Plugging a pond (or puddle)
Cambridgerose12
Posts: 1,134
Hello all, I would welcome suggestions for a knotty problem in my garden.
I have a small stone dish that was bought from one of those salvage places, I presume it used to be the top part of a larger fountain. It has a hole in the base about 4cm in diameter but is otherwise perfectly sized to be a tiny 'pond'--about 1m10 in diameter overall and about 30cm deep.
The only trouble is it's a beggar to keep watertight. I tried with a pond liner (twice) but it has collapsed inwards no matter how carefully cut. It seems slightly better if badly cut so lots of PVC sticks up over the edge but this is unsightly and sort of ruins the point.
I have been thinking of sealing the hole with some sort of bung but haven't a clue what would work or how to seal it in durably--some sort of silicon bath filler?
Any of you DIY types out there who have any suggestions for a really minimum knowledge/skill level, I'd be extremely grateful...
Posts
Are you hoping to set it on a base, or in the ground?
lf the latter, you could put the pond liner underneath the bowl instead of on top and it would be much easier to hide
But I think concrete will be the best option. But you'd need to allow it to cure and possibly ?? Need to seal it?
I have successfuly used concrete on a hole (about 3 cms) which was in the centre of a large shallow planter which I wanted to use as a birdbath. I used foil underneath to stop the mix falling through and allowed it to set completely before even trying
I haven't sealed it with anything and it is covered with pebbles for the birds to stand on 
It will be lovely when it's done Cambridgerose 
Thanks all--I hadn't thought of concrete at all, so this is really helpful. I have been using the pond (y thing) already for a golden-leaved sedge but it leaks water like a sieve so my original ideal of a still, water-filled circle at the heart of the garden has come a cropper. I will try concrete plus sealant. Also I like the pebbles suggestion, the birds use it a lot so they would welcome something to stand on.
Perhaps I will add tiny rubber rings and floats too so they can have a bit of fun
Just cut a piece of the pond liner 4inches square - if the hole is an inch wide and put sealant on the liner and place over the hole on top - the weight of the water will keep the sealed liner in place - like a universal plug. Takes 2 minutes and is very easy.