Mr Skill

A Water Feature adds beauty to any home, and to any office too. A leak can be troublesome especially if the pond is indoors, and requires repair soon. Slight cracks are often within the skills of an amateur repair person – more serious ones indicate a need to find a handyman to sort them out, because leaks get worse, not better. Before you start any repairs, allow the water level to drop gradually, but not enough to risk your precious fish and plants. When it stops, you have found at least one site of your leak.

Important Hint Be careful of using toxic materials that may harm fish and plants. If in any doubt, contact the manufacturer for advice.

Remove all plants and fish, and store these in buckets of water taken from the pond. Keep these in a cool place, and remember to keep feeding your friends. If they have to remain like that for several days, aerate the water by gently pouring it between buckets.

Locate the source of the leak and chisel out any loose pieces, widening it if necessary to provide room for a good key. Remove all dust, and paint the opened crack with several layers of bonding liquid.

Make up a rich mix of concrete or cement, moistened with the same bonding liquid instead of water. Work this carefully into the crack, using an old flat screwdriver to eliminate air pockets. Smooth off the surface of the fill and blend it into the surrounding area. Wait patiently until the following day.

Depending on the circumstances, re-seal the entire water feature with one of the following products according to the manufacturer’s instructions:

o Acrylic waterproofing compounds come in different colours, are flexible and can bridge hairline cracks.

o Latex waterproofing compounds dry quickly. However, curing times must be respected before reintroducing water, plants and fish.

o Rubberised bituminous products are more effective on larger ponds. Curing times can be extensive making them less desirable for repairs.

o Flexible polyurethane sealants applied with a caulking gun are perfect for sealing around pipes and filling small cracks. Beware though, many of these can harm plants and especially fish.

Wash out your water feature when the sealing compound is dry and properly cured. Handymen London based believe that this is the perfect time to paint a pond inside as well. When ready you can return the water you removed, and re-house your plants and fish according to good practices that are beyond the scope of this advice.

Did you find this information sufficiently comprehensive? If not, perhaps it would be wiser to get handyman quotes on Mr-Skill.