Pond info & picture for Akai-San

[Koi-Schmid-Linden]

Hi TomC,

thanks for sharing the pics of the craeting of the pond.

Nice Pond, fine work, specially at the outer wall.

[B.Scott]

Ditto Tom. Nice picture and it gives a much better idea of what I was saying. Thanks
B.Scott

[dunkel]

Hi Tom,
Nice pond and pictures! Where in So Cal are you located? I am located in Brentwood (NorCal). I built my pond 3 years ago, and have a 25,000 gallon gunite pond that is compatable in design as yours. From what I undersand you took advice from several pond masters. I have studied some of their pond designs and am a little concerned about stagnant water in the returns. It would be an honor for me if I could see your pond and filtration design and find out what your turnover rates are, your settling, etc. I own a trucking business in Corona and am there from time to time.

Please feel free to call me @ 925-516-9404 or you can email me: joelan@sbcglobal.net

Jeff Dunkel
Hydroman

[Akai-San]

Tom,

After the gunite job how did you waterproof and finish(texture) the surfaces? Like pools is plastering a smooth finish essential? Gunite in Hawaii is expensive but is still used a lot for many different applications.

I know of few products out there, but does anybody know what the latest and greatest pond waterproofing systems and finishes used nowadays? (aside from liners)

Thanks all.

[Tom C]

Jeff I will e-mail you.

You ask about stagnant water. The only water in my pond that I would say is even close to stagnant is what's in the settling tank in the Nexus units. I think you're talking about the water that's in the TPR lines that are not working at the time. This was a easy fix. I just have the closed ones cracked a little. This keeps a little water moving through them all the time. It's not enough to do anything else. Brentwood, is that near San Jose? I'm hoping to go to Genki koi next week to pick up a koi that I got from Kevin.

Akai-San, I used a product called CIM to seal it. It's just about like using a liner over it. You can read more about it at www.cimind.com.







Tom

[B.Scott]

Tom, Why the tape on the copping?

[Tom C]

CIM sticks to everything it gets on. I didn't want any to get on the cap of the pond. The CIM came right up to the bottom of the cap and sealed it. CIM can be very tricky to use. It has a short pot time once it's mixed. If I remember right, it's about 15 minute before you can't work with it anymore, then the rest needs to be trashed. That's why three of use were putting it on. If it wasn't for the other two guy, I wouldn't have never been able to do it by myself.

Tom

[Tom C]

Here's a few pictures of the cap on the pond. It's a stamped concrete cap.







Tom

[B.Scott]

Ah how very clever! A rounded mold/strip and the front and back side of the coping have the rounded edges! Is that stuff made of syrofoam?

I'm impressed dude. Definately simplifies the alternitive id setting each stone and cutting to the proper angle.

So how did you get the rock-like finish on the upper surface?

[JasonS]

B -- the rounded edges are from styrofoam (or similar); I think it is a common practice for pool edges now. In addition, Tom said the cap was 'stamped' -- although I can't say exact was 'stamp' was used, that's the way it was done.