14 ways to edge a pond. A pictorial guide to finishing your new pond

Decking is a popular material for areas outside and is the best choice for access hatches over filtration areas. It can be designed over sized to the filter pit area and run to the pond edge to provide a access platform to view the koi and pond. It should always be laid across the deck as oppossed laying it towards the pond, as the grooves in the deck board will then provide maximum grip when wet.

The front face of the decking can be faced with a vertical board which should extend down to but not touch the water surface. The water proofing (liner or fibreglass) should be applied up and over the wall and in the case of a liner, clamped down with the timber sub frame of the deck.

For a gallery of decking click here

 Sometimes simplicity is the key to a design. A brick edge can created with a double stretcher course capped with a header course. The water proofing (liner or fibreglass) should be applied up and over the wall and in the case of a liner, clamped down using the first course of brick.

It is possible, although not recommended for koi ponds, to set the water level to half way up the inside stretcher course of brick. If this is required then the waterproofing should be continued up the inside face of the outer stretcher course and therefore waterproof the inside brick without seeing the liner.

For a gallery of bricks click here

 Staying with simplicity, a single slab of natural stone such as granite can provide a clean and stylish look.  The capping stone as shown here should be kept above the ground level to prevent soil or detritus being washed into the pond during heavy rain.

The water proofing (liner or fibreglass) should be applied up and over the wall and in the case of a liner, clamped down using the slab of stone. This can be coupled with granite setts as a stretcher course similar to the bricks above and again the water level can be set to half way up this course as described above in # 2

For a gallery of stone slabs click here

Rock in water is the ultimate finish for a Japanese themed in ground pond. There is a concern regarding the fish in the pond damaging themselves on the underwater stone but the choice of stone is key. Rounded boulders look best near water as we naturally associate water worn surfaces with rivers and water ways. Granite is best for this finish as it is inert and do not alter the water chemistry. A solid foundation is required and the addition of the block behind the rock allows the water proofing to be lapped up behind the stone and allow a chipping or gravel material to hide the join. This creates a natural appearance to both the front and rear surfaces. Boulders should be bedded into a cement base to prevent detritus from collecting in crevices. 

For a gallery of boulders click here

 If the rock in water effect shown in # 4 is too much of a concern to the koi keeper then it is possible to sit the boulder on top of the wall. It is still best to choose the material used carefully, flatter boulders tend to work best both visually and to assist siting the boulder easier. The water level should be set higher when using this option to hide the water proofing material, which in the case of a liner should be clamped down by the selected material.

If larger boulders are to be used its necessary to provide adequate foundation for the stone to sit upon. All surround materials should be properly fixed to prevent movement if stood on.

For a gallery of boulders click here

 Surface skimmers present the pond builder with several issues. Not only must we try and hide the skimmer from view but allow access to the top of the unit to clean the intregral basket. Where possible it is best to keep things simple and continue the edge material / finish around and over the skimmer body. The access point can either be left open for unobstructed cleaning or covered with a simple stone slap which compliments the pond edge or surround paving and landscaping.

It is considered good practice, once the pipework has been tested, to fully concrete the skimmer unit into the structure. The water proofing (liner or fibreglass) should be applied up and over the wall and in the case of a liner, clamped down using the inside course of the wall material.

 Raised ponds offer the pond owner with a completely different viewing experience by comparison to an inground pond. Being much closer to the koi in the pond, they tend to become more friendly as you are not standing over them and creating a shadow. Also it is easier to catch and bowl fish for appraisal and inspection. The height of a wall is usually defined by if you wish to sit upon the wall or lean against the wall.

Having a brick wall also offers possibilities such as pond viewing windows to add a further perspective on your fish and pond as a whole. The water proofing (liner or fibreglass) should be applied up and over the wall and in the case of a liner, clamped down using the first course of brick.

For a gallery of bricks click here

 This option is a further development of # 7. Larger ponds should be constructed of thicker walls, using hollow concrete blocks with reinforcement steel rods and back filled with concrete. This creates a thicker wall which when combined with an outer brick skin and capping is better suited to sitting upon than leaning on.

A thicker brick wall also makes installing pond viewing windows far easier in terms of finishes. The water proofing (liner or fibreglass) should be applied up and over the wall and in the case of a liner, clamped down using the first course of brick.

For a gallery of bricks click here

For a gallery of stone slabs click here

 While bricks are a conventional material for building walls, stone has been used for centries before. The strength in the wall is provided by reinforced concrete blocks and so allows the outer skin to be construction from other stone materials. While dry stone walling is an attractive finish it is best to cement all of the stone together and use brick ties between the block and the stone. Raking out the joints of the stone will provide the dry stone look to the wall without the instability.

Selected stone can be used for the capping of the wall and the courses of the outer skin wall should be made level to the top of the block to create a uniform finish to the wall. The water proofing (liner or fibreglass) should be applied up and over the wall and in the case of a liner, clamped down using the slab of stone.

Paddlestones create a interesting stone wall click here

 Skimmer units in raised ponds create further issues than units in the ground. The body of the unit tends to jut out from the wall so where ever possible site it between the pond and the filter house and hide it with decking. This isnt aways possible and so its best to build an outer skin wall around the unit to create a mock pier look to it. An over sized slab of stone can be used to cap the skimmer and provide continuity to the capping of the whole pond.

The water proofing (liner or fibreglass) should be applied up and over the wall and in the case of a liner, clamped down using the inside course of brick.

Liners offer the least expensive and fastest instalation when building a pond. Whilst there are many different materials for use as pond liners, we only use 1mm Swedish Butyl.

When constructing a liner pond it is best to dig a ring beam and pour a reinforced concrete foundation. This provides a level defined shape inside which you can dig the desire shape for your pond. This ring beam then provides the foundation for edge finishing. The simplest of finishes is stone slabs or flat boulders cemented on top of the liner.

For a gallery of stone slabs click here

For a gallery of boulders click here

Pond liners are fround upon sometimes as many think they are limited in terms of finishing the edge of your pond. Rock in water is the ultimate finish for a Japanese themed in ground pond. There is a concern regarding the fish in the pond damaging themselves on the underwater stone but the choice of stone is key. Rounded boulders look best near water as we naturally associate water worn surfaces with rivers and water ways. Granite is best for this finish as it is inert and do not alter the water chemistry. A solid ring beam is required and the addition of the block behind the rock allows the liner to be lapped up behind the stone and allow a chipping or gravel material to hide the join. This creates a natural appearance to both the front and rear surfaces. Boulders should be bedded into a cement base to prevent detritus from collecting in crevices and protect the liner.

For a gallery of boulders click here

Viewing windows are still possible in a liner pond, a clamping ring is used to seal the liner to the frame. The liner should be applied up and over the wall and clamped down using the inner course of brick.

For a gallery of bricks click here

It is worth remembering that ponds with liners do not have to be simple or boring in terms of finish. As long as the ring beam foundation is solid and correctly proportioned the wall can be built from many materials. For larger liner ponds it is best to use reinforced concrete blocks to form the wall and allow the finishing material to be a just a decorative skin. For a low cost but stylish finish use railway sleepers, for ponds they can be used to create the whole wall without the need for concrete blocks, athough it is recommended to still use a ring beam.

Paddlestones create a interesting stone wall click here

For a gallery of sleepers click here