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Making A Water Garden |
When excavating the necessary depression one should, when
considering the depth, remember that there will be a four-inch
layer of concrete and up to six inches of soil at the bottom so
that one must go down about ten inches deeper than the actual
depth of water it is intended the pool should hold. It is
important to make the bottom very firm before attempting to
put in the cement and although not essential, some large mesh
wire netting put down before the cement will strengthen the
concrete. Anything which can be done in this respect is well
worth while. Make sure that the soil thrown out of the hole
is not placed so that it falls in on the cement.
Only the best materials should be used and this applies par-
ticularly to cement. When making up the concrete it is vital
to use 'hard' material such as crushed stones, brick bats and old
broken concrete. The inclusion of soil or anything which will
break up or deteriorate, increases the risk of a leaky pool. Care
must also be taken in using the cement, sand and aggregate,
as the crushed stones, etc., are called, so that they are mixed
by volume in the proportion of one part of cement to two parts
of each of the others. When the concrete is ready for use, it
should be put in position so that there are no spaces or air
holes, and so that all corners are well covered.
It is always best to mix sufficient cement for the whole job
at one time. Making it up in several small lots always means
a slight difference in consistency and if the mixture varies or is
weaker in some places than others, the pond may become
porous. A leaky pond is difficult to repair and it is far better
to make it evenly watertight in the first place.
Extra reinforcement can be provided by placing a layer of
large mesh wire netting or something similar in the midddle of
the concrete, that is, when a depth of two inches has been put
down. Then put in the remaining couple of inches.
There are various ways of providing means for the easy
draining of the pool, one of the most simple being to insert the
top half of a screw top bottle in the cement at the bottom of
the pool. If the neck protrudes an inch or two it will be
simple to unscrew the top as necessary or such an insertion
can be made fairly low down, at the side of the pool.
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