Building A Reflecting Pool

fakie99

i've got a client who is interested in a reflecting pool as part of her new landscape (a sketch of what i am thinking about is attached). this would be about 8'x12' and about 24" deep. now i know that this could be constructed out of SRWs with a 30 mil liner, but i vastly prefer the masonry look: blocked up or poured concrete with manufactured stone veneer, limestone coping, etc.

has anyone done a project like this? i am inclined to pour a frost depth footer for the entire thing, but i also wonder about pouring footers for just the walls, then a reinforced slab for the bottom of the pool. then spray in liner as opposed to rubber liner, etc. project is in MI.

any thoughts on the construction of a project like this?

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natural1

Did a water feature similar to what you are doing. Being in NC I am not sure about the depth of your footers, perhaps someone else can give advise. Feature was constructed by pouring a 6" slab with about 8" around the perimeter for the wall. Monolithic type of pour. Walls were 8" block. For the interior I applied a coat of surewall (fiberglass-mortar stuff) and then two coats of black pond armor. There are other products available such as theroseal (sp?).

A friend of mine who also does this type of work probably would have gone the extra mile and put a liner under the slab and built the wall with two rows of 4" block. Tucking the liner between the two rows. This, in my opinion, is a PITA, because for the plumbing you have to use bulkhead fittings for the liner. I think the water proofing is enough.

4 day job with one helper.

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Stone

I have built fountains with footers below the frost line, then a concrete slab, and concrete block walls. I then coat the whole inside with a couple coats of Thoroseal. They hold water fine and penetrations for plumbing are no problem. I am in the same climate, within an hour of Ann Arbor. Just make sure the clients drain it in the winter. Adding a bottom drain with a standpipe for a plug makes this real easy.

Tscarborough

I have no experience with the freeze issues, but have built a fair amount of ponds. If you are going with no liner (even if you are, really), then make sure that before you coat it there are no right angles. Generously cove where the wall meets the floor and in the corners and you will eliminate about 90% of the leaks via plaster/thoroseal/whatever cracking/tearing.

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Captainsls

Are you saying to grout the hard corners out so they are nice and smooth? What type of mortar are you using in this application, or does the thoroseal specify what to use?

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Tscarborough

It is better to form it in if possible, if not then non-shrink grout with a 1/2" key for cementious coatings, not for liners.

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fakie99

this is pretty good feedback - thanks for the thoughts.

jim