It was 1986. I bought my first house. I wanted a pond. I had space, time, money, and strength to build it.

So, before I did anything else, I read and learned.

Guess what? In 1986 there was no Internet!

I read about rubber, plastic, fiberglass pond liners - shallow or deep ponds - pond shapes - plumbing & electrical - fish, snails, invertebrates, insects - to filter or not - sun or shade - in ground or above ground - water features - pumps - waterlilies - lotus.

You won't get anything that matters unless you know what you want. So I thought about what kind of pond I wanted.

I wanted my pond not far outside my front door, so you could see it could from the front of the house and so people would walk by the pond on the way in.

Sketching over a traced photograph of the front of my house, I decided the pond should be about 6 feet (1.8 meters) wide and 12 feet (3.7 meters) long.

I wanted to grow fragrant waterlilies and lotus.

I wanted to smell the flowers very easily, without risking a dunking.

I didn't care about fish or water features. I knew I would need something to eat mosquitos.

I thought it would be nice to sit beside the pond.

I read some facts given as absolute truths about ponds. I'll first write the "fact" and then, in brackets with capital letters, my thoughts when I read each "fact."

Ponds contain a lot of heavy water. The base and sides must be strong enough to support the weight of the water.

(THAT MAKES SENSE. WATER WEIGHS ABOUT EIGHT POUNDS PER GALLON [ONE KILOGRAM PER LITER].)

Ponds are usually built with a strong but water-permeable supporting shell, and a weak but waterproof liner.

(THAT MAKES SENSE ALSO.)

Waterlilies need many hours of direct sun to bloom.

(GREAT! BETWEEN APRIL AND OCTOBER, MY CHOSEN SPOT IS IN FULL SUN BETWEEN 9 AM AND 6 PM.)

Ponds must be 18 inches (46 centimeters) deep, no deeper, so the water can be warm.

(THIS IS PHOENIX! WATER 18 INCHES [46 CENTIMETERS] DEEP IN FULL SUMMER SUN MEANS WATER TEMPERATURES OF 110 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT [43 DEGREES CELSIUS] OR MORE, AND 2-5 INCHES [5-12 INCHES] OF THE WATER EVAPORATING EACH DAY! I CAN'T IMAGINE MANY GOLDFISH OR PLANTS THAT WOULD LIKE SUCH HOT WATER.)

Lotus can't be grown in Phoenix. It is too hot.

(IF YOUR WATER IS 18 INCHES [46 CENTIMETERS] DEEP, I BET IT'S HOT.)

Ponds require a lot of work. Unless you clean the pond daily or, at least, weekly, and have a filter big enough for your pond, you will have a stinky, slimy sewer.

(MY RELATIVES ON FARMS HAD SMALL ARTIFICIAL PONDS. THEY NEVER FILTERED THE PONDS AND THEY NEVER CLEANED THEM. THOSE PONDS WERE FINE FOR SWIMMING.)

Rubber liners are the best. Sure, they only last 3 to 5 years, but it's not that big a deal to empty a pond, remove everything inside, and replace the liner.

(WHAT? NOT THAT BIG A DEAL? BESIDES, I'M NOT THE SUPER CAREFUL TYPE. I'M SURE I'LL DRAG AT LEAST ONE POT ON THE BOTTOM OF MY POND, AND THERE GOES THE RUBBER LINER.)

Fiberglass is no good. It has awful fumes. Nobody uses it.

(WHY NOT? I GREW UP IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. LOTS OF MY FRIENDS WORKED WITH FIBERGLASS SURFBOARDS OR AUTO BODIES. IT'S EASY TO USE.)

If you don't keep lots of very expensive koi, you're a lowlife.

(WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL WITH COLORED CARP? WHY WOULD I WANT GIANT ORANGE BULLHEADS IN MY POND? IT'S WARM ENOUGH HERE FOR TROPICAL FISH.)

Unless your pond is so clean you can see Lincoln's eyebrows on a penny lying on the bottom of the pond, everything in there will die quickly.

(MOST PEOPLE DON'T KEEP THE FISH IN THEIR REFRIGERATOR FOR TONIGHT'S DINNER THAT CLEAN. I HAVE A CRYSTAL-CLEAR SWIMMING POOL IN BACK. I WANT A POND IN FRONT, NOT ANOTHER SWIMMING POOL, AND NOT A MALL FOUNTAIN.)

Then I came across the Van Ness Water Gardens catalog. It seemed to have a lot of common sense inside. I read about natural cycles of algal growth, and clear ponds without constant filtration. I read about water temperatures and pond depth. Deeper ponds maintain more even water temperatures. Larger bodies of water are easier to keep in balance than smaller bodies. I realized it would be pretty easy to stack some concrete blocks on the bottom of the pond to raise pots into warmer water closer to the sun.

And I recalled an article I read many years ago in Sunset Magazine, about a family that had lined a large hand-dug pond with fiberglass. I dug through the archives at my local library and found the article. The article isn't very detailed and doesn't explain how to work with fiberglass very well, but it got me thinking. I decided my pond would have a fiberglass liner and that I would make it myself.

There is little seismic activity in Arizona, so masonry is a reasonable construction material. I decided to build my pond with a concrete slab base, concrete block sides, and a fiberglass liner. It would be 4 feet (1.2 meters) deep overall, two feet (0.6 meters) in the ground, and two feet (0.6 meters) out of the ground, to keep the water cooler in summer and to provide seating on the rim of the pond, the better to smell the waterlilies.

First, I needed a hole. Fortunately my 17-year-old twin brothers, Michael and Miles, lived with me that summer. The three of us managed to dig a nice big hole.

Then my contractor poured a 4 inch (10 centimeter) thick concrete slab, with double the normal amount of iron rebar reinforcement, and upright rebar embedded in the slab to stabilize the concrete block walls. I made sure the slab sloped down to one corner, the easier to empty the pond with a sump pump. I had decided not to build in a drain pipe, since the closest reasonable place to drain the water was on the other side of my house. A pump and a garden hose works better for me than passive drainage.

My contractor built the walls with 8 inch x 8 inch x 16 inch (20 centimeter x 20 centimeter x 41 centimeter) concrete block, and capped it with concrete capstones. He used half of one of these 2 inches tall x 8" wide x 16" (5 centimeters x 20 centimeters x 41 centimeters) long capstones to form a shelf at one short end of my pond for the recirculating pump.

He built in a 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeter) copper drain pipe through the top of the wall at one corner for an overflow tube. This is standard copper tubing intended for household natural gas. A 3/4 inch (1.9 centimeter) polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipe runs through the opposite corner near the top of the pond to fill the pond. This is standard irrigation tubing. Use the heaviest grade available. This PVC tubing connects to a water valve and backflow preventer, which comes off my house's water main.

The pond has an electric outlet on one corner. A ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) is a must to prevent electrocution. I should have specified a tube through the top of the pond wall near the electrical outlet to pass the electrical cable for my pump, but I forgot to. The tube could be PVC pipe. It needs to be large enough to accomodate the 2- or 3-pronged electrical connection of the pump.

"Fiberglass" is a term used for glass-fiber fabric soaked with epoxy resin. You mix catalyst with the liquid resin just before use, and it hardens quickly. The fabric provides strength when the resin hardens, and the resin provides waterproofing. Fiberglass lasts for many years unless exposed to ultraviolet light, or unless you add expensive UV absorbents to the resin. Water absorbs enough ultraviolet light to protect fiberglass, so you do not need UV absorbents for ponds. The fabric comes in two types: a woven mesh with small rectangular holes between the warp and woof, and a non-woven fabric with fibers in random orientation, as in paper. For our purposes the non-woven fabric works better.

I planned to place at the waterline one row of 1-foot- (0.3-meter-) square imitation marble ceramic tile so no fiberglass would be exposed to the sun, and because I knew once algae grew on the liner, it would give the illusion that marble lines the entire pond!

The fiberglass liner adheres to the concrete walls and provides waterproofing. The liner must be carried up to the rim of the pond, over the rim, and a few inches (1 inch = 2.5 centimeters) down the outside, to prevent rain from getting between the fiberglass liner and the concrete walls, and separating the liner from the walls.

Not many substances stick to fiberglass, so pay special attention where you want to cover fiberglass with tile, plaster, or paint.

Fiberglass is easy to work with, so long as you keep in mind what you want to do and you take a few precautions. The steps are simple:

Mix resin and catalyst;
Paint resin inside your pond, and let the resin coat harden, to water-seal the concrete block;
Wait a day;
Tear fiberglass fabric into manageable sizes;
Mix more resin, paint small areas inside the pond with resin, place a piece of fabric, and apply more resin;
Repeat until the inside is covered;
Allow to harden.

Normally this takes two sessions on consecutive days. My pond, which measures 4 feet deep, 5 1/2 feet wide, and 12 feet long (1.2 meters x 1.6 meters x 3.7 meters), took me about 2 hours to coat with resin, and 4 hours to coat with fabric and resin. Now, on to the details.

My motto is "Safety First." I don't want fiberglass fibers, or resin, in my lungs, my eyes, or on my skin.

I read all the labels on all the materials before I begin work.

I wear a mask and goggles. I wear disposable gloves, and I keep plenty extra around on the edge of the pond so I can reach them easily. I wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and sturdy shoes. I put my cordless telephone handset or my mobile telephone in my pocket so I can call for help even if I am lying on the bottom of the pond. I don't eat or drink anything, especially alcoholic beverages, while using dangerous chemicals or tools. I don't smoke, but if I did, I wouldn't smoke around fiberglass resin.

Fiberglass resin can leave a permanent mess on concrete, wood, or any other surface. So, cover everything at risk. Newspapers or plastic sheeting work well.

Be prepared with everything in advance. When your gloved hands are covered with sticky wet resin, it is no time to be opening another package of fiberglass fabric.

I use paintbrushes that I don't mind throwing away, and I always have a clean spare within reach. I use one paintbrush per session, then throw it away rather than clean it. The cheapest ones work just fine; nobody is worried about brush marks on the bottom of the pond.

I put rags at various places around the pond edge so I can always reach one if I need it.

I only mix a gallon of resin and catalyst at at time because it gels quite quickly.

I put a stepladder on the pond bottom in one corner so I can get out without having to touch the freshly-coated sides. I coat the sides and most of the bottom, pause for lunch to allow that resin to harden, reposition the ladder on a surface already coated, and finish coating the bottom. I work from top to bottom so I can smooth out the resin drips as I go.

I am very careful not to leave torn edges of fabric projecting. When the resin hardens, these torn edges become like knife edges.

My step-by-step guide and a materials list follow (assuming a concrete pond).

First Day

1. Select two consecutive days when it will not rain and when temperatures are correct. The resin container provides this information. Generally, fiberglass is workable between temperatures of about 60 -- 90 degrees Fahrenheit (15 -- 32 degrees Celsius).

2. Be sure the interior of the pond is very clean, free of dirt and loose objects, and is dry.

3. On the first day, have available sufficient liquid resin, liquid catalyst, disposable buckets, mixing sticks, paint brushes, rags, disposable gloves, and a ladder. How much resin you use depends on the temperature, how much catalyst you use, and how fast you work. The label on the can helps you decide how much to buy. Besides, it is no problem if you stop in the middle of the first coat to buy more resin. Most hardware stores sell plastic-coated paper buckets that work well for mixing resin and catalyst.

4. Put the ladder into the pond. Put the resin, catalyst, brushes, mixing sticks, buckets, rags, and gloves on the bottom of the pond near the ladder. Clip your telephone to your belt.

5. Put on your safety equipment. Eye goggles and a mask are musts. Change gloves as needed. Try not to get resin on your telephone, doorknob, car keys, face, or zipper.

6. Mix resin and catalyst in the bucket according to the directions on the resin or catalyst package. The more catalyst you use, the faster the resin sets. On cold days, use a little more catalyst than on warm days. Work quickly but safely. Start with just a half-gallon of resin until you learn how long it takes the resin to gel. The catalyst contains peroxides and can burn your skin, eyes, and clothing. Be very careful with it!

7. Start at one vertical corner of the pond. Coat the corner with a thick layer of resin, from top to bottom. Use just enough resin so it doesn't drip down the wall. Brush the resin slightly past the bottom corner onto the floor of your pond.

8. Move to your right if right-handed, or to your left if left-handed. Again starting at the top of the vertical pond wall, use the brush to coat a span of wall about 3 feet (0.9 meters) wide. Work from top to bottom so you can smooth drips.

9. Work your way all around the interior of your pond, coating from top to bottom. Mix more resin as needed.

10. If the resin gels in the bucket, throw it away and mix more resin. Next time, either work more quickly or mix less resin.

11. When you have coated all the vertical wall surface, move the ladder and your supplies to a small area near a corner of your pond.

12. Now, starting on the side opposite your ladder, coat the floor of the pond with resin. Overlap slightly up the side walls.

13. When you have painted yourself into a corner, climb out on the ladder. Go have lunch, or wait a few hours until the resin has hardened.

14. Return to your project. Climb down into your pond, and move the ladder and materials to the other side of the pond. Following the steps above, finish coating the floor of your pond with resin.

15. Climb out of the pond. Bring out your materials. Mix more resin, and coat the rim of the pond with resin. Coat the outer wall of the pond with resin to about 4 inches (10 centimeters) below the rim.

16. Clean up.

17. Wait until tomorrow. One day of sun shouldn't be a problem, but if you need to leave your pond until the next weekend or even later, cover it to keep the sun off the fresh fiberglass.

Second Day

1. Be sure it will not rain, and temperatures are still correct.

2. Make certain the interior of the pond is clean, free of dirt and loose objects, and is dry.

3. Have available sufficient liquid resin, non-woven fiberglass fabric, liquid catalyst, disposable buckets, mixing sticks, paint brushes, rags, disposable gloves, and a ladder. How much fabric to buy depends on the surface you wish to cover. You need only one layer of fabric. As before, it is no problem if you stop in the middle of the job to go buy more resin or fabric.

4. Put the ladder into the pond. Put the resin, fabric, catalyst, brushes, mixing sticks, buckets, rags, and gloves on the bottom of the pond near the ladder. Clip your telephone to your belt.

5. Put on your safety equipment as before.

6. Tear non-woven fabric into squares. I manage fabric pieces measuring about a foot (0.3 meter) square. Be sure to wear a mask; the fabric sheds tiny glass fibers that damage your lungs if you inhale them. Tear all the squares first; you can’t handle dry fabric wearing gloves wet with sticky resin. Place the torn fabric squares neatly on the bottom of the pond.

7. Mix resin and catalyst in the bucket according to the directions on the resin or catalyst package. To start, mix less than you did for the first coat. Remember, the catalyst contains peroxides and can burn your skin, eyes, and clothing. Be very careful with it!

8. Try extra hard not to get resin on your brush-hand glove today.

9. Start at one vertical corner of the pond. Coat with resin an area a few inches (1 inch = 2.5 centimeters) wider and taller than the size of your fabric squares.

10. Set down the brush. Pick up one fabric square. Press it into the wet resin and settle it in place.

11. Pick up the brush again. Cover the square you just placed with more resin. Smooth out any wrinkles and uplifted edges.

12. Moving down the corner of the pond, apply resin over the next section of the wall.

13. Repeat this process until you completely cover the corner with fabric and resin from top to bottom. Carry a little of the fabric/resin onto the bottom of the pond.

14. Now, move in the direction of your dominant hand, and repeat for the next section of wall. Slightly overlap fabric squares side-to-side.

15. Work your way all around the interior of your pond, coating it with fabric and resin from top to bottom. Mix more resin as needed. Be sure no edges of fabric (or even individual fibers) stick up, otherwise they form sharp daggers or needles when the resin hardens.

16. After you coat all the vertical wall surface, move the ladder and your supplies to a small area near a corner of your pond.

17. Now, starting on the side opposite your ladder, coat the floor of the pond with fabric squares and resin. Slightly overlap them up the side walls.

18. When you have painted yourself into a corner, climb out on the ladder. Enjoy lunch, or wait a few hours until the resin has hardened.

19. Return to your project. Climb down into your pond, and move the ladder and materials to the other side of the pond. Following the steps above, finish coating the floor of your pond with fabric and resin.

20. Climb out of the pond and haul out your materials. Continue coating the top rim of the pond with fabric and resin, overlapping slightly with the fabric on the interior walls. Continue down the outside of the pond about 4 inches (10 centimeters).

21. Wait a few hours until the resin hardens. Replace the ladder, and climb back into the pond. Carefully inspect the fiberglass. Look for raised edges or fibers of hardened fabric. Note how sharp they are! If you have any of these, put on a mask and then sandpaper or file down the sharp edges. Once you have filed down all the sharps, mix some resin and recoat these sanded or filed areas.

22. Clean up.

23. Wait until tomorrow for the resin to harden completely. Fill the bottom few inches (1 inch = 2.54 centimeters) of the pond with water. Make a mark at the water level. Return the next day and decide whether the bottom is water-tight. If more water is missing than should be due to evaporation, you probably missed a spot. Drain and dry the pond, and recoat the bottom and all corners with more resin. Allow it to harden overnight, and then retest the bottom with water.

24. When you are satisfied the bottom holds water, fill the pond. Watch the water level for a day or so. If you have a leak, drain the pond and recoat the whole pond with more resin, paying special attention to the corners and to any areas you might have sanded or filed.

25. When you are sure the pond is water-tight, drain it down about 18 inches (46 centimeters) to 2 feet (0.6 meters). Set tile around the top of the pond so the fiberglass will never be exposed to the sun. Use special grout and cement to attach tile to fiberglass.

26. Now refill the pond and add your plants and the blocks needed to support them at the appropriate depth. Put mosquito dunks in the water, too.

27. Wait a few days before adding your fish; don't wait too long, or you may have an unwanted crop of mosquitos. I don't employ goldfish because they don't eat mosquitos during our hot summers. Each spring I add a few pairs of platies, variegatus, swordfish, and/or mollies, which are all rapidly-breeding tropical carnivores; I have year-round Gambusia (mosquito fish) in my pond.

Next I plastered and painted the outside of the pond. I was never happy with the top of the block wall; the plaster kept coming loose. So my contractor built a redwood lip to fit snugly on the rim of the pond. This single piece takes two people to lift. I restain it every 2-3 years. It functions as a bench while protecting the pond top from the sun. It looks sharp. I notched the bench near the electrical outlet; the cord to my pump fits under the notch, and is all but invisible.

I use a substantial pump. It runs most of the time to circulate the water in the pond. The pump intake is at the pump, and I attached 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeter) PVC drip irrigation tubing to the pump for the outflow. I ran the tubing about 3/4 the long length of my pond, and directed the outflow at the bottom far corner from the pump. This sets up a down-to-up circulation of water in my pond, so oxygen-poor areas underwater are less likely to form, and this makes the overall water temperature cooler in the summer (than without the circulation).

Now I can sit on the edge of my pond and enjoy the fragrance of waterlilies. I have not been able to keep lotus alive very long in our heat, but I am working on it!

Fiberglass working materials list:

1. Protective goggles
2. Protective respirator mask
3. Disposable gloves
4. Fiberglass resin (amount depends on area to be covered, buy more in the middle of the job if needed)
5. Fiberglass catalyst (amount depends on amount of resin and air temperature)
6. Fiberglass fabric, non-woven (one layer needed; calculate entire interior area of pond, top rim, and outside of pond, 4 inches [10 centimeters] down from rim, and buy a little extra)
7. Disposable mixing buckets for resin
8. Disposable mixing sticks for resin
9. Cheap paintbrushes, one brush per resin-working session plus one extra (I used 7 brushes total)
10. Ladder
11. Drop cloths, newspaper, or plastic sheeting to protect surfaces from resin