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Monday, December 06, 2004

architect architectural services house home KCS architects and koi ponds

architect architectural services house home KCS architects and koi ponds: "Having a Koi pond design done by an architect is great - if the architects in the architectural firm know what they're doing...

You need to know this if you are wanting a professional Koi pond design. I'll be upfront - it's not the cheapest way to go. But the ideas, input and final output that you will get from a professionally architect designed Koi pond are more than worth the relatively minor investment you'll be making in your dream Koi pond. Architects design and build for the next 20 years - over this life span a few thousand rand is money well spent on a Koi pond you can really, truly enjoy.

I have to confess to having some, OK, a lot of sympathy for architects. They are truly professional people in the best sense of the word, studying for 6 years at university and earning a degree that is complex, challenging and professional. The word 'architect' I think is abused to an enormous degree with interior architects, exterior architects, design architecture architecturalists and landscape architects popping out of the wood work all over the place. The same abuse doesn't exist for doctors, or lawyers for that matter but it is the architect that carries far, far more responsibility for his work other than perhaps, say, engineers... Everyone knows that architects are just really wannabe engineers (and being an engineer I wouldn't be biased in any way!)...

An professional architect is thus not someone that has done a six week part time course in interior decorating, or a 12 week course designing a garden. Architects design buildings and professional architects have to have a degree, and belong to the institute of architects, a body of professionals that monitor an architect's career - similar to the law society. Except no one ever gets chucked out of the law so"

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

koi ponds south africa keeping koi carp fish pond water gardens

koi ponds south africa keeping koi carp fish pond water gardens: "South Africa has an absolutely ideal climate for Koi keeping and the hobby has every right to prosper. It should not end up as a litany of filled in ponds, dead Koi and frustrated hobbyists. Yet some of the advice and products offered by so-called professionals are guaranteed to cause disaster - for instance if anyone offers or recommends the use of a sand filter they ought to have a very special reason for doing so....

Your need might be for state of the art filter equipment, or you might need state of the art advice and that's what we try and give you, on both counts. You ought to find that our advice makes sense - after all when we discovered these products on the Internet, the two of us (as partners in the business) being chemical engineers immediately saw the meaningful benefits that they offer"

Thursday, November 04, 2004

how to build a koi pond start with design keep it simple get good koi pond builder

how to build a koi pond start with design keep it simple get good koi pond builder: "Building a Koi pond is not easy. Always consult a professional - it WILL save you significant money!
After much consideration I have re written this page. I used to think you could do it yourself. You can't. At least, not properly. Get in a professional Koi pond builder - it's simpler, cheaper and faster. You can mail Rob, a chap we know and trust to give you a fair quote
There are several criteria that you need to consider when building a Koi pond. The actual building of the pond I strongly suggest you leave to a professional. It cannot be over emphasized enough that if a Koi pond goes wrong, it REALLY goes wrong. Leaks are the worst possible thing to have to deal with, especially if they only appear after a week.
In a nutshell, what I would have wanted to hear when I started and which I think that you will benefit from is knowing the following simple facts.
There are only a few things that YOU as a Koi pond owner get to make important decisions about. These ALL relate to what YOU want from your pond - the size, shape, location etc. But listen to your pond builder and let him over ride a decision if he feels it is not in your best interest in terms of the construction. You MUST, MUST understand that his job is to try and give you what YOU want. You cannot expect him to see your mind's eye vision and you cannot blame him once the job is complete and the pond doesn't meet your expectations. That's your own fault. Believe me, I suffered with this on just my swimming pool!"

koi pond construction building south africa builders professional

koi pond construction building south africa builders professional: "Let your pond builder do his job and build your pond. By this stage you should both have a clear idea of exactly what you are going to end up with. If you do not, STOP everything and start again. You will have heartache if your Koi pond construction does not go exactly according to plan.
You should also both be clear as to what monies should be paid for the pond construction and when. A professional will only take his final payment once the pond has been commissioned (filled with water).
Things to look out for from your contractor include time lines. If he says it'll take 2 weeks to complete the excavation, make sure that two weeks is what it takes. A professional Koi pond builder will also be a great site manager and he will be in and out with a minimum of fuss and effort.
As we advocate continually, building a Koi pond once and only once is the cheapest way of doing things. Give Rob an e-mail from here directly."

Concrete pond construction - part 1.

Concrete pond construction - part 1.: "There are many ponds that have only 4 feet of water, but it is generally considered that to really care for large koi then the deeper ponds are really necessary to develop the correct shape for the larger fish. Most of us do tend to overstock our ponds, especially when our earlier small purchases start to grow.
The structure of the pond described here may seem unnecessary in some more sunny parts of the world, but is the standard used by many enthusiasts in South Wales and many koi-keepers in the UK.
It is assumed that you have now decided on the shape and general design for your pond.
The first step is to get a large sheet of graph paper, and draw out the outline of your garden. When this is done you can then start to draw in the outline of your filters and pond. When you are satisfied with this it is a good idea to go out in the garden and follow the steps shown below.
In this photo the pond has been marked out, and the two stepping stones show the rough position of the bottom drains. The upright poles are the basic outline for the filters. It is very important that the filter sizes are also checked at this time as if there is not sufficient room then the size of the pond will have to be reduced to ensure that the surface area of the filters are 33 to 50% of the surface area of the pond. Also check out the space required for items such as vortex chambers etc.
It was relatively easy to mark out this pond as it was all straight lines. If you have curves in the pond walls then the laying out of a hose pipe allows you to experiment with the shape until you get it the way you want.
Digging out of the pond is now well under way. In the right hand corner of the pond can be seen the concrete encased main drain. It had been intended to have the pond raised partly above ground, but as the pond could not be dug any deeper, then it was raised a"

Thursday, October 21, 2004

how to build a koi pond start with design keep it simple get good koi pond builder

how to build a koi pond start with design keep it simple get good koi pond builder: "Building a Koi pond is not easy. Always consult a professional - it WILL save you significant money!
After much consideration I have re written this page. I used to think you could do it yourself. You can't. At least, not properly. Get in a professional Koi pond builder - it's simpler, cheaper and faster. You can mail Rob, a chap we know and trust to give you a fair quote
There are several criteria that you need to consider when building a Koi pond. The actual building of the pond I strongly suggest you leave to a professional. It cannot be over emphasized enough that if a Koi pond goes wrong, it REALLY goes wrong. Leaks are the worst possible thing to have to deal with, especially if they only appear after a week. "