How to Use Pond Leak Sealer
If you own a manmade pond, then nothing probably frightens you as much as the thought of it springing a leak.
Unfortunately, no matter how well you built your pond, a leak is always possible. This is why it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on yours, especially when the weather changes. Ideally, you’ll want to catch a leak while it’s small, before it grows into a much bigger problem.
Either way, you’re going to need to know how to apply pond leak sealer, which we’ll now explain step-by-step.
Find the Leak
This may seem like a no-brainer. After all, won’t it be extremely obvious where the leak is?
However, this is easier said than done. You also want to make sure that there is an actual leak. The water level could be going down for other reasons: evaporation, animals drinking from it over time, trees getting to it through their roots, etc.
Furthermore, you want to make sure there isn’t more than one leak. This process could definitely take a few hours to complete, but it’s essential you get it done before proceeding with applying pond leak sealer.
With any luck, the leak will be noticeable because water begins pooling at the surface nearby. If you think you’ve found the leak but aren’t sure, you can sprinkle some food dye into the water to see if it is sucked to the wall.
Pump Water Out
In some cases, finding the leak will be easy because the water level has dropped so dramatically it’s immediately clear where it’s occurring.
In other cases, you’ll catch the leak while it’s still underwater. This will mean you have to pump water out until it’s exposed and you can continue with your pond leak sealer. Obviously, most of you won’t have a pump, but this can be rented. It’s the same kind you’d use for getting water out of a basement.
Apply Your Pond Leak Sealer
When the water level has been dropped sufficiently, inspect the leak. Make sure it’s free of any debris before you move forward. Any tiny pieces of concrete could interfere with your sealer and cause another leak to happen in the near future.
Once it’s cleaned out, go ahead and apply your pond leak sealer with a paint roller. Wear a paper mask when doing this so you don’t accidentally breathe in any chemical fumes. Wear gloves, too, as this stuff can irritate your skin and, as you can imagine, will be difficult to wash off.
Let the Sealer Dry
The label on your sealer should tell you how long it needs to dry before you can expose it to water again. Make sure you don’t rush things or, again, there will be another leak to contend with in the near future. Once it’s good and dry, you can add water back to your pond.
Ideally, you want to make sure you build your pond properly to keep this frustrating problem from happening in the first place. If it’s too late, the best possible outcome is that you catch the leak early so you can act to fix it right away.
