As time is now getting short with the breeding season looming, I decided I had to get some help in, so James a fellow koi keeper came in with his crew and laid the blocks for me.

They started around 10am on Thursday 3rd February. Just watch the ponds go up!

By the end of the day, they had laid 4 courses of blocks in each pond.

The next morning they continued with the build.

By the end of day two all the block work was finished, it would have taken me a while longer!

As many of you will know by now, I am a great believer in spending a little extra outlay to save in the long-term, so these ponds like all my others are to be insulated. The next stage is to apply the foam sheeting and then the glass fibre. This will be in a week or so.

Although it may seem extravagant, it is not as expensive as it may seem. The foam sheeting or sprayed PU foam is applied direct to block work, no render is needed, so that expense can be offset against the foam cost. Plus long-term the saving on heating bills is quite remarkable.

First the sheets are fixed to the walls, this can be carried out in a couple of ways, one is to use gun mastic adhesive such as Gripfill, or with masonry nails lightly fixed into the mortar between the blocks. This is the easiest method and 40mm nails are just right for 25mm sheeting.

Work around the pond sheet by sheet, fixing them together with nails, pushed in with your fingers diagonally through both sheets