BUILDING FOUNTAINS AND PONDS - Fountain
and Garden Pools 11
The pool is kept filled for a week,
then it is drained, and fresh
water is turned into it. If the water
is to flow continuously through
the pool, it can be left flowing at this
time. If the flow is not to
be continuous, precautions should be
taken against excess alkalinity
killing any fish or plants which are
put into the pool. The pool
should be filled and emptied at least
a dozen times. Finally, it
should be filled, and the water allowed
to stand overnight. The
water should then be tested for alkalinity
by putting strips of pink
litmus paper (obtainable at drugstores)
in it. If the strips turn blue,
the water is still too alkaline, and
the filling and emptying should
be repeated until the alkalinity is reduced.
Stone linings in concrete pools are built
after the concrete lining has cured for
at least a week. If stones of suitable
size and shape are available, such a
wall can be laid up without mortar, and
its nooks and crannies will provide hidng
places for which small fish will be thankful.
It can also be laid up in 1:3 mortar
in which case the alkalinity tests mentioned
previously should be made after the
mortar in the lining has cured. Clay-lined
pools. Clay-lined pools are easy to build
if one can get suitable clay. The clay
should be finely divided and free of
both organic matter and stones. The excavation
for a clay-lined pool is made the same
as for pools of other kinds. Roots and
stones should be removed, and a firm,
packed surface made.
The clay is prepared by mixing it with
water. A box or metal
trough such as is used for mixing mortar
and plaster is a good con-
tainer for the clay during the mixing
process. The clay is usually
stiff as it is brought from the natural
deposit. It is broken up into
lumps of moderate size and is placed
in the trough. A little water
is added, and the clay is turned and
stirred so as to mix it thoroughly
with the water. More water is added if
necessary. The final product
should be smooth, plastic, and uniformly
wet, such a mud as chil-
dren would like to have for mud pies.
It is carried to the pool in
buckets and is placed with a shovel and
smoothed with a trowel.
A sprinkling can filled with water should
be on hand, and water
should be applied as needed to keep the
clay in such a condition that
it can be pushed and troweled into an
unbroken layer. In a large
pool the spreading of the clay layer
should be started in the center
and carried in the form of a wide spiral
to the edge. The turned-up
edges of the lining are built as the
workman kneels on a plank at
the edge of the excavation. The stone
lining which finishes the
pool and protects the clay edges is laid
up without mortar as soon as
possible after the clay lining is put
down. The stones should be laid
from the pool's rim, for walking on the
plastic lining is likely to
damage it. A clay lining will crack badly
if it dries out; therefore,
water should be turned into the pool
promptly, and the pool should
not be left empty for more than an hour
or so from that time on.
|
