Our Massive Pond HOLDS Water!!

Welcome to episode 6 of our biggest build yet, a natural swim pond. So, what makes it natural? No chlorine, no harsh chemicals. Instead, plants, gravel, and a filtration zone working alongside our filters, skimmers, and plumbing to keep the water clean, the same way a lake or pond cleans itself. It's the best of both worlds, nature doing the heavy lifting with a little engineering behind the scenes to make sure no one's getting sick. No one want to drink E. coli water. Anyways, the pond is set to be the piece of the house we're building. And if you're wondering, "Why are you building the pond before you're building your house?" Well, we still don't have our permit. So, while we wait, we've excavated the area, completed the sub-base layer, installed a 2,500 sq ft liner, run the plumbing underground, and used the 12-ton excavator to place 100 tons of rocks one by one. Let's get into it. Izzy, what do you think? Pretty nice. Last night, it poured the hardest rain all night, and that filled up our pond with water. We're going to use this water to clean the pond, but you can already see it's done a lot of cleaning completely on its own. The rocks look completely different than they ever have before. All of the moss is coming through and the beautiful color. You can see all of the rocks are clean and sparkling. Our job was to wash the pond. We're still going to wash the pond cuz but nature gave us a really good head start. Like a lot. I was also worried about how much water we're going to use cuz we have a dug well. >> A dug well? >> A dug well. And now we're good. Cuz you said it has to go up like the deep end, right? >> like what I wanted. >> Perfect. Happy accident. We're giving the liner a haircut, trimming it back just a little bit because we got a lot extra. And today, we're going to be pulling back the liner or tomorrow, depends. It's pretty mucky out here. >> Very mucky. >> Because we need to fill in behind the liner. I will say I'm surprised even the riprap is so pretty. >> I That's what I just finished saying. >> Oh, you did? Yeah. >> And like it matches so well with like >> the granite. >> Like I can't >> It's gorgeous. And now we're going to go along and put large stones, small stones, and boulders everywhere you can see to fill the pond and make it feel natural and beautiful. We're going to be so muddy. >> [music] [music] >> This rain might have washed our pond, but it sure did create a muddy disaster. Big things! Chip is operating. And we've got another load of river rock. >> Thanks. >> That was the final load of river rock. Okay. So, as you can see, we're bringing the river rock right up to the very edge here. And we even have some boulders sticking up out real close to the edge. And that's because we will eventually pull back the liner to finish off the edge of the pool. And having this here gives us a nice solid base to bring the soil to, creating a very solid pool edge. And this is important because we will need to finalize the liner and the earth underneath of it. And so making sure that everything on the pond side is filled and compacted the way it needs to be is important. >> [music] >> I think green. >> [music] [music] >> Hi Derek. >> Well hi, how's it going? >> [laughter and clears throat] >> While our supervisors read the instruction for us, we're going to let Derek introduce himself. >> Hey, my name is Derek. I'm owner of Quiet Nature, sustainable landscape. I started [music] this in 1999 straight out of college. Basically couldn't get a job so I hopped in the back of my Volkswagen Jetta with a bunch of rocks and talked people into letting me rip up their lawns. And the concept was this lawn alternative landscape with [music] a real mission to to save the world. Get people to get rid of lawns, put in drought tolerant, pest resistant, environmentally friendly landscapes. >> This is our skimmer everyone. You know, when you see these in a pool water goes in it and then out of it. Same thing but ours is made for a swim pond. >> Nice. >> We have about 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 more things to go. This for sure goes this far? Goes down in the swimming doesn't it? >> Yes, for sure it goes this way. >> Really? Like you see this? [clears throat] >> Well you won't because this that's like Styrofoam and it floats so it'll stay upright like this. It's >> Oh cuz the water level duh help me, okay. I'm just going to sit back down and learn. >> [laughter] >> No, and then it keeps the stuff inside your skimmer once it's been collected. Yeah, exactly. It won't like backwash out or >> That's how a skimmer works. >> Yeah. >> [laughter] >> Hard to believe, but we're not far away from this point. Filters and UV system will be going in pretty soon. So, today Derek's here, we're unboxing everything, taking the instructions out of the rain to dry. And then we're going to do a little rough setup and see what we got going on here. >> It's a pond you can swim in. It's the concept of filtering the water through biological process, [music] through beneficial bacteria, and select plants that clean the water and starve the water of nutrients, giving you clear water to swim in without the use of chemical treatments. You're trying to replicate what would happen, say, in a natural mountain stream or in a nice pristine lake, and try to replicate that in your backyard. >> Stop. What are they telling us to stop? >> Do not proceed with your filter installation if your filter and pump flow don't match. In the whole pond world and the natural swimming pool world, this is the kind of one of the many debates and the hard things to figure out. In Europe, the original natural swim ponds would say, "Take your volume of water and cycle that through your filter system like once or twice a day or even once every one or two days." >> The way that most in North America, or for sure in the states, do it, they cycle that entire volume through like every 2 hours. >> Whoa. >> Right. So, the amount of filtering and pumping can vary from the European model, which is like very low energy and a little bit of cycling around, to more of the American model, which is tons, right? And I think the difference is that in Europe, they're they're much more okay with variable water quality. >> Mhm. >> So, it could be a little cloudy, it could be more silty, it won't be as perfect. And I think the North American aesthetic is like >> Yeah. >> a little more sterile, right? Maybe more used to swimming pools, I'm not so sure. So, we kind of go somewhere in between and I've been drifting closer and closer to more of the North American and American way of doing it, just based on our clients over the past 13 years that they want it cleaner and cleaner and cleaner. So, that's this is um taking the volume of water and then deciding how much to cycle it, how often. So, this will probably go through like every 4 hours once this is running. That whole volume will go through this system. >> Okay. >> And then the way it's sized is um the the wetland filter, for each one of those um what were they called? Easy bug cubes. >> Yeah. >> With the little uh they the the balls inside them. Every one of those cubes can filter 2,500 gallons of water if you put it through at the right speed. >> Woah. >> So, you can go, "Okay, we need how many of these cubes to filter your amount?" >> Got it. >> And that's like on the the low end. When they recommend it for a swimming pond, they actually want you to use like two or three times as many. >> Got you. >> Because they know people want it clean, right? >> That's why we have a big wetland. >> That's why there's so much. It's like this should stay really nice and clean, right? So, a lot of the pond builders will only do the wetland. They won't do this external stuff. And for me being um a little more uh health safety conscious and knowing that E. coli and things like this can be a problem, I want to make sure we we put a UV system on to allow um getting rid of that, right? In order to put the UV, we want to have an external filter so that you're pulling sediment out of the water before it hits the UV so the UV can be more effective, right? So, if the water has all the sediment in it, then the UV light can't penetrate the water enough to kill the harmful bacteria. So, you pull some of the sediment out of the water to make it more clear before it goes to the UV, right? >> Brilliant explanation. That was great. >> So, we end up with um we're doing we're doing two pumps on this system then. One that's going to go into this filter to clean the water to give it to the UV and then go over to the wetland and the other one's going to just go just to the other wetland. So, we're going to get like lots of filtration and that sanitation if needed, right? >> Here we go. You are in control of your knife. Huh! Look at that. Perfect! Just perfect! What do we have here? >> This is your net. It catches all of the debris before it goes through the pumps. >> Woah! Look at those. It's like a car wash. >> Yeah. And then these are your brush set or brush brushes. >> Brushes. They'll catch like string algae and other I don't know. >> Stuff. >> Stuff. Floaty stuff. >> Perfect! Yeah. So, you do you all get it now? Water flows. Hits this, then hits this, then hits plumbing out there. Surprise! Me not in construction clothes. Can you believe it? I'm not covered in mud or concrete today. So, as you all know, we're getting very close to moving on to our 6.5 acre abandoned property and with that we've been trying to be very intentional with what we buy, but also what we bring. There's some plumbing glue on my finger. I actually did a little fall shopping on Quince, who is the sponsor of today's video and I'm so excited to tell you about them. If you haven't heard of Quince before, they have really beautiful elevated basics from cashmere, silk, luggage, homeware, the list goes on. I honestly can't even pick a favorite of all the items I got. I love them all so much. They're so comfortable, effortless, but elevated, which is exactly what I need in my life right now. This is the organic cotton boyfriend sweater in redwood brown, the European linen skirt, and the Italian leather horse bit loafer mule. But, what I really love about Quince is that you're getting a really good quality without that luxury markup. So how it works is Quince works directly with ethical factories. They cut the middleman. That way they can offer their pieces for 50 to 80% less than similar brands. And I feel like that's especially nice when you're trying to build a wardrobe of pieces that you actually want to keep for years. The only downside is some of their favorites can sell out very fast. So definitely don't wait too long if there's something you have your eye on. You can go to the link in our description and you will get free shipping and 365-day returns. Okay, I'm going to be late now for breakfast. So uh See you back on the job site. Oh, there's a winter setting. >> Mhm. >> Well, I'm happy to be learning from you. That's for sure. >> An extravagant backyard 20 years ago would have been a two-level deck, maybe with a pool, some concrete around it. And now that's sort of a starting [music] point. You know, people will put in the pool, their pond, the fire pit, the bunkie, the outdoor kitchens, all the fun stuff. We live in this country where you only have a few months [music] to get out and enjoy the outside and people want to do that in their own space. I think a big part of it is people and we've had many clients who sold their cottages and they invest that money into [music] the backyard. They don't want to fight the traffic and drive 4 hours so they can go sit by a fire with the sound of water in the background. They'll do that in their backyard. >> Thank you, Derek. And all of us together are going to be learning a lot about pond filtration very soon. And pond and pool plumbing. Very excited. How's the skimmer going? Great. We got it. >> Yeah, team. >> Tiffany's going home with a screwdriver. >> Okay. >> She's [laughter] never done a skimmer this quick. It's the screwdriver. >> Oh, really? >> Yeah. I can actually >> sure? That's what I did. >> been me. >> And now you guessed it. Backfill. Backfill and more river rock. >> Yeah. Okay. Oh, wait. >> Don't get too excited. Just maybe. >> Like It's a maybe. >> We don't know for sure. We're just going to try. >> I wonder what the cleverest has waited for. This is another thing that's >> We'll find out. You can just drag it real low. >> Yeah, always. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, always. >> That sounded like you were lying. >> [laughter] [music] >> Attempt number three. We also have another rock and this might be a lawn ornament. >> [music] [music] >> Basically, they're out to here. >> And I'm pulling this back. >> Yeah, we need to make like a nice flat hole here. >> So, try and pack it, too. >> yeah. >> We'll smack it. We moved the rock. It's really like a planet, actually. It's so large. >> Yeah. >> And we have a plan. Derek had a great idea that we don't need to put it in the pool, but we can make it part of the pool landscaping. So, bring it nice close to the edge. It's a perfect tanning rock if you want to be a lizard or have a nice nap in the sun. >> [music] >> We have taken down an area at the pool edge, compacted it. Now, we've put limestone screenings, and then we're going to compact it again. Then, we're going to push that rock right into home base. >> [music] [music] >> I don't know if you can even see just how big this rock is. It is by far like probably four of the biggest rocks we've lifted in one. >> [laughter] >> That is a huge rock. Oh my gosh. Can you please lie down so we can see like Like it's really I'm 6-ft. >> [laughter] >> I'm 6'3. >> That is amazing. >> [music] [music] >> Now, we're on a roll, and we've got another big rock incoming. >> [music] [music] >> These massive boulders are going to help the pond blend into the landscape. >> [music] >> The goal was to get the pool as finished as possible before we have to give up the machine. Today is our last day with it. We're probably pushing our limits, but we are just happily moving all of the largest rocks around and bringing them to the edge of the pool. Although that wasn't on the agenda, I'm very happy we're doing it because there is no way we would ever be able to move these rocks without our machine. And what a nice departure to this absolute beast. So yeah, maybe we're going a little crazy with all these big rocks, but is it ever worth it? >> And then you're going to take that trench around to get your pipe in? >> That was pond plumbing school with Derek, and I can't wait to dope these pipes together. I just can't get over all the equipment for the swim pond. It is truly amazing. If you're one of those people that just thought we were doing a hole in the ground, we're not. We're not. We're not. It is a full blown swim pond with the brains. And I just want to say thank you so much to Derek for coming out here and laying out the plumbing, explaining it all to us, taking a look at the swim pond again. He's come at so many stages, but he's also just been a text and a phone call away, even when he was on vacation. So, thank you so much. If you want a swim pond, message Derek from Quiet Nature. Hands down, makes the most beautiful swim ponds and just landscaping and so many other things. So, check out his website. I'll link it in the description. We'll be rocking. >> [music] [music] >> Nice. So, that gives you a nice little spot for your sonotube. >> Right there. >> You're planning that? >> Uh on the way down I did. >> Great eye. Great eye. Okay. So, right where Tiff is is going to be a 10 by 12 dock. So, we need to make sure we know where sonotubes are because we don't want to be moving rocks. And we have to have rocks here because let's pretend we're all swimming in the deep end right here. You can actually see underneath the dock. So, we have to hide it. We want to hide the liner. Quick recap of today. Well, skimmers one and two skimmer is done. We understand plumbing now. Kind of, hopefully. And then we started under the dock here as well as putting in all those big boulders. >> in three massive car-sized rocks. And so, that was a feat in itself. >> Yeah. It It really makes it look like it's been belonged here by putting those big boulders like kind of in out of the pond. There's going to be even more boulders kind of like where the mini X is. >> It's really a big deal that today all of this rainwater stayed in the pond. It means that our pond is watertight. >> Woohoo! Well, at least that much watertight. We'll see We'll see when we go up the wall. >> It hasn't moved since this morning. >> Yeah, I know. >> It's impressive. It's good. It's very good. >> Yeah, so there was only two holes after all. Cool. Wow. It's just incredible. >> Every day I'm like just blown away. >> There are two very small holes that need to be filled with rock in our pond. And then this pond doesn't need any more rocks. And guess what? Today is Tiffany's last day. Thank you, Tiffany, for everything you've done for us. In just few hours, she's departing. Hopefully we'll have her back in maybe a little while. One last little visit, maybe a swim. But if you enjoyed hanging out with her, let her know cuz she is the goat. >> [music] >> As per our pond plans, we have a beautiful dock going right here in this big empty spot. And so for that reason, we have to keep the rocks pretty small and make sure that they don't go over or to the top of the very edge of the pool. So, this level is helping us ensure that these rocks are staying below the berm. We're good. [clears throat] >> [music] >> All right, we're over here backfilling behind the liner and the geotextile on the edge of the pool right beside the [music] skimmer. And we just put in some dirt here. Building up the wall. Now we're going to pull the liner back this way. And we're going to put some more material here and we're going to kind of go back and [music] forth, back and forth until we get that desired wall and edge that we are looking for. You like the pond? >> [music] >> All right. >> [music] >> Yeah, you can see skimmer is hidden with all different types of rock. We have boulders, we have river rock, and we have riprap. Pretty cool. We're going on a field trip. >> Yeah. >> All right, we picked out a log because we're going to be adding it into our swim pond. It's going to look so good. It's also going to be a nice seat for us, but also the frogs. I can't wait to see what it looks like. It also helps you hide your liner. That's a pretty big span, so we're going to learn how to put a log in a swim pond. [clears throat] >> [music] [music] >> I love it. >> [laughter] >> We're on a hunt for some good logs, and then Tip goes, "But birch is the best." >> I was like, "We've got a pile." >> Why, thank you. >> You're welcome. >> And if you're wondering just how much of an art this is, I was asking Tiffany about how we're going to place these logs, and she goes, "Well, like they were coming downstream and got stuck." >> Now we need something to pinch and sandwich this guy so it doesn't float. >> Okay. These logs look amazing. Okay. With the logs done, it's now time to move on to our last job with Tiffany. Pretty crazy, eh? We're going to be learning how to edge the whole pond. We're going to start with the wetlands area, and that way we can learn with her, we have a visual to go back on when we do all the way around the pond. This isn't hard, but it's very tedious, so Chris is going to love it. >> [laughter and clears throat] >> And I'm going to, you know, put my smile on. Edging [laughter] starts with Stabilizer. Zero points on the skimmer. >> That this spot is basically perfect. >> Yay! >> [screaming] >> Oh, but who backfilled that? >> [laughter] >> A little hot, that's fine. It'll also probably compact and get low, you know? >> Let's do this section here, and just we'll go until it's >> time for you to say goodbye. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Sad face. Can I come back? >> [laughter] >> Where do you want her? >> I love that you love to saw. Here we go. Get your knives out. >> Put your knife away. You're not cutting it yet. You're not even qualified. Your knife's in control of you still. >> [laughter] >> When you fill the pond, there is a certain amount of like liner sag that happens. >> Makes sense. >> Cuz it'll pull down with the weight of the water. >> Even though we have all these rocks >> Even though you have all the rocks in there, it's not going to be as much, but it's enough that if you cut your liner too short and don't allow for the sag >> You're coming back. >> It'll pull down and now you're >> Dabney. >> You're screwed. Yeah, you've got nothing left. >> You took every rock out? >> Oh, you will probably like make a seam here and fix it, but like it's still not as strong. >> No, it's weak. >> So you leave a little extra. >> Leave a little extra. >> I saw on this side. >> No. >> Oh. >> Yeah, your knife is in your pocket. You're just a student right now. >> Fine. >> You already burned three holes in it. It's going to look good. >> Hell yeah. >> You have to do this all the way around, eh? >> Yeah, it's I mean this is like a tedious job. >> Are you sure you're busy on Monday? >> You can't be allergic to shovels for this portion. >> You got that? >> Mhm. >> You need to make sure that they don't fold and like run vertical, that they always come up and out. >> Okay. Got it. >> Cuz if they run vertical, eventually like water can get up and then leak over. >> Mhm. Okay. >> That's so interesting. >> Yeah. >> It just go like this. >> Wow. >> And you pull the dirt back to it. >> Wow, this is crazy. I did not picture it going like this. >> settle. >> Wait, are you going to do I guess so. Put the line. The princess. >> Thank you for everything. >> Thank you. >> No problem. Thank you. >> You're the best. >> to meet you, right? >> You too. >> Thank you. >> [laughter] >> No worries. >> There's right? >> More than happy to share. I love fun. >> [laughter] >> Yeah, exactly. That's [laughter] sick. >> Thank you. >> Bye. Thank you. >> You're the best. >> No, you guys are the best. >> [music] >> What number of blade are you on? >> I think my fifth. >> Crazy, eh? >> Yeah. >> The Geo Dolls it so fast. >> Yeah. >> So what I've learned with the finishing off is that there's kind of three steps that I know right now. The first one is what we're doing right now. It's the exterior part of the pond. Cutting it all, folding it, you know, what we've been doing. But, then what you have to do is you also have the interior interior walls because the exterior looks pretty good, right? But, as you take a step in the pond right now where we all are, you can see you can see the liner right here up the walls. You know what I mean? Some parts look a lot better than others just depending on the rock. But, that is step two, focusing on the interior part of the liner to cover that. And then step three to finishing all this off is go back to the exterior and that's where you add more different sizes of rocks, planting, and anything else you really want to add, to be honest. Then you cover it even more. However, there is one thing that we we personally don't want to have and it's called the pearl necklace. So, you don't want to add so much river rock that it looks kind of like a pearl on the outside. You're adding it just on top of here all the way along and some people like that. For us, we want it to look as natural as possible. So, we're going to be doing a lot of other things. Bye, kitty cat. We love you. It's been A DAY. OH, THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU JUMP in the pond, baby.