How to Install a Pond Along a Deck

Mark out the section of land adjacent to your deck where you wish to install the pond. Plant lawn flags into the ground along the proposed pond perimeter. Leave between 5 and 10 feet of space from the edge of the deck to the nearest pond edge to avoid damage to the deck from the pond water.

Use a spade to dig out the foundation of your pond within the lawn flag perimeter. For a decorative pond, you don’t need a particularly deep foundation hole. Dig to a depth of 3 feet to provide the room that you need to build up the pond foundation, and provide enough water for aquatic plant life and fish.

Fill the bottom of the excavation with a layer of sand 3-inches deep to serve as a cushion for the base of the pond.

Place the pond liner into the center of the foundation hole and then unfold it outwards, filling the space and overlapping the pond edges.

Fill the pond liner with water until the water level is at the halfway point up the sides of your pond.

Conceal the liner along the edge of the pond with decorative stones or plants. If you use plants, make certain they’re viable for outdoor growth for the region in which you live.

Place a filtration system into the pond to keep the water clean. Plug the kit into a nearby GFCI-rated electrical outlet.

Fill the pond the rest of the way with water. Watch the water level for about a week to make certain your liner has no leaks before introducing fish or aquatic plants into the water.