Filling in a pond

[fitz]

Hi all

 

After some advice from the more knowledgeable amongst us. I have an old pond in the garden which is surplus to requirements. I've drained it by cutting the plastic liner and have since folded the liner up and the carpet into the bottom and used some of the larger stones (roughly 10" x 8" x 8") into the bottom to hold this flat.

 

That leaves me with a pond, roughly 3m long x 2m wide at the widest part, by 70cm deep at the deepest part left to deal with.

 

I'd be looking after the pond is filled in correctly to lay patio slabs and use the area for seating / pergola etc. The pond is only part of the area - in case you were thinking that we were hobbits.

 

My very rough plan of action as I see it:

 

Fill in remainder of cavity with soil and rubble.

 

Lay 5cm of mill waste on top and compact flat.

 

Lay membrane to stop weeds.

 

Layer of sharp sand and cement mix to settle the stones on, bobs your uncle etc.

 

Does that sound about right? I'm most concerned about not filling the hole properly and ending up with a sunken patio!

 

Cheers

 

Fitz

 

[7daysinaweek]

hi fitz

 

if you decide to leave the old carpet, liner and fill up with soil and crusher and then the slab laid on cement you do run the risk of it sinking, even if it is only having foot traffic on it. if water ingress into any of the susurface voids, frost, thawing , heavy rain will all affect the base then the slabs. would be doing a poor job of it. pull out the carpet and liner, then throw in yer rubble and soil to bring up the level and compact. as you are not digging down to a compacted subsurface, you can hire a small compaction plate for about £15 for a day with delivery and pickup, just google tool hire for your area. compact, lay yer crusher surface and compact, then bed your slabs on your sharp cement mix as said and the jobs a gooden. may be others along shortly to give same or better advice, i have laid plenty of slabs over the years.

 

atb

7diaw

Edited July 25, 2016 by 7daysinaweek

[fitz]

Thanks for the input - ok looks like I'll be getting my hands dirtier this weekend then and removing the carpet and liner.

[Munzy]

...just to add to this. If you hire a small whacker plate to compact things make sure you lay 10cm of rubble / soil at a time compacting each layer as you go. This will have a better effect than piling it all in and whacking the top down only.

[Ollieollie]

...just to add to this. If you hire a small whacker plate to compact things make sure you lay 10cm of rubble / soil at a time compacting each layer as you go. This will have a better effect than piling it all in and whacking the top down only.

spot on

[Lord Geordie]

Plenty demolition sites you can have a word at for rubble! I got a few ton dropped of for £15 a few year back when they were levelling a housing est near me! Need a bit more myself now as I want the front garden sorted and a car port installed!

[fitz]

Thanks for all the input, appreciate the tip regarding whacking as you go along, and the demolition sites for material. I hadn't thought about that.

 

I'm probably going to have to do this in October now as I'm getting married in a few weeks and the next run of weekends are a bit full up.