Coping stone fitting with koi in pond.

Pinnacle · 01-05-2012, 01:21 PM

I want to fit my coping stones. The pond is already full and has 7 koi in it.

Any tips or ticks to avoid cement in the water resulting in dead koi ?

Doghouse Riley · 01-05-2012, 02:29 PM

This can be very difficult.
You could get some bubble-wrap, attach a length by one edge to the top of the pool with a strip of duct tape and float it on the surface, to catch any you drop. I'd also make the mortar just "damp" so there's less chance of the cement leeching. You'd have to make sure no pool water gets onto the bubble-wrap as with any mortar you drop, the sand would sit there and the cement which can do the damage, float off. Someone else has suggested a sheet of polystyrene floated on the top. Whatever you use, you're going to have to be very careful. Any mortar that falls on to the bubble-wrap, remove immediately with one of your wife's kitchen ladles, the bubble-wrap will "give" enough for you to scoop it up. Stop cementing the stones about a couple of feet before the end of the bubble-wrap, carefully peel it off and use a new bit for the next section.

faz201283 · 01-05-2012, 03:56 PM

hiya pal. dont do it with mortar, no matter what you do you'll get some in the water. get a few tubes of epoxy resin and resin them down then if ya want carefully point them up

miles41 · 01-05-2012, 04:39 PM

I've got that situation too, but they're all just laid in position for now. I looked into the 'resin' idea, but reckon it could work out very expensive.
So I'm still 'mulling' it over for now

Daran · 01-05-2012, 06:43 PM

How I did mine when I changed the copings was to drill and fix a 10mm battern along the pond side of the wall then laid a bead of polyflex on the battern and then a mortar bed along the other side of the wall then pushed the copings down into position .

They have stayed in position ever since

chagoi2 · 13-05-2012, 01:15 AM

I,ve dropped loads of mortar in the early days into ponds as i could not wait to get the fish in . I also knew no better .

Nothing happened , and in one pond only 700 gallons and i must have dropped in a cup full

Still got one of the koi today at 68 cm .

I,m not saying its the right thing to do , it isn,t but a small amount in the pond never hurt mine .

faz201283 · 13-05-2012, 09:27 AM

i was cleaning out the shed yesterday ready for building the new one and cam across some 2 part resin, its the stuff we use on site for sticking iron steps into the inside of manholes for the lads to climb down em so shouldnt be a problem holding coping stones on, ill check the use by (if there is one).

if you want it its yours for free, just cover the postage costs which ill get if you want it, how many stones have you to fit?

Pinnacle · 13-05-2012, 10:10 AM

Top man that will work wonders.
I have 20 coping stones at 600mm x 300mm each.

faz201283 · 13-05-2012, 10:22 AM

there should be more than enough to fit that many, im just about to go out so ill pm ya later when i get back

ab-aquatics · 13-05-2012, 02:23 PM

to get round this, if you fasten a batten along the inside (water side) on the edge where you want the copings, make sure the batten is 10-15mm proud of the top surface then put your cement onto the top of the wall ( not on the battern though), but only come slightly higher than the battern, then when you tap the coping down it will sit ontop of the battern and the cement will push out away from the water, once youve done this all the way round leave a few days they remove battern, plus the water edge will all ready be pointed