Building your backyard pond naturally!
Q. What is meant by "10 mils "?
Q. What are the 3 simple steps for applying Pond Shield?
Q. Does Pond Shield have an odor? I want to apply this to the fountain in my hotel lobby.
Q. Over what temperature range has Pond Shield been tested?
Q. What is the problem of heat buildup?
Q. What is meant by surface tooth?
Q. What colors does the epoxy come in?
Q. Can Pond Shield be used in swimming pools?
Q. Can Pond Shield be used in a glass aquarium?
Q. Will the ice damage the fish pond in freezing weather?
Q. Can Pond Shield be used in swimming pools in northern climates?
Q. What can Pond Shield be applied to?
Q. Can I coat my pond liner with Pond Shield?
Q. Is Pond Shield fish and plant safe?
Q. How long before I can put water and fish in my pond?
Q. How does Pond Shield compare to other products available to me?
Q. Can Pond Shield be applied over other old coatings?
Q. How many coats do I have to apply?
Q. Can I apply a second coat of Pond Shield over the first?
Q. I applied Pond Shield and my pond still leaks. What is wrong?
Q. Can I use Pond Shield to waterproof my water garden planters?
Q. Can I get Pond Shield in a color other than the ones you currently have?
Q. Do I have to acid etch my concrete before I apply Pond Shield?
Q. Can I just spot coat a crack in my pond?
Q. Do you have a catalog that can be sent to me?
Q. I am not getting the square footage you advertise on the kit. What is wrong?
Q. At the end of a long watercourse, how do I attach a Pond Shielded wooden tank to a rubber liner?
Q. Talk about construction of the wooden tank in the above situation.
Q. How do we waterproof the water intake hole?
Q. What is concrete board?
When you are working with Pond Shield, you must remember that you are working with an epoxy. I.e., you are mixing two chemical to create a third chemical. When you mix them, heat is created. If there is too much heat, you will create lumps.
To avoid this, do not stir the epoxy in a can where heat can build up; stir the epoxy in a paint tray where the heat will be dissipated. Also, do not stir excessively long. Mix up enough to keep you busy applying the Pond Shield for about half an hour.
The Pond Shield may not adhere to a shiny smooth surface. Sometimes it is better to sand the surface with 60 grit sandpaper. That would make the surface rough and this roughness is sometimes referred to as surface tooth.
The standard colors are forest green, gray, competition blue, tan, clear and black.
Yes, see the comments on our Photo Gallery page.
Yes, but the glass would have to be etched first. As it is, there is not surface for which the coating can grab hold of. Etching systems include grinding, sand blasting and maybe chemical etching, but I am not sure what kind of bite a chemical etching agent would have.
As long as you don't allow ice to form that pushes the sides of your pond/pool outward, there shouldn't be an issue. I always recommend that a person planning to keep water in their pond/pool over the winter ought to have those heater pucks in place to allow ice expansion to move towards the heat and not the walls. Otherwise they should drain it and prepare it properly for winter. (Also read our Strength & Flexibility article.)
Pond Shield can be applied to concrete, cement, shotcrete, gunnite, stone, tile wood, steel, aluminum, rock, some plastics, old coatings (as long as they are prepared properly first) fiberglass, and many more surfaces.
No. Pond Shield is designed to be applied to any constructed surface like those listed above.
Absolutely! We actually send Pond Shield samples out to be tested in the mixed, uncured state to be sure no harm will come to your aquatic life.
The instructions will tell you to wait for 72 hours. However, if you inspect every bit of your coating the next day and are sure that it is dry and there are no tacky spots anywhere, you can add water and fish.
Pond Shield was specifically designed around the flaws of virtually every other coating available in the pond industry. It is competitively priced and costs not much more than a rubber liner per square foot but offers much more stability. Pond Shield can be applied by you, the home owner and does not require a specialized crew for installation. Pond Shield has been referred to as "bullet proof", "tough as nails" and "strongest coating ever used" to quote a few. While these are figurative forms of speech, Pond Shield has been designed strong and flexible to provide you with many years of virtually maintenance free service.
Yes. However, you should take care to properly prepare the surface prior to applying Pond Shield. Be sure to remove any old coating that is coming off, but the best case scenario is to remove all of the old coating prior to application. It's best not to rely on the failing bond of the old coating. If you find that some of the old coating is still bonding sufficiently, then you should sand the remainder with at least 60-grit sandpaper to give the material tooth.
Well that depends. Pond Shield is thick like grease and can be applied in one 10 mil coat. However, you may find it a little too thick for your liking the first time out. If this is the case, you can thin Pond Shield with Denatured Alcohol ONLY (found in places like Home Depot or Lowes) and by 3%-5% to start, but no more than 10%. If you thin Pond Shield out too much you run the risk of washing the pigments (Pond Shield will look semi transparent) and you may have to apply additional coats in order to achieve a 10 mil thick over-all thickness.
Yes, but it is not necessary unless you are trying to correct the first coat application. Pond Shield is designed to perform properly at a finished thickness of 10mils. Applying it thicker will not hurt, but will cost more in regards to materials. If you have to touch up and area you can apply Pond Shield over the top of itself with no extra surface preparation within 24 hours of the original application. After that 24 hour period, you should scuff the area being coating to give the material tooth. Keep in mind the 24 hour limit is a suggested time frame. Varying environmental conditions may require that you coat over in less time without sanding.
Simply put, you missed something. After your initial coating is applied, you need to go back and inspect the entire surface are for flaws in your application. Ares like cracks, crevices, voids, concrete showing through and any similar areas need to be corrected before you call the job finished. Once you have successfully applied a 100% coating to the interior of your pond, it will not leak.
Yes. Pond Shield has been designed specifically for ponds and water gardens, but does have a great deal of other uses as well.
Yes. We can match any solid color you choose. Just send us a paint chip with the color you'd like and we'll match it. Because of the way the components that make up Pond Shield are mixed, you have to order a minimum of 20 quart and a half kits when ordering a custom color.
Absolutely. There are two very important reasons for acid etching. First, the muriatic acid will remove and calcium deposits that form as concrete cures. These calcium deposits will fall over time anyway and you do not want to have your coating bonded to them. Finally, acid etching will neutralize the alkaline properties in the surface of the concrete, creating a much better bond.
That is not advisable. If you give Pond Shield the very best circumstances in which to work, you'll end up with a coating that will give you years and years of service. You should repair the crack properly and then apply a complete coating over the entire area that will be submerged so that it will work the way it was meant to work.
No. We do not have a catalog. All of our products are here on the web site along with just about any information you will need to successfully coat your pond.
Most of the time this can be attributed to the surface condition of the concrete or other substrate you are applying Pond Shield to. Rough, uneven areas will eat up material and cause you to be short over-all. Other times it can be related to improper mixing which will result in the coating curing too quickly and becoming unworkable or not removing the coating from the container it was mixed in. Being exothermic, Pond Shield will set up a lot faster if mixed incorrectly or left in the same container you mixed it in. It's best to pour it directly into the pond where you will begin work or into a large, flat paint pan of some sort. Finally, the use of incorrect tools will make the application process difficult too. We recommend that you start with a rubber window squeegee or plastic, flexible spreader to apply the coating and then move on to a short nap roller. The end thickness of the coating is much easier to achieve if you use the proper tools. Please read through all of the instructions that came with the kit. If you did not receive instructions, please contact us for a set.
One acre-foot is one acre of water 1 foot deep.
Try sprinkling small amount of Quick Fix onto the string algae wherever you see it.
If stored in a dry cool place, Quick Fix will stay active for years.
The man who wrote the above question had a 70-foot-long water feature with a deep pond at the end. The rubber liner in the pond had pin holes in it that would drain half the pond every week. His complaint was "My pond will not hold water."
Keep in mind that the seal where the tank is attached to the rubber liner must be absolutely water proof. The board that will attach to the rubber will have dried Pond Shield on it. The rubber in that area will be abraded to resemble 60-grit sandpaper so that the Pond Shield will adhere. Bolt holes will be drilled. The rubber will overlay the board and be attached with stainless steel bolts. Attach it so that there are no perceptible pin holes.
It is hard to find paint that will adhere to stainless steel bolts. So, go to an auto store and buy a quart of self-etching primer. Prime the bolts that stick out and then apply the Pond Shield, making sure that there are no pin holes whatsoever.
The main question to ask yourself is this: Will the pressure of the water cause the boards to bow over time? If so, that could cause leaks. Even if you plan on having the boards flush against the earth, it will be necessary to make lots of wooden ribs (3 - 4" apart) as in the diagrams below. With rain seeping into the earth & other types of shifting, you have to assume that not all of the boards will always be flush against hard-packed earth.
When using wood, it is necessary to have good, sound, solid construction. Weather and such can also wreak havoc on wooden structures.
As you read these instructions, look at the 3 diagrams below.
You should start by making your box out of a good 3/4" exterior grade plywood. (Exterior grade has water resistant glue.) The plywood can be butted together using about 10 biscuit joints for each 8'. (You may need a Lamello or some such grinder tool to make the pockets for the buscuit joints.)
The ribs around the sides and the bottom should be held together with some type of angle iron. (That is like the iron bands that hold the staves in a wooden barrel together.)
Because plywood can delaminate over the years, you may want to line this box with a half inch concrete board (Hardie plank). Cover the Hardie plank joints with fiberglass tape.
Shopping List for Above Tank
1 1/2" stainless steel bolts -- 8
Self-etching primer -- 1 quart
Fiberglass tape -- enough to cover all Hardiplank joints
Pond Shield, tan -- 4 kits
3/4" exterior grade plywood -- 7 sheets
Biscuit joints -- 130
Angle brackets, flat -- 36
Metal joints for bottom -- 40
6" angle brackets to lip at top of tank -- 12
3/4" flathead wood screws -- enough for the above brackets & joints. 2" screws into ends of the 20, 2x4's.
2"x4"x8' boards for ribs -- 56
Hardiplank boards (8' less 3/4" less thickness of Hardiplank) -- enough
to cover inside bottom & 4 sides
Glue for applying Hardiplank
Glue for gluing biscuit joints & plywood
Tar -- enough to paint 200 sq.ft.
Hole saw large enough for the bulkhead fitting
60 grit sandpaper -- 1 sheet
Gloves
Paint roller with extension
Paint brush
Paint tray
PVC cement
Hardware for putting the water pipe through the hole .
Ask the lumberyard personnel to cut one sheet of plywood into 10 strips -- 5 not quite 8" wide and 5 about 2" wide. (You will have to subtract for the width of the saw cut.) This is to make the lip at the top of the box. After you attach 4 of the 8" lip pieces, you will have 16" of empty space at 2 ends. You cut up the other two strips to fill in that space.
The hole should be drilled and then Pond Shield should be applied to the area. After the Pond Shield has set, sand the hole and the fitting with 60 grit sandpaper. Prime the fitting with pvc primer and put fresh Pond Shield on it. After the Pond Shield is dry, but the bulkhead fitting in place and tighten the threaded locking ring.
Concrete board, also known as Hardie Plank, is used in shower and tub areas so that steam will not deteriorate the walls so quickly.