Re: [APD] Pond Waterfall Question

["Daniel Santangelo" <dansant2 at comcast_net>]

Message: 3
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:15:48 EDT
From: Caddy579 at aol_com
Subject: [APD] Pond Waterfall Question
To: aquatic-plants at actwin_com

I have a preformed pond in my yard, 185 gallons, I bought it 11 years ago,
my
pond plants love it, as do the neighborhood toads, and I put mollies in it
in
the summer to control mosquitos and algae. I also have a waterfall, a cheap
fiberglass type, a pump in the pond pumps the water through a hose to the
top
of the falls, the waterfall is hollow in back, has 3 tiers, is gray, the
water
spills into the top, to the middle, then the bottom and back into the pond.
I
surrounded it with sandstone to soften it's look and support it.

The top tier developed a leak last year, probably from the water stream
hitting it for 10 years. I patched it with silicon and put a small rock in
to
soften the blow of the water, but I'd like to just replace the whole thing.
The
problem is, I bought this while my late wife was dying, and I can't for the
life
of me remember where I got it from, I originally put it in because she was
going to meditate beside it. I do remember that the pond was delivered, as I
later got a $185 delivery charge which was a surprise and I remember it
arriving
by truck, I think the waterfall was delivered too, but I can't find any
records
of where I got either from, and I can't find the waterfall on the web. I'm
thinking I must have originally ordered it off the web in 1997.

Anyway, does anyone know what I'm describing and where I might get one from?
I've seen some more elaborate ones on the web but they run between $500 and
$1k, a little too rich for me. Thanks.


Gerry Skau
All The World's A Stage, But The Play Is Badly Cast---Oscar Wilde




Gerry,

I'm just a lurker on the list, but thought I might have some info that would
be of some help.

Silicone is good in some instances, but fiberglass repair products work
really well.

If it truly is a fiberglass pond/waterfall, then it can be easily repaired
with Bondo, 2 part epoxy fiberglass repair material available at
hardware/home improvement stores & auto parts stores.  Simply remove the
waterfall & repair the bad area on the backside or outside of it.  Being
that the repair won't be seen, it's not necessary to be fancy with it, just
make sure that the area to be repaired is clean, & a light sanding will
cause the epoxy to adhere better.  Mix the epoxy according to directions on
the package & fix the spot.  I repaired several cracks in a small, old
fiberglass pond this way & it's been fine for several years now.

>From your post, it doesn't sound like you have a big hole, but even if there
is one it can be patched using fiberglass screening with the epoxy.  There
is also a liquid epoxy which can be used with the screening.  This is also
good strong stuff.

If, by chance, the waterfall is made out of resin, (strong plastics), & not
actually fiberglass, it can still be easily repaired.  I repaired a resin
pond by simply cutting some of the excess off of the pond edge & heating it
on the crack to be repaired.  It was a critical area where the pond steps
into a plant shelf & that repair has also been fine for several years now.

To melt the excess plastic into the crack I first tried heating an old
screwdriver with a small torch, but found it to work more easily by just
heating/melting everything directly with the torch & repairing it by
pressing it all in place with the old screwdriver.  Be careful not to
overheat the area with the torch or the plastic/resin will melt away & the
hole will be made bigger.  It might be easier to use a heat gun than the
flame of a torch.

The shipping charges you paid certainly were very high.  These repairs
aren't hard for anyone to do & could save you quite a bit of cash.  If you
really want to get a replacement waterfall, check the yellow pages in the
book or online for a pond and/or garden center near you.  I'm sure you would
find something that will work.

Sorry about the passing of your wife.  Ponds certainly are meditative areas,
though.

Dan

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