In landscape design, extraordinary and practical ideas are rather highly valued, therefore, if there is no desire to buy expensive elements for decorating a personal plot, it is worth considering the option of using improvised tools to achieve the desired result. An example of non-standard solutions is the manufacture of a small pond from banner fabric, and how exactly it needs to be fixed and what to do to prevent leaks - more on this later.

What tools will be needed to work with the banner

Banner fabric is used not only for placing roadside advertisements on it, and has long established itself as a good protective and non-soaking material with which truckers often cover the transported goods. Among the main advantages of such a product is a high level of strength, resistance to temperature extremes and natural precipitation, compliance with environmental standards.

To use banner material for the manufacture of a decorative pond, you will need the following tools and materials:

• a banner (preferably new), the dimensions of which will correspond to the parameters of the future reservoir;
• metal sheets, support profiles or a ready-made frame mechanism (available at a hardware store);
• peeled boards without knots and bars 1.5 m long and at least 2.5 cm thick;
• long cord for geometric measurements;
• sand;
• hammer;
• saw:
• self-tapping screws or nails for attaching boards and bars;
• level and tape measure;
• waterproofing paint to protect wooden elements from decay;
• shovel for pit organization.

Did you know? The first web banner ad appeared in an online magazine on October 27, 1994. Its size was 468 × 60 pixels and in the future it was these values ​​that were used as the most convenient for advertisers.

For the manufacture of a metal base, you will definitely need a grinder and fasteners for metal sheets, although most often summer residents choose wooden structural elements, which are easier and more pleasant to work with. As for the calculation of the appropriate size of the banner fabric, the calculation of the coating can be done as follows: after determining the values ​​of the length and width of the future reservoir, add doubled depth values ​​to them and another 60 cm for allowances when fixing along the edges. The resulting sum of all estimates will be the value that you need.

What you need to do so that the pond does not leak from the banner

The new banner fabric is almost always characterized by high waterproofing properties. (in addition to defective products), but if you doubt the high quality indicators or want to use the material that was previously used, it is worth taking some additional steps to prevent leaks. The simplest solution is to lay several layers of the product at once, but for greater reliability of the material, you can use a construction hairdryer or iron.

High temperature in a natural way will contribute to a slight melting of the material and tightening of small holes, which will make the surface much more tight. The features of the process to achieve this goal depend on the type of tool used: if it is a hairdryer, then you just need to evenly distribute the flow of warm air over the surface of the product, and if it comes to using an iron, then before ironing the banner fabric, it should be covered with newspapers.

Alternatively, ordinary polyethylene selected in the size of the banner can be used as a sealant. It is spread out on a clean and even surface, a banner cloth with newspapers is placed on top and smoothed with an iron. If you periodically drain water from a finished pond, then such a design will easily last up to 5 years and will not leak.

Step by step creation of a reservoir

The first step on the way to creating a pond using banner fabric is the choice of the most suitable place for its placement: it should be well-lit by sunlight and be close to the source of water and electricity (if you plan to organize lighting in the future).

The second logical step will be to develop a clear plan of the reservoir, with the obligatory indication of all the protrusions, depth and additional decorative elements, which also require a separate place for their placement. Once these issues are resolved, you can proceed to the selection and installation of the frame base and the further direct installation of banner fabric.

Frame selection and installation

The frame base for the reservoir can be made of boards or iron reinforcement, in any case covering the surface of the material with an anti-corrosion compound. First of all, prepare dried pine boards (other wood species may come up), having previously rid them of all knots and bark. The length of each bar or plank sheet depends on the size of the future water structure.

If you plan to swim in an artificial pond, then you have to purchase bars 1.5 m long and about 25 mm thick. Before collecting the frame, all wooden elements should be treated with antiseptic compounds. Assembly of the base begins immediately after the organization of the pit and backfill of the sand support, up to 10 cm thick.

Important! Any stones or other solid particles are best removed immediately to avoid warping the wooden base.

The further action plan consists of the following steps:

1. In the organized recess, mark the places where corner posts should be placed in the future (it is most convenient to use a cord for geometric measurements).
2. Observing the shape of the reservoir, dig around the perimeter of the future water body the treated wooden beams, deepening them into the ground by at least 50 cm and keeping the distance between adjacent elements within 0.5 m. If empty spaces are formed between the individual components during the organization of the frame, fill them up fine crushed stone or sand, then compact well.
3. The spaced bars are interconnected by edged boards, installing them horizontally. The distance between the soil surface and the bottom of the nailed board should be at least 20-30 cm.

To make the frame more stable, professional builders recommend additionally performing a pair of harnesses: in the upper and lower parts of the structure.

Installation of PVC cloth

For the long service life of the banner pool in the form of a pond, you should buy a canvas with a thickness of at least 600 g / m² and properly prepare it for installation (at least go with a hairdryer for thermal sealing of possible small holes).

The basic material installation action plan will include the following steps:

1. Carefully cut the purchased canvas into several parts suitable for the size of the frame and use a building hair dryer (its working temperature should be about 700 degrees) to glue them. At joints, parts of the material must be overlapped, overlapping, heating the surface until it melts.
2. Lay the material with still warm joints of the fabric joints on a flat surface and walk over the roller, with which you can firmly press individual pieces to each other. It is most practical to perform work on gluing on sheets of chipboard and fiberboard, as they are as even and smooth as possible, which will prevent possible damage to the fabric.
3. If there is no confidence in the strength of the formed seams, additionally walk on them with sealing glue.
4. Having given the banner the desired shape, place the insert in the previously organized frame base, but always with a gloss inside.
5. Make sure that the corners of the fabric and the corners of the boxed wooden frame completely match.
6. Fix the banner canvas with washers about 3.5 cm long, and fix the top of the “bowl” with screws screwed to the upper harness, built up from the front of the bars.

The distance between the fasteners should not exceed 30 cm, and the material should be slightly tensioned during installation, but trying to prevent breaks.

For further hassle-free care of the banner reservoir, it is advisable to immediately equip it with a hose and an automatic water filtration system, especially if fish or other aquatic inhabitants live in the reservoir.

Did you know? The first large-format printer for printing, which used banner fabric, appeared in the CIS only in 1995, but by 2000 it was widely used in large and medium-sized cities of most countries mainly for the production of advertising posters.

Pros and cons of banner

Banner fabric often becomes the material for the manufacture of ready-made frame pools, for example, products from the well-known company Intex, which is not surprising if we take into account the long-term successful use of such products to create street advertising.

• The main advantages of banner material will be its following characteristics:
• high strength of the product, thanks to which it successfully tolerates the effects of strong wind, rain and even hail;
• good frost resistance and resilience at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions;
• tightness, moisture does not pass through the pores, remaining in an organized reservoir;
• ease of repair in case of mechanical damage and leakage (individual parts can be glued with PVC glue).

• Of course, all these characteristics will only be a plus when building an artificial pond from banner fabric, but in order not to be disappointed in the undertaking, it is worth knowing about some of the weaknesses of such products:
• when using used banners, most likely, they already managed to absorb a large amount of dust and dirt, because of which they probably lost their former strength and can break even with a small mechanical impact;
• repeated bending of the product and constant exposure to the same section of the material threatens with abrasion of its upper polymer coating, as a result of which the substrate is exposed and all the sealing properties of the fabric are lost (to prevent this from happening, it is important to prevent the fabric from contacting with sharp edges of the frame base, stones and other hard products in places of installation of a reservoir);
• in comparison with the polymer film, which is also often used to organize artificial water structures, banner fabric is not so plastic and light, so working with it is a little more difficult;
• often the specified material is sold in pieces or glued from flaps, therefore, in order to eliminate possible leaks, it is necessary to glue and re-glue the joints of the individual parts on their own.

An artificial pond from a banner is really a good solution with a limited budget, but if you want to make a really reliable construction for a summer residence, then you will have to spend time on the competent manufacture of the structure, using a frame base and observing all the rules for installing the fabric itself. Ultimately, all efforts will be rewarded with an excellent decorative element of the site.