Concrete cement pond will add beauty and function to the garden landscape. Whether you want a pool purely for aesthetic purposes or for irrigation and swimming pools, building a cemented concrete pool is a do-it-yourself project with the right tools and hard work. Make sure the pool is dug properly, then pour cement with the right thickness, and strengthen it with wire mesh (concrete wire woven into a net) to create a cemented pool that is strong for years.
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Part 1 of 2: Digging a Pond
Step 1. Clean the area where the pool will be created
Remove the rocks and depart with the wheelbarrow. Remove the roots of trees or shrubs that are nearby until they are clean so that the roots do not grow through the walls of the pond.
- Check the house construction plan or contact the relevant party to make sure there are no electricity lines or PDAM in the area where you want to dig a pool.
- The ideal place for a pond is one where the ground is level and away from trees or shrubs.
Step 2. Draw an outline to define the shape of the pond with marker paint or string
Outline with pilox or a squeeze bottle filled with marker paint. If no paint is available, use string or some kind of wire to mark the outline of the pool.
- The size of the pool is completely up to you. Just remember, the bigger the size, the more work you will have to do to dig and pour the cement.
- If what you want to make is a swimming pool, then an adequate size is 7.5–9 m long and 3 m wide, although a smaller one is fine if you just want to get wet.
- For fish ponds such as koi ponds, the size of 4x3 m can accommodate about 10 adult fish.
- Square and round ponds are the easiest to dig.
Step 3. Dig the pond with a shovel, hoe or excavator to the desired depth
You can dig a small pond with a hoe and the help of a wheelbarrow. Employ operators and excavators to dig the pool if it is too large to dig by hand.
- A depth of 1.5 is sufficient if you plan to swim in the pool and jump into it.
- The ideal size for a self-dug pond is 1.5 x 2.5 m with a depth of 0.5 m.
Step 4. Tilt the pool wall about 45°
Use a shovel or excavator to dig up the edge of the pond until the slope reaches 45°. This kind of slope will facilitate the process of cementing the walls.
After the pool has been excavated and the walls have been tilted, remove all the excavated soil and compact the entire surface with a shovel or excavator
Step 5. Dig a drain 10-15 cm deep on the lowest side of the pond
Observe which side is the lowest. Use a hoe to dig a channel 10-15 cm deep, 15-20 cm wide and at least 0.5 m long away from the pool wall.
- If it is not visible to the naked eye, place a spirit level on the side of the pool to see the most inclined area.
- Dig a drain into the garden or plant so that the drained water from the pond can be used to irrigate your soil.
- You can line this dirt channel with river stones to add visual interest and so you can walk on it.
Part 2 of 2: Cement and Concrete
Step 1. Cover the pool with a thick plastic sheet
Use 0.75 mm to 1 mm thick plastic coating. Cover all sides and bottom of the pool.
- To find the length and width of the plastic lining needed, multiply the depth of the pool by two and add the result to the length and width of the pool.
- For example, if your pool is 3 m long, 3 m wide, and 0.50 m deep, you need 4 x 4 m of plastic.
- The plastic will act as a moisture barrier and provide a base on which to attach the cement.
Step 2. Mix the cement in the electric cement mixer according to the instructions on the package
Turn on the mixer and mix the cement and water in the correct ratio. Wait until the cement is well mixed and there are no dry lumps, then pour.
- You can use an online concrete mix calculator. Enter the dimensions of the pond and the thickness of cement that needs to be poured to find out how many sacks of cement are needed to complete the project.
- The type of electric cement mixer that you can use is a mini molen machine, which is a small drum mounted on a wheel and can rotate on its axis. When the molen is plugged in and turned on, the drum will rotate to mix the cement.
- If you don't have a mini mixer or the pool is small enough and doesn't require a lot of mortar, just mix the cement with a shovel in a wheelbarrow.
Step 3. Cement the walls and bottom of the pool to a thickness of 10 cm
Start at one of the pool walls, then work your way up. Pour the cement mixture onto the walls and bottom of the pool, then flatten it with a cement spoon until the entire pool is covered with a thickness of about 10 cm.
- Make sure the mortar is not too runny, otherwise the cement will melt off the pool walls when poured. If this happens, reduce the amount of water or add cement to the mix until the consistency is just right.
- You can spread the cement with a long rake with duct tape at the end so it doesn't have to go down into the pool.
- If the bottom of the pool is too deep to reach with a rake or shovel, bring a bucket of mortar to the bottom. Start on one side, then spread it evenly with a trowel or rake. Do this while retreating to the end of the pool until all the bottom surface is covered.
Step 4. Press the wire mesh (or chicken wire) into the wet cement
Use a 5 cm wire mesh. Press the wire mesh into the freshly poured cement and allow the wires to overlap at the joints.
- You can buy large rolls of wire mesh at a hardware or material store.
- The wire mesh will strengthen the cement and prevent future cracking.
- Measure the sloped walls and bottom of the pool with a tape measure to find out how wide the wire mesh should be to cover the entire surface.
Step 5. Cover the wire mesh with a layer of mortar, then smooth it with a cement spoon
Pour or spoon the cement mixture to a depth of 5 cm over the wire mesh. Use a cement spoon to flatten and smooth it.
- The recommended mortar thickness is 5 cm so that the cement is strong enough to resist cracking over time.
- The surface of the mortar must be completely smoothed in less than 2 hours, before the cement begins to harden.
- You can use a rake or broom to spread the cement before smoothing it with a spoon.
- If the pool walls are too deep to reach with a rake or broom, bring the mortar into the pool with a bucket, then spread it from the bottom up. This way, you can smooth out the footprints while climbing up from the pool wall.
Step 6. Cover the pond with a plastic sheet and allow the cement to dry for three days
Spread the plastic over to cover the entire pool and secure the ends with a rock or other heavy object. Allow the cement to dry for three days until it is really hard, then the plastic is opened.
Once dry, you can install a pond filter system if you want to filter the water for swimming or for fish
Step 7. Spray a rubber coating to coat the surface of the pond if you want to use it for fish
Use a dark rubber coating, hold it 15 cm from the cement, then spray from top to bottom. The coating will seal the lime in the cement which is harmful to fish.
