Everybody knows that living by the water is awesome! Whether you live on a lake, a river, a beach, or even have a little pond in your yard, there are so many benefits to living by the water. In the summer, you can swim, fish, go boating, or just relax by the water. Of course, the activities you’ll be doing at the beach are a little different than the ones on a lake.
However, what if we told you there was a way you could have the best of both worlds? That’s right, there is actually a way to build a beach on a lake, and take advantage of the sand and sun, while still being able to do all your favorite lake activities- boating, fishing, swimming, waterskiing, inner tubing, whatever it may be.
If you’re curious about how to build a beach on a lake, you’ve come to the right place. Here at Goodbye to Muck, we’re experts in transforming your lakes and ponds into the perfect recreation spot, and teaching you how to build a beach on a lake fits right up our alley.
Down below, we’ll walk you through the different steps for how to build a beach on a lake.
How to build a beach on a lake?
Step 1:
Choose the Right Spot
The first step, and arguably the most important, in starting to build a beach on a lake is to choose the right spot.
If you own the whole lake or pond, you will have a lot more options than somebody who lives lakefront. There are a few things you’ll want to consider in choosing the right spot so that you can build a fantastic beach at the cheapest cost:
Slope angle: obviously, you’ll want to build your beach somewhere that gently slopes, or is flat, into the lake. Anything super steep will be really difficult to properly excavate and you’ll find that you’ll probably need to use more sand, spend more time, and spend more money than a flatter area. Not only that, it’s kind of hard to play beach volleyball or relax in the sun if you’re doing it all at a severe angle.
Size: The size you want your beach to be will influence where you decide to put it in. You should think about why you want to build a beach on a lake, what activities you’d like to do, and then work backward from there to determine how big you’ll want your beach.
Accessibility: The perfect spot for your beach might be on the other side of the lake, and require you to bushwhack through shrubs and trees to get to. In that case, you’ll probably want to consider building your beach somewhere a little more accessible, especially if you want elderly adults to be able to enjoy it.
Step 2:
Do Your Research
You’ll definitely want to do your research before committing to this project. Now that you’ve got a spot picked out, it doesn’t hurt to spend some time on google going more in-depth on these specific steps. You can also talk to neighbors or family members who have done something similar in their yards, or reach out to local contractors to get bids (if you don’t want to do this project yourself).
Step 3:
Determine How Much Sand You’ll Need
Sand and beaches go together like, well, sand and beaches.
Sand is what makes the beach the beach, and obviously, you’ll want sand for your lakefront beach. How much sand you need depends on how deep you want the sand to be, how big you want your beach to be, and also, how much you’re willing to spend. There’s no simple calculation, and this is best done by asking professionals.
Step 4:
Do Preliminary Clearing
You may find that your ideal spot for a beach has some plants and other debris on it.
In fact, we’d say that’s what’s most likely. Before you can go through with installing your SandMat and building a beach, you’ll want to clear out the space. This step could be as easy as moving grass, or it could be as difficult as pulling out shrubs, rocks, and trees. You’ll want to make sure that your chosen beach spot is completely cleared before moving on to actually building a beach. The only exception is maybe you’ll want to keep a nice tree that can offer you shade during those hot summer days.
Step 5:
Install a Goodbye to Muck SandMat
Installing a Goodbye to Muck SandMat is the best way to keep your beach in great shape for years to come.
You don’t want that precious sand to wash away or get lost in the muck of the bottom of your lake or pond. Additionally, installing a SandMat is a really easy process- lay down your SandMat where you want your sand to go.
There are many benefits of installing a SandMat, including:
Stops weed growth by keeping light from aquatic vegetation
Support: provides a solid base to keep your sand from shifting, drifting, or joining the muck
Prevents erosion of topsoil
Barrier: serves as a barrier between the lake, beach, and your lawn
Eco-friendly: keeps weeds down without the use of nasty chemicals
Cost-effective and easy to maintain: no maintenance and has a lifespan of over 5 decades
Step 6:
Spread Sand Across SandMat
Now that you’ve installed your SandMat, which will help keep your beach clean and supported with little-to-no maintenance from you, here comes the exciting part.
Simply spread your sand across the top of your sand mat, and voila! Your own personal beach!
Step 7:
If Necessary, Build an Underwater Retaining Wall
In some cases, it may be necessary to build an underwater retaining wall to prevent the sand from eroding.
An underwater retaining wall serves the same purpose as an above-ground retaining wall, which is to keep the earth and, in this case, sand, in place. This is mainly necessary where there’s a steeper slope or your beach is in an area that’s more prone to rapid erosion.
Step 8:
Proper Maintenance and Repair
Thankfully, with a Goodbye to Muck SandMat, there should be relatively little maintenance or repair you’ll need to do.
Still, it doesn’t hurt to regularly monitor how your beach is doing to see if there’s anything you’ll need to repair, maintain, or alter. Additionally, you may decide you’ll want to expand your beach after seeing how great the SandMat works, in which case you can just restart this whole process again!