How to Build an Ornamental Pond Out of Concrete

Choose the location of your pond. Your pond should be placed on relatively flat, even ground. Remember that you'll need room to work on the pound from all sides, so an open site is best.

Grade the soil to make it flat, if necessary, by removing excess soil with a shovel or, in large areas, a front-end loader.

Mark the area of excavation for the pond with white spray paint.

Dig your pond with a shovel or front-end loader, removing 1 to 4 feet of the soil. The walls of the pond will slope down toward the center. To build a pond deeper than 4 feet, you may need to obtain a building permit. Check with your local government office to see if a permit is needed if you plan on creating a deep ornamental pond.

Remove the dirt in the hole using pails.

Smooth out the rim of the pond by tamping down the soil with the shovel to create an even surface around the edges of the pond.

Lay a polyurethane liner in the bottom of the pond, covering the walls and rim of the pond. The polyurethane should extend 6 inches beyond the rim of the pond.

Mix 4 parts fine gravel and sand to 1 part cement in a concrete mixer or wheel barrow.

Pour water into the mixture to make a stiff mixture. Add more water for a wetter mixture or more sand and gravel for a dryer one, until you get a pourable consistency.

Spread concrete in a 2-inch layer over the liner, starting at the bottom and moving upward. Use a flat piece of wood to spread the concrete instead of a trowel, which may have sharp edges that damage the liner.

Lay flat stones around the edge of the pond, pressing them down into the concrete spread over the rim.

Wait two to four hours for the concrete to set and harden.

Place an old sheet in the pond, using it as a liner to cover the concrete.

Fill the pond with water using a garden hose.

Remove the sheet.

Allow the pond to sit untouched for one week.

Remove the water with a bucket and refill the pond with fresh water. Repeat. Replacing the water will decrease alkalinity.