I'm currently climbing in/out of my hole with a ladder, but I see this being a problem once the liner goes in. Even if I put down lots of sand and carpet padding a ladder would be very hard on the liner. So how do the rest of you get in/out of your steep walled ponds for maintenance?

"Bill Stock" <me7@privacy.net> wrote in message news:5logm9F9709bU1@mid.individual.net... > I'm currently climbing in/out of my hole with a ladder, but I see this > being a problem once the liner goes in. Even if I put down lots of sand > and carpet padding a ladder would be very hard on the liner. So how do the > rest of you get in/out of your steep walled ponds for maintenance? > Carolyn Weiss(sp) of Ecological Laboratories wrote in The May Microbe-Lift Newsletter about the ladder in her pond. The following is a taken from that newsletter. The pondless Pondlady is no longer pondless! I have a veritable high-tech koi pond with all the bells and whistles. One thing which is not generally considered standard issue for a koi pond, but is found in mine, is an escape ladder. While attending a fish health seminar in Reno, NV, recently, I attended a lecture on bog filters. At home, the pond was under construction. The lecturer spoke about certain dangers in order to prove a point, that bog filters were invariably safer than traditional straight-sided koi ponds. I had to agree with him, but mine was already straight-sided, 5' deep, and reinforced with concrete. I had the two bottom drains installed and in a couple of days the gunnite would be applied, etcetera. This frightened me enough to walk outside and call the pond builder. No, I didn't order a bog filter, I ordered a ladder! It would not be some nameless somebody who accidentally fell into my pond at some time in the future and could not get out because of the slippery sides (and being too fat to lift ones self out over the edge). it would be me. So, with all the precautions we take to safeguard our ponds, our fish and insurance for our homes and families, I think a ladder is a small price to pay for a "REAL" koi pond. After all, I have to be here to answer questions for you guys when you call. and I don't think my fish are that stupid. They will adapt to living with a ladder in their pond. I have a shelf on one pond and a narrow ledge at one corner of the other with handles outside the pond. -- RichToyBox http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html Zone 7A/B Virginia

"Phyllis and Jim" <jimandphyllisrp@gmail.com> wrote in message news:1190630845.290248.48940@g4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com... > If you don't have sharp stuff in the pond and if you have liner, the > feet of the ladder are going to be the problem. Your walking on the > liner a bit will not be an issue as the water will have it firmly > pressed down. Is there a way to have something to spread the weight > and have soft feet? Perhaps some carpet on a board that can be on the > feet of the ladder? Our edpm ponds are only 18" deep, so we don't > have any special entrance or exit. > > Jim Yeah, I thought of building a wooden ladder with a flat bottom, but I can see that slipping and damaging my chin and/or the liner. Perhaps the milk crates could serve dual duty, but they might put too much pressure on the liner too.

"Hal" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message news:rgdff3947t8u9fd42vdbjt1top2v3n0kni@4ax.com... > On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 20:31:48 CST, "Bill Stock" <me7@privacy.net> > wrote: > >>I'm currently climbing in/out of my hole with a ladder, but I see this >>being >>a problem once the liner goes in. Even if I put down lots of sand and >>carpet >>padding a ladder would be very hard on the liner. So how do the rest of >>you >>get in/out of your steep walled ponds for maintenance? > > A boat/dock ladder that secures outside the pond? > http://ladders.factorysupply.net/marine/dock-straight.htm > > I've never tried one of these, but it looks like two attaching bolts > on either side and it could be removed for storage as is. A little > googleing and you can probably find one that folds and stores easier. > -- > Hal Middle Georgia, Zone 8 > http://tinyurl.com/2fxzcb I like this idea. I was thinking I could bury some ABS in the ground and slide the ladder into the holes when I wanted to use it. Although I'm not sure how I would build it. I doubt PVC would support my weight.

"k" <ka30p@aol.com> wrote in message news:1190604169.400686.141330@d55g2000hsg.googlegroups.com... > Not the best of solutions but we have a concrete > block by one edge to get out of a 3 ft. deep pond. > No damage to the liner and no problems with the > concrete. > How deep is your pond going to be? > k :-) It's somewhere around 5' now, but will be about 4' after the bottom drain gets covered up. I already tore a knee ligament climbing out without the ladder, so I thought I would plan ahead.