How to Apply Pond Paint
Before you can have a beautiful manmade pond on your property, you’re going to need to paint it. Fortunately, the following steps are fairly easy.
Choose Your Pond Paint Wisely
Before we get into the actual steps of applying your pond paint, let’s take just a moment to talk about choosing the actual product. No matter how well you apply it, if you pick a lackluster paint, the rest of your pond is going to fail and you’ll need to start the entire process over.
First, make sure the product you purchase is meant for ponds. Normal sealers and sealants for wood or fixing leaks are not what we want here. The duress of holding this much water at bay is something only a legitimate pond paint can do.
Second, look for one that is made for whatever material you’re using to build your pond. In most cases, this is going to be concrete. Either way, check the label to make sure that the paint you’re going to use is designed to bond to the materials your pond is made from.
Don’t Touch Concrete for Four Weeks
Unless you added an accelerator to your concrete (assuming you’re using this for your pond), don’t add paint to it until four weeks after it’s been set. The material must cure or you’ll seal in residual moisture, which will eventually cause cracks. Again, you’ll need to start over or, at the very least, carry out some serious repairs if this happens.
If you did add an accelerator to your concrete, you’ll only need to wait about seven days before you can begin painting.
Clean Your Pond
Before getting started, you have to make sure that your pond is both dry and clean. You don’t want to seal any debris in or anything else that will cause problems for your concrete.
Use a shop vac to remove any dust or debris. Then scrub the surface of the pond with warm water and liquid soap before rinsing it all off with a garden hose.
While you do this, check to make sure there aren’t any cracks already appearing. It’s unlikely, but you’re better off finding them now before you apply your pond paint.
Apply Your Sealer
Before your paint, go ahead and apply your sealer. This is usually done with a paintbrush or roller, just as you would do for any other surface. Once it’s applied, let it dry before proceeding with your pond paint.
Apply Your Pond Paint
Speaking of which, the next step is to apply your paint to the surface of your pond. You can use a paint roller or brush for this, whichever you prefer. Just make sure you use broad, even strokes.
We also recommend you wear a paper breathing mask and some gloves. You don’t want to breathe in the chemicals or go through the trouble of getting it off your hands. Remember, this is a form of paint that’s not supposed to let go.
As you can see, the process isn’t overly difficult, but that’s all the more reason to make sure it gets done right. Follow these easy steps and you’ll have no problem applying paint to your pond.
