As a slice of green on rooftop brings a pleasant waft of breeze even on a sultry day, an indoor pond similarly can bring the calmness and cool vibes amid the greenery. Rooftop gardens are quite common in splashy households, but when it comes to the building and maintaining ponds, not many are up for it due to possible hazards. Some of the possible glitches are unwanted leakage, the risk of heavy load or weakening of the ceiling of the floor underneath, and the chance of mess created by spillage, risk of germination of mosquitoes and fungi. Well, if you get to arrange proper planning, the rooftop pond is an easy to make project, which you can build from some of the most trivial things like stock tanks, floaties, and an existing yet unused pool.
Your work does not end by arranging the pond structure. You have to plan and execute the entire surrounding and supporting areas like the roof walls, and ceilings. These elements are important for the arrangement and you have to build them as per the recommendation of the contributing architect. Consider your budget while incorporating a few elements as the rooftop ponds need regular maintenance over and above the initial capital cost of making the same.
Best Rooftop Pond Ideas for Your Home
Now that you have decided to get your little pond ready but not sure what would look good on your rooftop, here a few rooftop pond ideas are suggested to let you start conceptualizing further:
01. Using Old Kiddie Pool as a Rooftop Pond Idea
Why not reuse the old bathtub that your kids used in their childhood? Believe us, you can turn it into a lively pond quite easily. Made generally of hard plastic, vinyl or fiber, these little bathtubs or pools may no longer get into plastic waste in the environment but can create a sustainable aquatic environment where fish and plants can bloom naturally.
02. Set up Brick Pond along the Edge
This is a good rooftop pond idea if you have spare bricks at home or if you are looking for a cost-effective solution for building the rooftop pond, you may plan to build three sides of the boundary walls adjacent to the edge of the roof. Plaster it with cement, and once the structure gets dried up completely, fill it up with water. Wait for a few days to check whether the new walls have any leakage and once you are double sure about the full-proof status of the waterproofed plastered walls, you can add the lily seeds or other plant cuttings.
03. Get a Concrete Container
The shallow round concrete containers are often used to store water or prepare compost. You may transform it into a lily or duckweed pond by filling up the bottom with clay and adding the plant seeds or cuttings in it so that the seeds and cuttings can grow and reach their roots to the bottom surface. Even if you have a concrete ring, you can just get a slab of the similar diameter or simply plaster the bottom surface of the roof anywhere you want.
04. Set Up a Low-Depth Pond in the Middle
If you have wide space on the roof and you are a lucky individual with relatively higher budget for building the pond, you may plan to get a glass-walled pond built as the centerpiece. You may accentuate its appeal by adding the look of a pool on it either by securing the perimeter with concrete, or you may use stone or wood to boost the aesthetics. For better landscaping, you can even add some pebbles or you may create a waterfall feature.
05. Transform an Existing Pool into Pond
If your old rooftop pool has already got infested by weeds, fungi and algae, it is the high time to get rid of the filths and fill it up with freshwater or saltwater according to the type of fish and aquatic plants you are planning to recreate. As there will be existing water filling and changing system implanted, maintenance of your rooftop will be somehow easier.
06. Use Stone Blocks for a Koi Pond
Just like a brick or concrete pond, you may structure a pond using stone blocks adjacent to the edge, one wall or in the middle. It will offer a rustic Zen look for the viewers and you can keep colorful koi fish in it. Make sure it has water circulation system and no matter how creatively it is carved on the outer walls, there should be no leakage at all.
07. Create Surface Level Pond
You may get in touch with an engineer and architect to verify whether the existing roof is strong enough to support a rooftop pond. Or you may construct it thick enough during the construction to leave a shallow space where you can create the pond by filling it up like an infinity pool. Add a comfortable seating area by the surface level of the pond to enjoy the fish wriggle around.
08. Glass Panel Window Designs
You may create a DIY glass window pond in circular, rectangular, or any other shape where one side of the wall houses a glass panel to give a peek like that of an aquarium. You can even create it along the railing of the roof as it offers long horizontal space where you do not have to worry about water volume.
09. Marble Pond with Plants
You may go for a readymade Ceramic and marble pond but these options are a bit pricey but worth every penny for their classy look. You may choose from numerous patterns, textures, and colors for the inner and outer look before setting it up at an angle with the corner, in the middle, or at any other section flanked with foliage.
10. Metal Pond with Wooden Boards
You may use an old stock pool and metal barrel or an old pool to use it as the pond. You may refurbish these existing structures as a metal pond just by adding a fresh coat of waterproof paint inside. The outer wall can be covered with wooden boards or you can leave the wooden panels surrounding the pond for a more eye-candy rustic look.
Things You Should Not Miss While making Rooftop Pond
The first thing to put on a checklist while adding a rooftop pond is adequate exposure to sunlight and natural wind supply. You must lay your focus on some allied things to consider:
- Check the strength of the roof to see whether it can support the additional load of the water within the pond structure. Also, check if it will also be strong enough for such water loads during earthquakes or earthly calamities.
- Check that the roof has sound waterproofing protection.
- Calculate the volume of the water according to the area and structural integrity of the roof.
- Choose the material to use according to the budget and rooftop design.
- Beware of pests like civet cats, rats, caterpillars, bugs, etc. that can harm plants and animals of the pond. Also, you may have a plan in place if you have mosquitoes breeding.
- Maintain steady water circulation and oxygen supply especially for living organisms, preventing mosquito breeding and algae attack.
- Add lights for a magical night look and taps for easy water supply and circulation.
Direct sunrays should not fall on the pond for more than two hours, and in daytime, it should get indirect sunlight to help the aquatic plants grow and keep the fish safe from fungal attack. If the rooftop is located at higher altitude or high level of a building, excessive wind can make the pond surface unstable. Stable airflow is all you need and therefore, you can put up a fabric shade or barrier to regulate the air supply.
Statutory Permission
While setting up the rooftop pond, make sure that you have checked the building regulations and have obtained permission from the local municipal body or any other competent authority. Add heater or cooler externally in case there is congestion on the roof or the weather tends to be too chilly and so on.
Rooftop pond is an aesthetic feature to increase the opulence of your sweet home and it is a wonderful way to nurture a little replica of natural ecosystem. But remembering the points mentioned here will help you to take care of your roof perfectly. Always ask a qualified architect about the feasibility of making a rooftop pond in your existing house structure. We have also written other similar articles related to this topic. You may refer following links:
DIY Garden Pond Ideas for Making outdoor More Aesthetic in Budget!
10 Backyard Water Features to Upgrade the Aesthetics of Home!
How to Have a Garden Fountain in a Small Space?
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Author Bio
Sanjukta Ganguly – I am Sanjukta Ganguly from Kolkata. I have 9+ years of experience in content writing. I have written for multiple niches and genres like, health, travel, pregnancy, love and relationship, dating, hosting services, and WordPress, Press Release, Web Designing, Case Study, Thesis, Proof Reading, Academic Writing, etc. I can handle the work of 4000-5000 words daily.