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Build a Water Feature in Your Backyard

The hot summer sun has many hankering for a little piece of paradise. Fortunately, installing a water feature in your backyard is easier than you’d think. Learn about different options, suggestions, and the supplies you’ll need.

Choose Your Water Feature

There are many kinds of water features you can create in your own backyard. Here are a few of our favorites: Decorative pond: A decorative pond has only one purpose—to look beautiful in your backyard. Though some may use their ponds for gardening underwater plants, or even above water plants (like lilies), most use them only to provide a tranquil backdrop to their backyards. Adding a waterfall can further enhance a peaceful mood. Koi pond: Taking the decorative pond one step further, this Japanese landscaping technique involves raising Ornamental Carp to their highest potential. By carefully cultivating the health and wellbeing of the koi, it is said the koi farmer experiences the same benefits for themselves. Swimming pond: A swimming pond is just like a swimming pool, but without all the chemicals. Comprised of a deeper swimming area and a more shallow growing area, swimming ponds do not require active filtration technology for the water to stay clean. Instead, they rely on plants that contain purifying properties. Not only do they look more natural than their chlorinated counterparts, creating your own swimming hole makes your home a retreat. Lazy summer days at the pond with your family create memories that can last a lifetime. Slip n’ slide: If you’re interested in building a pond in your backyard, you may want to save some tarp material just for fun. By using the same liners that line decorative, koi, and swimming ponds, you can stake a section of it to your grass and get out the garden hose for some slip n’ slide fun in the summer sun.

Determine the Size, Shape, and Location

Once you’ve chosen your water feature, you get to design it. Stake out a section of your yard with rope to determine the size and shape you want it to be. From there, decide how deep you’re going to need to make it. Warmer areas require only two feet of depth for a successful decorative pond, three feet for a successful koi pond, and four to six feet for a swimming pond. Since many ponds turn out to be 30% smaller than they are originally planned out to be, there’s no harm in making your pond a bit bigger than you want it to be on the safe side. Once you’ve got the size, shape, location, and depth planned out, all you have to do is start digging!

Purchase Your Pond Liner

Once you’ve got a decent size hole in your backyard, you’re going to need to fill it with the right materials. Measure the longest length, the widest width, and the deepest depth of your pond, then use our calculator to determine the size of the tarp you will need. Order a residential pond liner in that size or request a quote to get started. Depending on what type of water feature you choose, you may need additional purchases to keep in mind. Koi ponds, for example, require the use of a skimmer, bottom drain, mechanical filter, biological filter, ultraviolet light, as well as water and air pumps to keep the fish alive.

Add the Finishing Touches

Install any skimmers that will be used and fill the pond with your pond liner, avoiding wrinkles in the fabric. Once you fill the pond up with water, some of these wrinkles will flatten out even further. From there you can connect the pond to any skimmers that are being used, add water to it, and then landscape around it to create a water feature in your very own backyard. Lemonade and fun are always recommended.  


Liners by BTL

AquaArmor Pond Liner

The most versatile liner on the market today, AquaArmor maximizes protection from harmful UV rays, tear resistance and punctures that cause leaks. Simply the best liner on the market.
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