Pond safety fencing

[Steve]

I built a pond in my garden last year. It is ground level and I have kids so I want to build a fence around it. The fence needs to be sturdy yet allow kids to put their hands through to feed the fish. I've seen some metal wrought iron stuff at b&q which looks ideal but it's a bit pricey and the posts are too thin to offer any real strength to it, they just hammer into the ground.

I am pretty handy and can build a fence from scratch so wondered if anybody had any ideas on here that I could knock together quickly and cheaply. I'm thinking a picket fence or even sturdy trellis panels would work. I'm open to ideas.

 

[bernardgreen]

An alternative to a fence is a flat metal grid laid across the pond that is rigid enough to support the weight of a child.

http://www.safaponddirect.co.uk/ is one supplier.

Friends have a plastic mesh stretched across their pond held by pegs around the pond. circa 3 inch mesh over a 4 foot diameter pond.

 

[Tigercubrider]

picket fence is probably better than trellis as it can't make a ladder.
a sheet of reinforcing mesh might work over a pond.
obviously make your own decision with safety and kids

 

[JP_]

I'd go for metal grid. I made a lovely pond years ago, but the day my son started crawling I marched out and stuck a fork in it and drained it. Not worth the risk. An old friend almost died in a pond when he was 3 years old - his grandfather just happened to step outside for some air and saw him face down, motionless, in the pond. He toppled in over the low fence. A couple of minutes later he'd be dead.

 

[HERTS P&D]

How big is the pond?

You could always use road mesh, I had this on my pond when my little man was young.

https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/ROM...ViLPtCh1mswCsEAYYAyABEgJoJPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Andy

 

[bernardgreen]

You could always use road mesh,

Good call.....

 

[Steve]

Thanks for the suggestions folks, appreciate it.

I've attached an image of the pond. As you can see the garden isn't finished which makes it harder to do anything permanent right now. I've looked at that wire mesh and rebar before but I know it rusts which isn't ideal.

I think I will go down the route of a home made picket fence. Maybe with a couple of perspex viewing windows in it. I might do some drawing tonight.

 

[Steve]

I will add as well that I only built the pond because my mum and dad wanted rid of theirs so I agreed to take the fish. I'd always wanted a pond, just bad timing with a new born at the time (who has just started crawling) and a 5 year old!

 

[endecotp]

It needs to be non-climbable, which means no horizontals. Try searching ebay for “Railings”.

 

[HERTS P&D]

For gods sake Steve , DO NOT TAKE ANY CHANCES. I laid a sheet of road mesh over my pond which I painted with Hammerite first, it did not rust and I could stand in the middle of the pond with a bit of flex but was totally safe.

Andy

 

[JP_]

For gods sake Steve , DO NOT TAKE ANY CHANCES. I laid a sheet of road mesh over my pond which I painted with Hammerite first, it did not rust and I could stand in the middle of the pond with a bit of flex but was totally safe.

Andy

This.

Kids will climb in when you least suspect it. There will be 100 ways to get over that fence once there are toys in the garden, and chairs. Kids are incredibly resourceful, don't chance it.

 

[Steve]

This is what I opted for. Its not the strongest fence granted but if we have any failure incidents I will beef up the posts with timber. Very pleased with it myself. Total cost for the fencing was £140 from b&q.

 

[mattylad]

Kids will be kids and try to climb.
Electrify the fence

I'd still go for a road mesh over the top, you can never be too sure they will not climb over that especially when a lost ball is concerned.

As for "failure incidents" wtf? It only takes 1 failure incident for a child to drown.

Have you considered a big fish tank instead?