Pond Installation

We Have Some of the Best Pond Installers in Tampa

So you've decided to get a pond? We know you'll be thrilled with your investment well into the future. Typically after a few years, an owner will choose to expand their pond or redo it in a way that improves many of the features. This isn't to say that the pond installers didn't get it right or that the owner wasn't happy. It's quite the contrary. Most backyard pond enthusiasts enjoy their water garden so much that they want to further grow the pond for an even better experience for them and their guests. Whether we are doing your first or third pond installation, we want to nail all of the aspects so you're pleased with the sounds and sights every single day until you're ready to take your pond to the next level.

What If I Don't Have Much Room to Work With?

It's very common in many of the popular neighborhoods in Tampa for the old homes to be replaced with new, large homes that eat up much of the lot. If your backyard is limited in size but you still want to add a beautiful water element, we'd be happy to meet at your property and talk to you about what is possible. Most of our projects begin with a simple phone call where the future owner explains what they have in mind. Maybe some photos of similar ideas as shared and then our team will take a visit to your location to understand exactly what we have to work with as well as what limitations may exist. When building ponds, we can achieve nearly anything that you want, but there may still be logistical challenges to work around, like keep the pond a certain distance from the house, a fence or a huge Oak tree that shouldn't be disrupted. We'll use this time to walk the property, visualize where things should be positioned and talk about what's possible for specific budgets.

What Will Be the Highlight of Your Pond? Questions to Consider:

We can start to understand things like do you want fish? Or no fish? If so, what type are easiest to care for in Central Florida? Or what are some species of fish that are highly enjoyable to watch from the edge of your pond. Do you want lights to be installed around the perimeter of your pond? What about in the water? Some pond fanatics like to install a series of underwater lights to illuminate certain areas after sunset which can even be enjoyed from inside the windows of your home.

Do you want an assortment of huge rocks on one side or would you prefer nothing over medium to small river stones? How much work do you usually do in your garden? If you like regular yard work, maybe you can plant a number of items that will expand and need pruning each season. But if you prefer as little work as possible, you may want to look for foliage that will not grow at a rapid pace. It's important to have an assortment of plants around your pond and even inside it (floating or submerged). Do you want flowering plants or do you have a favorite varietal? The truth of the matter is that we can create environments that will involve as little or as much work as you'd like to deal with. While the upkeep is usually minimal, ponds are not entirely maintenance-free. If you want a heavy dose of greenery around your pond, you can roll that maintenance into the work your landscapers typically do. If you want nothing more than to enjoy the sights and sounds each day, talk to us about a routine maintenance package that can established for you.

Water movement and an auditory element are one of the most common requests to be included in a pond build. Do you want this to be achieved very minimally with a bubbler? Or do you want a cascading waterfall where the water moves down multiple platforms then falling off ledges and creating visually stunning sights as well as beautifully peaceful sounds?

There is so much to consider, but the process should be an enjoyable one and not overwhelming. It's always a good idea to gather photos or do a little research before hand just so you have somewhat of an idea about the style of pond you'd like.

What Are the Steps to Building a Pond?

A typical backyard water pond may be about 18-24" deep. There is no set rule for this. Everything we do is entirely custom, but those numbers are good ones to consider. If the surface area isn't large, we may be digging out the hole by hand. However if your pond will be deep and also have a large footprint, we'll bring in an excavator to handle the digging and to remove or reposition the dirt.

• What Type of Pond Liner is Best?

Rubber liners and underlayments are placed in the hole to keep the water from seeping into the ground. The material we recommend for a small to medium sized pond is EPDM which is a synthetic rubber that comes in huge rolls. It is very flexible so it can be spread out and shaped to fit any kind of hole. This material has become the most popular one for pond contractors to use given its reliability. If you're going extra large with your pond, we may suggest RPE which can be more affordable at such large sizes.

Depending upon the style of pond we've decided on, the pump and filter will be positioned in place before the bed of the empty pond begins being filled with stones, aquatic plants or whatever you desire. Large rocks tend to go around the outside of the pond's edge and we make sure to secure and cover all the liner. This can be done with sand, dirt, and more rocks. Then the final plants are positioned and the pond is filled.

• What Is the Best Underlayment For a Pond?

While the rubber liners are designed to hold up against turtle claws, sticks, and things of that nature, they can be punctured by a sharp rock or roots from trees and smaller plants in your yard. Underlayments are necessary to prevent these holes and tears from ever occurring. We use a geotextile or geofabric under all our EPDM liners firstly to ensure your warranty on the liner, but also to prevent any kind of mold or mildew from growing between the soil and liner. These under layers allow gas to be released from the liner while still creating a strong barrier against insects, common soil chemicals and future roots from nearby landscaping that will try to protrude through your liner over their years of growth. If you want to get the full life out of your pond liner, an underguard is essential.

Is There a Right Time for Installing a Pond?

It rains a lot in Florida throughout our long summers. This isn't necessarily bad for the pond in any way, but it could add a little extra time to the installation if we're continuously rained out. We work all year round and even though the humidity is a burden, we're thankful we don't have to deal with frozen ground or snowfall. We can install your pond in Tampa or surrounding cities any month of the year. Truly, the right time is when you have the budget to acquire exactly what you want. Many people are on the fence because creating a hole in your yard is something that is hard to do over if you decide you don't like it. But the most common problem we see are people that wish they had gone bigger or added in the water feature they really wanted at the start. If you can imagine it, we can build it, so let's take this conversation to the next step.