Introduction: What to Do With an Old Spa
Right, so I built a fountain in the front garden using a stock trough, so I decided to try and build a real economy one in the back garden.
The wife initially thought I was mad and said she hated the idea , but was rapt when she saw the finished result
I call this Gaudi inspired as there isnt a straight line in it!!
Again there aren't that many pics as this was a pre "ible" project
Most of the materials were sourced on TradeMe (NZ's EBay) or got for nothing
Materials and Tools
Spade
Trowel
Drill
Bricks (left over from house build)
Ceramic tiles (free end of line at tile warehouse)
Metal mesh (Steel Rebar Mesh $20 for 2 sheets on TradeMe)
Spa ($30 TradeMe)
Mortar (2 sacks)
Pump with UV filter ($125 Guess where-- yup you got it TradeMe)
Plants (local pond centre $100 I know!!!! extortionate)
Rocks $30 (local quarry shop)
Electric String and socket had lying around
2 tins expanding foam
Step 1: So I Bought This Ugly As Sin Spa
That was fun getting back on the roofrack---should have used a trailer
Step 2: Dug a Hole
Didn't take al long as I expected, but you need assistance lifting spa in and out --(and in and out, and in and out.....) to check fit
Step 3: Put in the Spa and Levelled It
TBH this is the only important bit as if you don't get it level it looks awful
I also ran the cable (inside an old hose pipe to protect it) from the nearest supply (50 meters away!)
Step 4: And How It Turned Out
I know a big jump from the previous step, so----------
First I built a little plinth inside for the fountain
The fountain itself is 4 x 600x300 mm tiles and 1x 300x300 for the top, I infilled with expanding foam to stick it all together, with the pipe in the centre (I found a piece of plastic pipe in a skipbin (dumpster for our American friends))
Put first course of bricks on a mortar bed around the outside, then laid the rebar grid on the top and mortared all the top cut bricks in place
Wired up the electrics, then wired them up again correctly!!!
filled it up and put on rocks and plants (zip tied plants to grid)
Added some solar lights ($11 each)
The little moon at the front was a gift a couple of years ago from my dad who sadly passed this year and we had wondered what to do with it for ages--perfect place and reminder
Now has 10 goldfish in it