[Kristen]

I've lined an old (Cracked) concrete pond.

In order not to see the liner I want to put a single row of bricks around the edge.  This will be built, hopefully!, so that the water level is half way up the brick - thus none of the liner is above water / visible. (The liner will go under the bricks, an then "up" behind them, so will finish above the water line to make everything water-tight).

The surface of the pond will freeze in the winter (I can put some old plastic balls / 1-gallon cans in to absorb ... but ...)

I want "grey" bricks - so called Suffolk Whites - which I don't think are available in an engineering brick (the bloke in the builders merchant said "Red or Blue")

I looked at some concrete, rather than clay, bricks and didn't like them as much as the bricks

Is there a type of brick that will be the right colour / texture and not fall to bits?

or can I coat them with something?

I want to keep fish in the pond; the pond in question is about 80 cu.M of water. with a 30M circumference, plus two further ponds "in the same water circulation" adding a further 80 cu.M or so of water, so quite a lot of dilution - if that helps

Many thanks.

[8doubles]

Any cement bonded brickwork that is at the level of thick ice will be damaged no matter what brick you use and floating containers will not be a help.
All i can suggest is casting a coloured concrete slab in sections that can move a bit if under pressure from ice.

Ice moves mountains. it probably popped your concrete pond in the first place.

[Kristen]

Thanks, very helpful.

Lowering the water to just below the bricks in winter any good?  Might expose an inch of so of liner during the winter.  I could figure some sort of pipe at that level to act as a winter-level-overflow I reckon.

[JayG]

Thanks, very helpful.

Lowering the water to just below the bricks in winter any good?  Might expose an inch of so of liner during the winter.  I could figure some sort of pipe at that level to act as a winter-level-overflow I reckon.

That should work just fine. (UV levels are low in winter but your pond liner should be UV stabilised anyway so it shouldn't come to any harm.)

[Kristen]

Do I need to treat the bricks with anything to improve waterproofing given they are next to the water? Likely to be wet-ish / in places for one reason or another. Fountain spray carried in the wind ... waves lapping on the shore 

I also saw some water-proofing additive for the cement-mortar in the shop (Cementone Integral Waterproofer)  - is that a good idea? or would you suggest an alternative?

[RichardA]

what about the blocks they use in block paving of drives -- designed to get wet and still be frost proof. Also heavier than usual bricks and no holes, frogs etc.
R

[Steven Rowe]

Do I need to treat the bricks with anything to improve waterproofing given they are next to the water? Likely to be wet-ish / in places for one reason or another. Fountain spray carried in the wind ... waves lapping on the shore 

I also saw some water-proofing additive for the cement-mortar in the shop (Cementone Integral Waterproofer)  - is that a good idea? or would you suggest an alternative?

Yes use waterproofer in your motar, i build alot of ponds and if you dont use it ull be rebuilding it next year , when building bricks you really have to watch , alot of bricks nowaday have really sharp edges and some of centres hole have burrs(sp) that fall off and then you get holes in your liner if you step on them,