Many people question the difference between a pond renovation vs. a pond repair. Though they sound similar, renovation requires much deeper intervention. Repairing something means fixing or replacing a small part that is broken or malfunctioning – renovation is a complete overhaul and redo, resulting in a practically brand new end product.
A pond is no exception to these terms of home improvement– take a look at the before and after of this pond renovation!
pond repair
When a pond leaks, you have the option to make a pond repair or completely renovate the pond – these options depend heavily on the extent of the problems. If the causes don’t inherently interfere with the structure of the pond or the health of the pond wildlife, you can likely troubleshoot and fix the specific issue. Problems that can be repaired include holes that leak or the liner detaching from the skimmer or biofalls, just to name some things that are more common. The possibilities are endless – without the guaranteed standards of a Certified Aquascape Contractor, there’s no telling what happened during construction. If the leak is caused by a hole in the liner, it can sometimes be patched. A broken pipe means you need to replace the pipe. Repairs are self-explanatory.
The most difficult part of even the simplest pond repair is identifying the problem in the first place. We usually hear,“why is my pond leaking?” This opens a variety of potential causes, which can be narrowed through a few key tests.
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- Walk around pond, checking for visible wet spots for possible leaks. A simple issue could be a low liner, allowing for a water to flow over the edge.
# - Fill up the pond and determine the water level
# - Turn off the pump and come back 24 hours later to check for a change in water level.
- If the water level is unchanged, the problem arises somewhere in the pipe or filter.
- If the water level has decreased, the problem lies somewhere in the pond or skimmer.
If none of these are the causes, your issue lies somewhere in the pond or stream and a renovation is likely the best solution.
Pond Renovation
Renovation is considered a complete pond replacement. This means we remove the pond and replacing all parts. This is the perfect opportunity to change anything you didn’t like, and address any issues, even minor ones – you could add more tunnels for fish, install lighting, and use more plants to encourage a healthy ecosystem. You could increase or decrease the size of the pond, or add an additional or larger waterfall or other feature.
Many pond renovations we encounter come from homeowners who had a landscaping company come in and build a pond, or new homeowners who don’t know their pond’s history. Renovations can seem daunting, but are a great opportunity to save time and energy that will be spent making temporary repairs on a flawed or dissatisfying pond design.
