Destroying A Concrete Koi Pond...any Ideas?
I have a property with a 15 x 8 koi pond in the backyard. It is a 4 bedroom home that I expect will appeal to a buyer with kids. Due to this I expect the pond to be viewed as a liability. The previous owner spent $20,000 on this ugly pond; I just want to get rid of it. It appears to be a vinyl bladder with river rocks attached around the sides. There is a small elevated section that formed a ridiculous waterfall, this part looks like poured concrete. A sledge hammer was doing fine until I realized the back wall is actually a solid concrete pier with the river rocks attached on top. The concrete is 18 in. wide by 3 ft. deep by 6 feet long. I could hammer for a very long time and get nowhere. So, 2 questions:
1. ANy thoughts on how to break apart the concrete?
2. The plan is to break it all apart, push the debris into the existing space, then fill in and level the yard. Does this sound reasonable?
Rent a jack hammer?
THere are also concrete cracking chemicals you can purchase, those along with a jack hammer are all you need.
Personally I would never create a concrete dump in someobodies yard by filling in the hole with the broken concrete, I would rather send it to the recycling plant and fill in the whole with soil. However, this is the investment world of do what is cost effective instead of what is right for the long term.
Annie,
I have seen one filled and planted creating a landscaped "dry pond." Was very attractive with trailing plants in the old waterfall area.
Jim
In some localities it is illegal to bury concrete why not check with the locals?
personally i would see a 20k koi pond as a selling advantage and NOT a liability, maybe the buyers insurance will be a bit higher but heck sell it to someone else who will pay more to have a 20k koi pond.
I just painted a 1500 sqare foot house in 1 day. It had alot of stained trim,crown moldings, etc. I taped allof it which is a pain in the butt but I paid my buddie $10 an hour to paint it. I had him use a power roller ( one that you can suck a half of a can in the roller). He had it painted in 8 hours. cost me less than 100 bucks in labor. [/LIST]
I would make sure you are not over analyzing it. Many buyers will not notice the things you will. Correct the main issues and move on. This will be key in not overspending when it comes to your budget![ Edited by getgoing on Date 12/13/2005 ]
Alot of buyers will want their own paint job anyway, especially if you wind up selling it to a first time home buyer. Theyre willing to spend more than any other type of buyer on interior stuff. id leave it alone as mentioned and focus on more important stuff. atleast you learned from your mistake, thats priceless.[ Edited by Sham718 on Date 12/14/2005 ]