What home improvement work did you do today?

I built a massive Koi pond with a water fall and feeding stream at my house.
Leaks are common initially and you can find them in these places.
1. Dribble / run off - anywhere there's water going by a shallow spot without depth.
2. Pump box - Look at the dirt around it, is it damp?
3. Your pond liner; check for overlaps that aren't overlapping enough.
Most serious pond owners have an auto fill capability where a float just like the one in your crapper releases water into the pond pump house until it hits a specific level.
If your not in some hot climate and you can find no major wet areas of dirt around it, it is either in the liner or evaporation and evap is slow over a few days.

 

We had a mimosa - I like how fast they grow but they are pretty messy too. A LOT of people around here do Crepe Murder. I'm not one of them. In the Spring, I cut the old seed pods off and after the new leaves come in, I'll cut any dead growth but that's it.
A few years back, my neighbor wanted to get rid of their 20ft Crepe. I ended up digging about 3ft down and gave up. I put a chain on the truck, put the truck in 4wd and pulled it out. I then, somehow, dragged the tree over to our yard and planted it. It took it a year but it lived and flowered the next spring. Indestructible.

It was underneath a weed tree and it never flowered because it didn't get any sun. So they were going to cut it down.

 

I do Mimosas on weekends at breakfast; good way to start the day.
BTW Cement grey Tundras rule...

 

I loved that truck but now I love my Army Green Pro even more. I'm a Tundy slut, I know.

 

Thanks for your response. Can you clarify what you mean here? I just turned the pump off to see if I lose any water overnight without it. That will tell me if I'm losing it on the way up or back down.

 

OK, I see you have a waterfall.
Watch the water go around the rock and down.
Have you checked where some of that water goes after it passes down the rocks?
Does it bleed off some along the side on the way down?
The area adjacent to the waterfall area should be dry. If it wet, your loosing water there.
Sometimes you need to lift a rock or two, to see whats really going on with the water.
Water will always seek the path of least resistance.
Here are some photos of what I mean.
Look to the edges and underneath rocks for leakage.

 

Just testing it now. It will be motion sensing so it only pees when walking into our yard. Will not be here either. It will be in the yard close to the gate. Basin will eventually be buried. Will only operate when you are within a few feet. That’s the plan at least. But past the test I think.

 

That's pretty freakin' cool

 

I like it!
Watch how much bird S@#$ ends up on it. Birds love running water.

 

Wow I really dig that setup. Very nice!

 

Only one way to start. While I'm no carpentry master, I'm pretty decent, and I can tell you that 99% of my 'expertise' comes from me saying 'Well sh*t' about 2343 times right after making mistakes. LOL

 

Very nice, I need to put together a little garden like that for the kiddos...

 

Pretty cool. nice looking setup.

 

The old tankless heater was 16 years old and not keeping up with demand. So we went with bigger, badder, dual water heaters. Although I didn't install them..I watched siping on a cup of coffee thinking to myself Thank God for awesome plumbers! Heat for days!

My water filtration system is next.

 

What is the capacity of the pond, if you know, and how much (ballpark) are you adding each time? Also, have you checked for saturation below your retaining wall? That's a pretty moderate slope in your backyard. I wouldn't be surprised if that is where your subsurface leak comes to surface if your liner truly is the culprit.

 

I have no idea how much it holds and really no clue how many gallons I'm adding. I usually have to run the hose for 30 minutes. It's too soon to say for certain, but it doesn't look like I've lost much water since turning off the pump last night. So I may be losing water on the way up to the top, or while the water is falling back down. I know my dogs have been on the rocks some so I'm thinking they may have moved something just enough to divert water but I can't find any signs of it yet. I'll give it a few more hours and turn it back on to see if I can find where I may be losing water.

That was my thought too. I walked all along the retaining wall and didn't find any signs of leaks. It's dry.

 

Cleaned the outdoor furniture this evening. Staryws 2nd pull after a year long layup. Can't beat a Honda small engine.

 

Skunks
As dumb as this may sound I added another level of protection to the bottom of my fence.
I added a horizontal picket just to make it a little more difficult on the inside of the fence it’s lined with blocks but that picket closed up the gaps quite a bit.

tomorrow going to get a skunk trap
This is crazy

 

I had to put hardware cloth around the entire perimeter of my house when we first moved here and around our decks just a few months back because of rats, raccoons, squirrels, skunks, possums... (most recently, it was rats). 6 inches down, and 3 inches out, in an "L" shape. Otherwise, the little bastards dig right under. Apparently, most pests will dig, hit the hardware cloth, back up a little, and hit it again. After about 2 inches, they move on to your neighbors house.

 

An additional barrier can never hurt, but those little fuckers don't always come in at ground level. I have a brick wall so no way they just walk in, they can climb.

 

I installed a 6" suspension seat on my zero turn mower

 

Finished the fence and gate! No more annoying comments from my nosey neighbor because he can see me on the patio.

 

Why they upset? You uh....walking around naked or something?

 

Maaaayyyybe.

No, he's very jealous of everything I have. When I bought the house, he thought my in-laws were the new owners, not some "kid" (in my late 30's). I guess he wanted to buy it and my offer blew his out of the water. All the neighbors love my family and can't stand him. They won't even talk to him yet will stop what they are doing to say hi to us when they see us. I make sure to shovel walkways for my neighbors when it snows and check in on everyone all the time. The neighbor's have lived here for years and some are getting up there. We have the nicest house on the block and work hard to keep it that way.

Lost both vehicles in 2020 to rear-ended accidents, so I bought the wife a (new to us) 2018 Highlander and I went without a vehicle, because COVID. Was told I spoil her (because he thought it was brand new). Bought the family a new TT for camping. I was told I don't have my priorities straight. Bought my (new to us) 2014 Tundra. Told me he wishes he had a fancy new truck because he thought it was a 2021 and his 2006 Tundra looks abused.

Shit gets old when no matter what, he can't stand that I have what I have and somehow pay for it using fancy computer skills and not a traditional "skill".

So I blocked him from being able to talk to me when I'm on the patio BBQ'Ing or have the sliding glass door open.

 

do you and take care of yourself. allow others to look in on your life but not influence it cuz sometimes people look to learn and not to judge. fence looks good and should serve it's purpose for you well.

 

Thanks! Appreciate the wisdom and agree with it entirely!