[Lisak1]

We all feel your pain, to one degree or another. Somedays during our build, we all - my husband, my son and I - just had to walk away from each other and retreat to our separate corners. Those mistakes build character... or something like that! You sound like you have a good outlook on the whole situation so I have all the confidence you will be back to show off a gorgeous, finished pond before too long!

 

[GBBUDD]

Everything went smooth as silk on my build . No hydronic leaks. Flat tires , deliveries were late when I had help standing and waiting. No boulders ripped the liner. Mother nature didn't pass on me or the hole. Freeze thaws clasped the sides.guess I shouldn't have dug th e hole on x mass. I could go on and on of what didn't happen.
Yea right

 

[Jhn]

Like everyone said that is all part of building a pond, we have all been there. In fact that is what I was doing the for the past two weeks, hunting down a leak in the main pond and bog. Found them both and fixed them, out of all the large boulders I put in the pond addition the one that caused the leak in the main pond was a little 150lb. rock, not one of the many I set with an excavator, but the one I set by hand.

Apparently, I am better and more careful with heavy equipment than I am doing it by hand.

Sounds like the pond will look great when done, looking forward to see the pics as you go along.

 

[combatwombat]

@MTguy: Sorry to hijack your thread for a moment...

@Jhn: Did you set the boulders with an excavator by yourself? If so, what's your process like for that? Do you strap them or just pinch them with a thumb?

 

[GBBUDD]

All the above.. I know your not asking me but every rock every location is different. What works in one spot for the thumb is dangerous for another. AND DONT WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT SCRATCHES UN K ESS THEY ARE DEEP. in time these go away. One word of advise I will give you is to place large boulders on smaller ones so you can get the straps out. In my opinion ALWAYS have fabric often lots of it under and up the back of the rock to keep the liner safe from the rock as well as pulling the straps out the bigger the boulder the more crucial this is. The other tip I can give is if you don't have a Boulder tall enough for what you want make a stand with other boulders Below the big rocks the fish love these as they make hiding places. And primarily from my build anyways it looks like a shadow line as you can't see the build up.

 

[MTguy]

@combatwombat - hijack away! I can learn something without navigating elsewhere.

@GBBUDD - I also had a bit of wall collapse over the winter, but it was an easy fix. I borrowed my wife’s boss’s dump trailer to pick up bulk rock and of course, it had a flat tire when I picked it up. I bought him a new one as a rental fee. As to current pond construction, I’m doing everything by hand. So I have to man handle every stone. I should be fine. Weak mind, strong back....

Weather held off long enough to start digging out the rocks from the pump vault/water storage area. I got an hour and a half of digging done before the rain started. That was about enough of that!

I decided to make lemons out of lemonade and spread the rock on a tarp to let the rain rinse it a bit. I also channeled my gutter to the pond area to test the liner and rinse it off. Maybe I’ll assemble the manifold today if I’m bored. If I do a little everyday...

 

[Jhn]

@MTguy: Sorry to hijack your thread for a moment...

@Jhn: Did you set the boulders with an excavator by yourself? If so, what's your process like for that? Do you strap them or just pinch them with a thumb?

As @GBBUDD said yes to all of that, set a lot by myself and some with help. I used two endless straps (can hook and unhook them quickly) so I could use them as big loops or run them through themselves so they would pull tight on the rock. Another trick when setting rock with straps by yourself....tie a rope to use as a a tag line to one of the straps so you can sit 8n the excavator and turn the rocks the direction you want them. Last thing I will add don’t reach way out to set any large rocks with the excavator turned cross ways to its tracks, unless you are experienced running one as the machine can and will tip. There are tricks to do it with out the machine tipping over, but it takes a certain comfort level and experience knowing your equipments limitation. Ideally, the excavator has a blade on it that you can keep in front of you and use as a stabilizer when reaching way out over it to set large boulders. I had to sit side ways to the pond occasionally(space constraints), and had to use a couple tricks I know to set it out the machines reach limit.

You can do as Gbbudd said and set the big rocks on Little Rock’s to get the straps out or have a 3rd strap and you can hook it up to an edge to lift the rock slightly then pull the other straps out. Also agree with him in use non woven fabric even double or triple it up under the big rocks. Where my leak was I just put one layer of the 8oz fabric over the liner and even a little Rock (150lb)cut through it, which I didn’t think would happen.

I set all the huge boulders with straps and set the smaller ones (but bigger than I can lift or man handle) with the thumb, depending on where I wantEd it to go. Just make sure to take your time to get a good grip on the rock as they will squirt out of thumb Occasionally. It didn’t happen to me while building the pond, but it happens sometimes while I am at work ( I build stone revetments and living shorelines on the waterfront as part of my business).

 

[combatwombat]

@Jhn: Thank you, sir (and @GBBUDD, too).

tie a rope to use as a a tag line to one of the straps so you can sit 8n the excavator and turn the rocks the direction you want them

That's brilliant. Would not have thought of that on my own. Luckily, I'll probably have my dad to help most of the time, and he has run an excavator many times.

Last thing I will add don’t reach way out to set any large rocks with the excavator turned cross ways to its tracks, unless you are experienced running one as the machine can and will tip.

I've actually seen this (almost) happen. The guy I hired to dig the main pond for me was trying to take a big scoop of dirt with a 36" bucket fully extended. Almost dumped his excavator in the hole, but was able to set the bucket down and catch himself in time. Scared the crap out of everyone there.

 

[GBBUDD]

The one thing I wish I had done completely was to install non woven completely over the liner I did a full coat under the liner b I t I wish I had done a complete coverage ontop as well then just double up or triple like jhn said under the big or ones that have some edges.

 

[GBBUDD]

After last summer I am NOT wishing away the cool temps summer will get here.

 

[brokensword]

As @GBBUDD said yes to all of that, set a lot by myself and some with help. I used two endless straps (can hook and unhook them quickly) so I could use them as big loops or run them through themselves so they would pull tight on the rock. Another trick when setting rock with straps by yourself....tie a rope to use as a a tag line to one of the straps so you can sit 8n the excavator and turn the rocks the direction you want them. Last thing I will add don’t reach way out to set any large rocks with the excavator turned cross ways to its tracks, unless you are experienced running one as the machine can and will tip. There are tricks to do it with out the machine tipping over, but it takes a certain comfort level and experience knowing your equipments limitation. Ideally, the excavator has a blade on it that you can keep in front of you and use as a stabilizer when reaching way out over it to set large boulders. I had to sit side ways to the pond occasionally(space constraints), and had to use a couple tricks I know to set it out the machines reach limit.

You can do as Gbbudd said and set the big rocks on Little Rock’s to get the straps out or have a 3rd strap and you can hook it up to an edge to lift the rock slightly then pull the other straps out. Also agree with him in use non woven fabric even double or triple it up under the big rocks. Where my leak was I just put one layer of the 8oz fabric over the liner and even a little Rock (150lb)cut through it, which I didn’t think would happen.

I set all the huge boulders with straps and set the smaller ones (but bigger than I can lift or man handle) with the thumb, depending on where I wantEd it to go. Just make sure to take your time to get a good grip on the rock as they will squirt out of thumb Occasionally. It didn’t happen to me while building the pond, but it happens sometimes while I am at work ( I build stone revetments and living shorelines on the waterfront as part of my business).

I'm living vicariously through both you and GB! No rocks larger than one man can handle in my pond, but then, I didn't rock the pond nor have room for such landscape pieces.

 

[GBBUDD]

I'm living vicariously through both you and GB! No rocks larger than one man can handle in my pond, but then, I didn't rock the pond nor have room for such landscape pieces.

Mine is not covered I pay a price if I want to sit out at night. There's trade offs all around . But I do love my rocks
In the original part of the pond there's hardly 1 boulder I could man handle. Only the cave ceiling rocks are managable

 

[MTguy]

I’m doing everything by hand. No excavator for me! That should help with the scale. I live on the prairie so large rocks are out of place here. If the Egyptians can build the pyramids, I can build a pond.

 

[GBBUDD]

As you have already found out make sure you leave slack anywhere things may settle or shift. That way it won't stretch the liner and create a tear