Woman Transforms Her Old Pond Into A Relaxing Swimming Pool
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If you have a backyard pond, you already have the building blocks for a makeshift plunge pool. Mandie Kaii on TikTok wowed the internet with her ambitious idea to create a relaxing oasis by simply reshaping the way she saw the small pond beside her patio. In a separate Instagram post, Mandie explained how she was quoted $150,000 for a small soaking pool. This sparked her DIY in-ground pool project. The results were so stunning that even Lowe's TikTok account commented on the video, "It turned out so good." Others remarked on how cool and lagoon-like the finished product was. Her idea is a perfect example of how you can create a backyard oasis by reimagining the function of elements you already have.
However, that's not to say that the project didn't involve a lot of hard work, effort, and know-how. Mandie first had to drain and dismantle the existing pond, including removing all the rocks and the old liner, and that's not including the time spent digging out the ground, building up the sides, and creating a solid, waterproof bottom. In total, it took her 2 months to complete. If the thought of doing this is daunting, there are potential alternatives: you could use a large preformed pond liner, or simply use a pool liner over the dugout pond shape. Home Depot sells a 270-gallon Preformed Pond Liner for under $500. However, Mandie Kaii's method is designed for long-lasting use since, following her method, you wouldn't have to worry about a plastic insert cracking or a liner tearing and causing pool leaks. It all comes down to what makes the most sense based on your time, budget, and skill level.
What you need to transform an old pond into a pool
If you're following Mandie Kaii's video to turn your own pond into a pool, you'll need many bags of concrete to fill the square footage of the pool (not including those needed to fill cinder blocks), chicken wire to line the space before filling out the pool with concrete, cinder blocks to create the sides of the pool, two rebar rods per cinder block used to add stability to the sides, a sander tool to smooth the hardened concrete, a vacuum to remove concrete dust, acid wash and paint for appearance, plus tools including a level, hammer, a concrete mixer (you can rent these from big box hardware stores), a concrete spreader tool, and paint brushes or rollers. Additionally, you might need a safety mask, glasses, and gloves.
@mandiekaii POOL REVEAL 🤍✨ this project was such a labor of love. I learned so much and feel like I could still do some things but in the meantime – what do you think?
One commenter on the TikTok video made a good point by asking about the filtration system, to which the creator said they used chlorine tablets and a small pool filter. It appears that a pump-like system was connected to the pool through pipes in the cinder blocks. Lowe's sells an above-ground pool filter pump for under $75, which looks similar to the type used in the video. As for sanitization, grab a $20 pack of 1-inch chlorine tablets from Amazon and a floater. Choose a fun floater like this solar-powered light one to add interest to the water at night. Wondering how much all of this will cost? With the assumption that your pool is 36 square feet, it may cost around $1,150 for all the materials, including pumps and chlorine filters. This doesn't factor in the cost of tools, but most can be rented. Compared to the $150,000 professional quote that Mandie Kaii received, this is a very budget-friendly project.
Additional considerations for a successful pond-to-pool project
Since you are turning a pond into a pool, it's important to consider how this could affect the wildlife that are currently taking up residence. Check the water for frogs, eggs, and tadpoles before continuing. You can always use a large container or hole-free planter, fill it with the pond water, and redistribute any eggs or tadpoles you see, along with any plants. This way you don't have to feel bad about uprooting backyard critters. Plus, you'll get an adorable mini pond that supports pollinators and frogs.
You also need to consider how natural or how pool-like you want the final product to be. Many people commented on the choice of black paint that Mandie Kaii used, stating that it seemed too eerie or that they would constantly worry about what was lurking beneath. However, others commented on how it more closely resembled the dark water that a natural pond would have. If you want to go for more of a tropical lagoon vibe than a forest rock pool, all you need is a different shade, like this Ocean Blue pool paint from Home Depot.