March 20, 2007
Dear Jeff,
I'm writing to thank you for saving my koi pond from yet another construction failure. After two and a half years of pond disasters, my koi pond is finally functioning correctly thanks to the polyurea coating you applied.
In August 2004, I had my koi pond build by a contractor who specializes in this kind of project. It was built with rebar and gunite, then sealed with a liquid coating. I spent the next full year trying to figure out why the water quality was toxic for fish no matter what I did. Eventually the water level began to drop and I lost around 45 gallons of water daily for several months. Eventually, the sealer began to show large bubbles full of tiny holes, and then I knew it had been failing from the start. My contractor wanted to use liquid EPDM. I researched it and found out that it is a roofing compound. I also found out that in order to ensure it's not toxic to fish, you have to cleanse and soak the surface multiple times to render it safe. During my coatings research, I came across the polyurea application process. That was my first choice to remedy this problem, but sadly there were no vendors in the Western United States that could apply this treatment. Reluctantly and desperatly, I agreed to go with the liquid EPDM. During the long drying and curing time of the surface, all of my fish died in the temporary tank. Eventually the pond was refilled and I let it sit, pumps and filters running for a whole year with no fish.
I finally got the courage to purchase three baby koi. About a month later, my water quality crashed again, and within a week the water turned brown. The interior surface of the pond coated with the liquid EPDM began to buckle and bubble. I was devistated, and ready to turn the hole in my yard into a spa. It was Sunday morning and I sent an email to you. Much to my surprise, you called me within an hour. In two days you came over to my house to assess the pond, and offer your service. Within a few days, the pond was drained, recoated, filled back up, and the fish reintroduced all in a four day turnaround. It has been three months since then and I am happy to report that the water is perfect for the very first time. I have six large koi and three babies. Everyone is thriving.
The cost of the polyurea is a bargain compared to what I've been through. I could have saved several thousand dollars if I had the polyurea coating from the beginning. Gunite in the construction phase was expensive. It turns out that the Polyrea coating can be applied over a dirt hole with minimal preparation, eliminating the need for gunite. The expense and grief of recoating over and over, in addition to the suffering and loss of all of my fish could have been prevented. Also, the application process is so fast, I can't imagine using anything else. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Laura Atchison
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