How to Install Pond Liner In Deck Floor - Step 2

In part 1 I showed you the beginning stages for dropping a pond liner into my deck. I have to note that before I did anything, I moved the liner to different spots on the deck and sat outside and tried to decide which spot I liked best. The spot I chose was pretty much the middle of the deck but there was also a reason for that.

There are 2 joists that run parallel to the planks and they are about 2 feet apart. In between there are joists so first, I could knock out a cross joist without any worry of losing any support. Then I added 4 - 4x4's, 2 to each supporting joists to brace the deck for any additional weight.

The idea wasn't to have much weight on the deck itself as I was building a structure under the deck for the pond to sit on but I felt the precaution was a good idea.

Here is the support structure. You can see I nailed in a 2x6 to 2 - 4x4's. 1 on each side. Then I laid 2x6's across the braces and nailed them in place. I actually ended up adding a piece of plywood on top of the planks for more height.

The liner sits directly on the structure and the weight added to the deck itself is minimal.

Take your time on this step. It's very important to get it right.

Then I dropped in the liner. The tedious part came in that I had to cut each 2x6 to fit around the liner. I used longer boards than needed and cut off the ends once I had these in place. That made it easier for the numerous times I had to cut off a little more to slip under the liner.

This is what it looked like when I completed this step.

Now came the fun part. Adding the water and some rocks for a waterfall. I made some changes to the waterfall after I took this video but you get the idea. I change my waterfall setup in my backyard ponds from time to time. I mention in the video that I wanted to have a pond mushroom extension but after adding the waterfall, I decided I liked that best.

We went out and caught some mosquito fish and currently have a couple small koi in there until they grow big enough to move to my grandson's indoor pond.

This job takes some time but it's really not that expensive if your adding the liner to an existing deck. Just make sure everything is thoroughly braced, including the deck joists, before dropping in the liner and adding water.