If you don't want to take the risk for your children or visitors, you have to make your pond childproof. There are several ways to achieve this.
Pond protection options
There are various ways in which a pond can be made child-proof. In most cases, not only people benefit from them, but also other living beings. This also protects the fish from herons and other predators. Fishing isn't made any easier for cats either.
- Fence
- Pond grid
- grid panels
- Pond nets
Pond grid
Pond grates are stable pond protection, usually made of flat steel. They can be installed both below and above the water surface. As a rule, they are built so sturdily that they can even be walked on. For larger ponds, this only works if the grid is secured with additional supports. These then also have to be placed in the water. Protection is possible up to a depth of 2 meters. Pond grids can be adapted to different depths and substrates and also to difficult bank areas. Cutouts for fountains or access to technology are possible.
The steel is hot-dip galvanized and powder-coated so that the material lasts a long time and remains attractive. In most cases, color, shape and pattern can be adapted to customer requirements. The “mesh size” is important. It should not be too large. Every pond has a different floor plan and so an individual floor plan is created for each one that reflects the exact shape.
- Made of flat steel
- Can be installed in and above water
- Very stable, even easy to walk on
- For larger ponds, additional supports are necessary
- Mountable to a depth of 2 m
Tip:
Pond grids installed above the water have another advantage. In autumn you can easily put a leaf protection net over it without it sagging and sinking into the water. This makes work even easier.
Safapon offers a good, if not exactly inexpensive, solution. How to assemble and install these grilles at: www.safaponddirect.co.uk/images/20106231026310. German%20Instruction%20SPD%200110.pdf
grid panels
Grid panels are usually made of rigid plastic. They are mounted on aluminum or steel beams and attached to the outside of the pond. The grid panels can be adapted to the size and shape of the pond. Almost any pond can be secured with it. Grid plates can be used below and above the water surface. In order to generally avoid children coming into contact with the water, it is recommended to install it just above the water level. Pond liners should be well protected, which is actually always possible without any problems. The grilles themselves are easy to dismantle and the child-proof retaining clips can be easily removed. This means that individual areas of the pond can also be opened. The construction feet can be adjusted to the depth of the water. The grids do not affect plants, fish or other animals in their habitat.
- Made of rigid plastic
- Mostly black or green
- Mounted on aluminum or steel beams
- Can be attached under and above the water surface
- Can be adjusted according to water depth
Pond nets
The most well-known are leaf protection nets, but they are not suitable as “child protection”. They prevent leaves from falling into the pond water, children are significantly heavier and would sink because the nets are usually stretchy. If a lot of leaves are trapped, they also sag and the leaves lie in the water. So there needs to be more stable networks. In addition to leaf protection nets, there are also pond covers to protect against falling in. They have the properties of safety nets, which are also used on construction sites and similar. The material thickness is 5 mm, the mesh size is 45 to 100 mm. There is a finishing edge all around with an additional edge rope. These nets are stable enough to catch even adults, but they have to be stretched very tightly so that they don't give way and the child ends up lying in the water, even in the net. It can still drown.
- Only use very tight and stable nets
- It is important that the tension and anchoring is tight so that the rope does not sag and the child does not end up under the surface of the water when falling in
Build your own pond cover
Pond covers are sometimes quite expensive. Professionals make a lot of money off of people's fear. If this is too expensive for you, you can often help yourself. Of course, the prerequisite is that the pond is not too big. First the pond must be measured. The perimeter with all its lines, corners, edges, etc. is recorded. With this information, you can then purchase appropriate materials to make it safer for children. Depth is also important, especially when fastenings and supports need to be anchored in it.
Construction mats or reinforcement nets
Covering the garden pond with structural steel mats is not particularly decorative, but it is safe. Of course, it always depends on the size, shape and natural conditions. However, structural steel mats rust and are better placed over the water. However, it is still not possible to avoid “rusty water” dripping down from above when it is wet and getting into the pond. If you prefer the stainless version, you should choose galvanized structural steel (galvanized reinforcement mesh). These can simply be placed on top of smaller and even medium-sized ponds. For large ponds, the mats must be tied together. Supports are also needed. The whole matter becomes much more complicated.
- Structural steel mats – however, they rust and need to be pretreated
- Galvanized structural steel is better
- Galvanized reinforcement nets
- Easy to install for small ponds
- For pond basins, simply place over it
- Possible for larger ponds, but difficult to build yourself because of the supports and fastenings
Structural steel mats hold best on prefabricated pools. They can be easily attached and weighted there so that nothing slips. With foil ponds you have to think of something to ensure that the foil is not damaged. It is good that the grids can be cut to size. Bolt cutting can be used to cut them to size into the appropriate shape. Flat irons serve as supports. Depending on the size of the grid, five to eight of them are distributed on it. It is important that they are all parallel to each other. The flat irons are welded on. It is a good idea to dig a small edge at the edge of the pond for the grid or the flat irons that hold it. The grid is placed there.
In order for the construction to hold, the support surface must be very flat. After installation, structural steel mats should be freed from rust and painted with a rust-preventing primer. When this primer has dried properly, it is lightly roughened again with sandpaper. Then it has to be painted. The grilles are traditionally painted black, but in principle any other color is possible. After painting and drying, the grille is mounted on the support edge. Due to its own weight, it disappears briefly below the surface of the water.
- Grids can be cut into any shape
- Easy with bolt cutters
- Flat iron as support
- Removing rust from structural steel mats
- Apply anti-rust primer
- Roughen again after drying
- Paint with desired color
Build a fence
More often than the gates are used, you can see the fence fenced in. This is usually the cheaper option, even for a large pond. There are a variety of options. It is important that the fence cannot be climbed over. A fence should therefore have no horizontal bars on the outside, only on the side facing the pond. The whole thing also has to be very stable, even if it is only a temporary solution and has to last a few years. Wood is usually used as a building material. Depending on the type, it is quite inexpensive, is easy to process and the fence looks natural. However, it doesn't fit well into very modern gardens, at least not untreated. When it comes to fencing, it is important to find an acceptable path. The fence should look good, be stable and cost little. This usually only works if you build it yourself. Labor makes fences expensive, but anyone who can save money will find a satisfactory solution for their pond.
Conclusion
As beautiful as a garden pond is, it is dangerous, especially for small children. In various forums it is recommended to plan a sandpit instead of a pond. This makes sense if a pond is planned. But if it already exists, it would be a shame. An appropriate pond cover can prevent accidents. There are various solutions, regardless of whether you buy everything ready-made or build it yourself. In any case, it's worth comparing the offers because the prices are quite different. It is important to teach your children to swim as early as possible and to teach them how to behave. Small children in particular are extremely capable of learning, you just have to trust them. Even if you don't have children of your own but have a garden pond, you should remember to design and secure your garden in such a way that other children have no access. Water is tempting and attracts them. As a garden owner, you are responsible for everything that happens in the garden.
