Koi Pond Construction – Upgrade to Concrete or Fiberglass

A recent comment on my website asked for my opinion on how to make a lined koi pond a more permanent structure. That question got me thinking about the different materials and techniques available to improve a pond. I have a pond with about five years on the liner and there’s a good chance it will need to be replaced eventually. That leads to a decision on what to replace it with. There are basically three options in an update. Replace vinyl siding or replace it with concrete or fiberglass.

Putting on another vinyl siding is by far the cheapest and fastest. The downside is that the liner will not be permanent. Concrete or fiberglass is by far a more permanent solution, but this type of upgrade is best suited for the DIY enthusiast.

Having worked in the construction industry for many years, I had the opportunity to observe construction with the two most popular materials, concrete and fiberglass. There are advantages to both and some disadvantages as well.

Before beginning an upgrade that significantly changes your pool construction, it may be a good idea to check with your local zoning board for current pool installation requirements. Hopefully, your inground pool was installed with all the required permits, but the rules have a way of changing.

The cost of the upgrade is an important consideration. People who want to upgrade a pool liner must decide how much money they want to spend on the project. It’s important to take some time to think about this project, as upgrading to concrete or fiberglass will be a permanent change and won’t be undone easily.

Making a realistic budget will help determine the type of materials that will be used in the construction of the pool improvement. If you are changing the liner material, you will have the opportunity to make changes to the pool size, shape and design extras. After all the preparation is done, you can upgrade your pond, don’t forget the final rule of thumb. Any project you start will take more time and money than you thought. Plan for it and you could avoid label shock.

Concrete It can come as a dry mix called gunite or pre-mix (sometimes called shotcrete). The terms Gunite and Shotcrete are sometimes used interchangeably, but there is a significant technical difference between the two. Gunite is a dry mix process, while shotcrete refers to the wet mix process most people are familiar with.

Both types of concrete can be sprayed to achieve a uniform finish. The big difference between the two is that gunite mix is ​​watered at the construction site by the nozzle operator while it is being sprayed, while ready-mix concrete is watered at the plant before it is sprayed. deliver to pool site.

Several considerations about concrete could be called disadvantages:

1. Concrete should be sprayed six to eight inches thick over steel rebar to provide the necessary structural strength for the pool. This adds to the total cost and time to build the pool and you could end up with a pool that is smaller than you started with.

2. Concrete is subject to cracking while it is curing. The only way to prevent this is to keep the surface moist while it cures. This is an additional step in the process.

3. It is more difficult to make a non-porous surface that algae and other materials will not adhere to. The surface may need to be sanded or smoothed smooth in order to apply a finishing coat of plaster.

fiberglass it’s a plastic resin sprayed with what’s called a cutter gun that also applies small strands of fiberglass to add structural strength to the siding. The fiberglass surface is non-porous and any color gel coat can be applied.

The big advantage is that fiberglass seems to require less prep work. Fiberglass can be sprayed on the existing pool wall which is smooth and cure time is much shorter. The finished siding will be on the order of one to two inches thick.

In my (non-expert) opinion, there is not much difference in the durability of concrete and fiberglass pools. Which one is better and how long it will last depends on who you ask, so the choice comes down to price and the availability of contractors to do the job. Both concrete and fiberglass require some skill and experience to get right.

NO ONE should have to go through a lot of trouble just to build or upgrade a simple koi pond. There is tons of information available online through forums and trading websites. Just ask and you shall receive, I have learned that anyone with a koi pond or aquarium is more than willing to talk about it.

The difficult part of any change to your koi pond is making the decision. Do your research, budget and plan, and enjoy your new pond.