#Thegreatpoolpondconversion - 200301
Sunday was a huge day. As was the previous Tuesday.
We have reached an enormous milestone - the biggest one so far.
The liner arrived by UPS on Tuesday.
Not your usual brownie in a panel truck. This is ups freight in a tractor trailer.
The window was 2-5pm and he showed at 4:55.
Nicest ups freight driver, all smiles, helpful and courteous.
We didn’t get his name. He’s still famous.
UPS freight rocks.
We figured he’d push it off the lift gate and the rest was on us.
We had a plan for how we’d first get it off the street, over the grass, to the driveway and then tarp it.
Wait for the weekend and more help.
We figured stages, cause, just the two of us….
The second stage was to get it behind the fence, over lots of grass and a small hill.
The third, was getting it onto the deck - through the trees or the gate opening, the wide way or up and down, or…
So when he got out the pallet jack we asked could he drag it all the way to the driveway over the grass?
Sure no problem. And we did. Piece of cake.
We opened for inspection and it’s all good.
He saw it was a pond liner and started asking about it. So we walked back to the deck and showed off our handiwork.
Then he took off, backing down the road to the main like it was nothing.
We were prepared to leave it there but we gave it a go.
We managed to get the liner onto a hand truck and it moved through the grass, up the slight incline much easier than we thought it would be. So everything was out of prying eyes.
Levers and mechanical advantage.
On Saturday it turned out that two reasonably strong guys were able to drag the hand truck over the grass, a bunch of river rock and onto the deck.
Seeing it there, finally, after so much waiting and not knowing how… well it was quite a milestone moment.
All in all the logistics from truck to deck were way easier than we imagined. Yes we always over plan, especially with the unknown. And thankfully we ended up with a smaller and lighter liner than originally calculated (by 100#). That’s because the pond company we ended up ordering from really knows their stuff.
Mrs. DM’s sister and her BFF were both about to have birthdays and turn…nope, not gonna say it. They came down from parts North for a weekend visit before they ambled over to Indian Rocks Beach for a few days in the sun. Mrs. DM’s brother also came down to surprise Sis.
An installation team and camera crew! All we had to do was feed ‘em.
While BFF took over 200 pictures we went at it:
Before
Rafters, for the last time.
First goes the underlayment. Protecting the liner from anything abrasive under it.
Like Spanx, they hug the walls of your pond.
Then we rolled out the liner, and yes, it took three of us.
We figured the orientation and the four of us dragged, tugged, pulled and got in place, more or less.
We were done in no time and every single thing we planned went right the first time - no do overs or undo’s.
Since we’re still bailing, we tested that the two of us can peel one side back so we can get to the well.
So while the liner is ‘on’ it’s not really ‘in’ or tailored yet.
Still, no more tarp, rafters (already taken apart), or worries about rain, wind, leaks, etc., and that’s a great stress relief.
After a celebratory pizza lunch we took the rafters apart. The wood will be used for another project.
And the sibs went on their respective ways.
An absolutely outstanding day all around.
the crew
and the photog:
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