Guru Aquatica 10-5-25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
When you need wisdom and advice. Seek out a guru
when you need wisdom and advice about remodeling and design.
Lock on and listen right now to Nick the Construction Guru.
Here is award winning remodeling expert Nick Kerzner.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Buck eleven thirty. Wis Nick the construction Guru. What a
great day it is, and a great day to enjoy
a water feature I have recently had. You know, Dean
Popedo is with me here today. We always have fun
on this show.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Hi, Nick, How you doing?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
I'm beyond happy? But you know what I was thinking
the other day, My wife and I were sitting out
at the cabin and looking at we have like six
water features now, and I didn't even realize that until
we started really looking at it.

Speaker 3 (00:54):
Now you're part of the family. We got you into
the lifestyle. Finally you hooked me.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
Is what you did. You got the hook in my
mouth and you yank the line, and you know, the
water features are so cool because you can you know
what we've done. And I don't know. I'm going to
ask you this question because I don't think most people
do this. I think most people look at their yard
and they say, you know, this is a great area
for a water feature, and they put it right in

(01:19):
the middle somewhere. What I have found water features are
great for is that part of the yard that is useless.
We had a hill in the back of our cabin.
Nothing would grow there because of the canopy. Now there's
a stream that comes all the way around the deck
and goes to a waterfall. And where that was a
lost area that now became a focal point.

Speaker 3 (01:40):
Well, a lot of most people do well a lot
of times. No, it's not what most people do. Most
people want to see it and enjoy it twenty four
to seven, you know. But what really is kind of
special is when you do a water feature and you
create some mystery. You create an area where you have
to go kind of explore to see it. And that's

(02:01):
a design technique that a lot of landscape designers use
and we use it in the water feature industry too,
is that you create that mystery. Sometimes you don't want
to see where that starts. You don't want to see
you have to go explore and see where that water
feature waterfall starts.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah. I never thought about that, but you're right.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, So we do that a lot, you know, and
These water features are meant to be seen, They're meant
to be heard. You know, you want to see birds,
you know, coming up. I just met with an avid
bird lover, and the sole reason he's building this is
to photograph and document and log, you know, different bird
species that are coming in. And so everybody's got a different,

(02:39):
you know, take on it. But at the end of
the day, a water feature is just a wonderful addition
to a landscape.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
I used to think when you and I would talk,
and you know, there's always a little puffery that goes
on when you're talking about market in a marketing situation,
kind of like we're in right and you would talk
about the dragonflies, and you would talk and and and
that's true because I do. I have a bubbling rock
at home, and I have a lot of dragonflies. My

(03:05):
wife loves them. She has a tattoo on her ankle
of a of a dragonfly symbolizes freedom and its a
wonderful thing. But it was funny up north because I
have I've never seen a green frog, a green water
frog sure around my area. Ever, all of a sudden
I got these green slick frogs in the water feature.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
They just show up, you know what.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yeah, stuff just shows up.

Speaker 3 (03:32):
You know. You can put a water feature in an
area where let's say there's no water for miles, right,
there's no water, and all of a sudden you put
a pond in or a water garden in and the
dragonflies just know they're they're just there. They can smell it,
They're just there, the frogs, the dragonflies, birds obviously. So yeah,
you know, you build it, they will come.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
Yeah, Kevin Costner comes.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
I remember that Feel the Dreams, right, great movie.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
I don't know if everybody knows it, but Aquatica is
located at two two seven James Street in Wales. And
the reason I bring that up is because even if
you're a water scape or a water feature virgin, you
come and walk the grounds at Aquatica. What I love
about it is you have several features actively working around

(04:24):
your area, and then you have like an inventory area
where I just noticed this the other day is walking
around with austin different bubbling rocks. Oh yeah, you've got
a whole inventory of these bubbles.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
We've got a really really nice selection of bubbling rocks
and fountain rocks, and obviously we have great displays at
our showroom in Wales and you can come and see
kind of what a water garden should look like and
you know what they sound like, different types of stone
and a.

Speaker 2 (04:53):
Great retail selection.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
Also, yeah, you could pick up a dream book that
we have there for free and you know, just a
lot of picture and things like that. Talk to us,
talk to Sean at the store or Angie and it's
just it's just a nice experience. Come in and you
see the possibilities of what you can do in your
own landscape. Doesn't need to be a new landscape. Half

(05:14):
of our work is residential remodel type work where we're
coming into an existing, older landscape and you know, putting
a water feature waterfall in or remodeling, refreshing maybe an
old pond that you've had for quite a few years.
Half of our work is actually you know, redoing existing

(05:36):
you know, water gardens and ponds.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Well, as you say that I'm going to give I'm
going to give people a bit of advice and this
is from a different perspective. I have my area that
I told you about, starts out where the septic tank
covers are, goes around and then goes down into a
hill that was just a pain in the rear, rent
the landscape or anything else. We put that bubble ink

(05:59):
those basalt columns and oh yeah yeah, and we had
those for a couple of years. My advice is, if
you're going to do a water feature, and this is
kind of against what we've said in the past, is
go big or go home. Because here's the deal. We
we tore the bubbling rocks out. We completely redid two
waterfalls in the front, We did a stream, and we

(06:20):
did that backwaterfall. We put the bubbling rocks back in.
But I promise you it's kind of like when you
get your first little tattoo. I don't think this is
true of women as much as it is guys, but
you get your first little tattoo, you're probably going to
have a sleeve. In two or three years, you're going
to get the other end. It's just the way it works.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
I just want to I just want a little tattoo
I haven't had. I don't have any, yeah, but I
you know, it's just something. If I got one, though,
i'd be like an American flag, yeah or something, or
you know, something.

Speaker 2 (06:48):
That I had A good buddy who was a Native
American got Dusty you, God, bless his soul. He's gone
with going now. But he had a tattoo of uh
native American Indian with a big head dress that's underneath
it's an American maid. And I always thought that was
the coolest tattoo because it is. It is. It was

(07:09):
really neat.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
But they are kind of like tattoos, you know, you
get started and you really get inspired by I.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
Want another one exactly? Is I want another one? Hey,
there's another area. The first one went in between the
garage and the house. Lost area. Just it became you
and be careful because if you take that corner, that
weird corner, that weird area in the lot and you
do this, it's going to become a vocal point. Well.

Speaker 3 (07:32):
And a lot of people are searching for, you know,
what they can do with their landscape and their backyard
and you know kind of their their own sanctuary when
they come home at night from work. And you know,
I just put in like an outdoor sound system at
my house. You know, I really like outdoor music.

Speaker 2 (07:51):
So that yourself.

Speaker 3 (07:52):
Yeah, I had my guys do it.

Speaker 2 (07:53):
Did you have the big subb before that gets buried?

Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (07:56):
Yeah, And I'm gonna tell her. It freaks me out
because here's the thing that you probably haven't done. I
walk way up on the other side of my property. Yeah,
it sounds like, honestly, honestly, I'm not exaggerating. It sounds
like there's a live band exactly, and it's not loud.

Speaker 3 (08:14):
Outdoor music is awesome, and water features kind of are
that same thing. It's like people are searching for what
they can do to enhance their lifestyle in their backyard
or outside.

Speaker 2 (08:24):
I'm laughing because we're sitting out around the campfire. We're
listening to Joe Bonamasa. Oh yeah, love them, and Linz
looks at me and says, turn that down, and that's you.
She usually says that because she hears like an animal
or something. Right, So I turn the music down, which,
by the way, I'm sure yours works the same. It's
on my phone. Yeah, and I go to Spotify. I

(08:46):
can listen to that.

Speaker 3 (08:46):
That's exactly what do you do.

Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah, it's like having a up member Peaches the record store,
Peaches twelve overture. I don't well, those were record stores
that you went in and watching. Yeah, it's really like radio.

Speaker 3 (09:00):
I remember like the Exclusive Company A company was after
that's what I remember, you know, or Camelot music, remember
that in the South Town or seth.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
I don't have those anymore now. You's go on your
phone and you can you can get anything you want
to hear, right, and that's what's great about this, this
outdoor sound system. But she says, turn it down, and
I'm like what, And she goes, I want to hear
more of the waterfall.

Speaker 3 (09:20):
I knew you were going to say that.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
Yeah, and and and it's funny because it was completely unrehearsed,
and and and it's just it's just everything you say
about these water features. I always said that that's a
little horn hokey or a little corny. I almost said
hokey corny, almost said that's a little horny. But they
are a little horny too. They're they're sexy, they're cool,
they really.

Speaker 3 (09:40):
Are, you know. I don't know what to say to that.
I think you're right.

Speaker 2 (09:44):
You are right. And the way the way you guys
set them up, I had the luxury of having one
of your guys up Austin was up there and helped me,
which kind of is a testament too. If it's something
you want to do yourself, you have all the knowledge,
all the supplies you don't have. You can go to
Aquatica and completely do the whole system with you guys,

(10:04):
from the rocks everything.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
Yeah, and that's what we're doing. We're creating a professional
We're Aquatica is one of the only sources really around
that has a professional approach to building water features, yes,
or repairing water features, designing water features in your backyard.
What is a water feature. It's a pond, it's a
koi pond, it's a water garden, it's a pondless waterfall,

(10:29):
it's a bubbling rocks. It's creeks and rivers and streams.
And we're building a six hundred foot river system. We're
starting on Monday, actually tomorrow. And you know, we can
do anything. We can do something that's five foot long,
a small little creek system that's five foot long in
a backyard and perennial plant bed, or we can do

(10:51):
something that's you know, something that is you know, five
hundred feet long river system that the grand kids want
to want to play in.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
Go big or go home when you do this, because
the deal is is if you do a small one,
you're going to end up expanding it, which is nice
because you have the ability to offer that. You know,
you have the ability to take out water feature and
add on to it so that you're not, you know,
spending additional money, which is cool. The other thing that

(11:20):
I was amazed at, Dean, and you've always said it
on the shows, having experienced it, Well, there's two things
I'm amazed at. One is I have a lot of
respect for your guys to Kuhn Brothers, Oh, they're great guys.

Speaker 3 (11:34):
My whole team is great. I'm so lucky to have
the team and the staff I have.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
But the deal is, when you start moving them rocks,
you're going to realize how much work this is. It
is it is that I have a hold in respect
for the guys. Dean. Let's take a break. We'll talk
some more about this. There's other things that go on.
I want to talk about some of your seminars that
people are just trying to get into this. Talk a
little bit about the history of the business, because it's
a very unique history and some of the things that

(11:59):
you guys do to go out and visit nature scapes
to duplicate them. I learned so much working with your guys,
so I just want to. I just want to let
you know that I want to talk about some of that.
Let's do it all right, We're gonna take a short
break and come back and talk more with the Pondfather himself.
Dean Popito from Aquatica A News Talk eleven thirty wisn

(12:23):
Huge Talk eleven thirty wis returning from break. It's Nick
the construction Guru. Excited to be here with Dean Popito.
I just want to put a shout out for our company.
If you're thinking about a remodeling project, take a look
at Kurzoner. We have a website at Kursnerinc. Dot com.
You can check that out on the World Wide Web,
or you can give us a call at two six
two five six seven twenty five hundred. Current projects include

(12:46):
major deck remodels, major deck construction. We are doing basements,
wreck rooms, we are doing kitchens, we are doing bathrooms.
We're doing a lot of work. Man, We're busy.

Speaker 3 (12:56):
Yeah, well you've got a great reputation.

Speaker 2 (12:57):
Yeah, we're really busy. And you know, for the most part,
which we can talk about a little bit too on
the show here keeping customers happy. The expectations have really
changed and I blame Amazon, I always have. I love Amazon,
but they've created some unrealistic expectations. But listen, if you're
if you're thinking about a remodeling project, talk to a
few contractors. Make one of them, Make one of them us.

(13:18):
We'd love to come out and talk to you about
a new kitchen, bathroom or CaTiO Notutlins. You ever hear
of a cat I have? Yeah, So we're doing all
kinds of stuff like that. You can reach us at
two six two five six seven twenty five hundred if
you're just tuning in. I know I sound a little
excited today, and I am. I love having Dean Pepedo
on more now than ever because I am not only

(13:40):
a dear friend of his, but we are going to
lunch after this.

Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yes we are.

Speaker 2 (13:46):
But I'm also a customer. Yeah, and uh, I was
really educated in your business? How much how much it
takes to put it together? Another one was world class lighting,
you know, Kevin, great class, great company. Yeah, you think
you know what you know, You get a box of lights,
you think you know what you're going to do with them.

(14:06):
You have no idea what it takes to put that
scene together. And we talked to him last week. It's
the same thing with you guys. You look at what
you do. If you're smart enough to realize that it's
not a natural feature, it's hard to tell what aquatica.

Speaker 3 (14:21):
What you're getting at Nick is aquatica is.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
And this is what my thought.

Speaker 3 (14:25):
This is what we do every day. Finish my thoughts,
well we can. You can probably finish mine half the time.
But this is what we do every day.

Speaker 2 (14:37):
I can do this all day.

Speaker 3 (14:38):
Go ahead, Oh man, it's a Sunday morning. We're having fun.

Speaker 2 (14:43):
We are. We always do it.

Speaker 3 (14:45):
Yeah, we do, we do. But it's just when you're
hiring somebody to do a waterscape, you know, you got
to know what you're doing. And there's a reason we're
one of the only companies that do this type of work.
A lot of landscape companies, wonderful, wonderful landscape companies that
are in southeast Wisconsin area. We work with most of

(15:06):
them because they want to partner with us. We want
to partner with them, and we're kind of we're a specialty.
We're we stay in our lane. We're great at one thing,
and that's water features, and you can't be great at everything,
and so we have the reputation. Go to Dean, go
to Aquatica and they will help you out with your

(15:28):
your waterscape vision. And that's always been our Our claim
to fame is that when you think of ponds and
water features, you think of Aquatica, and you know, we
have a national reputation. We've developed techniques over the last
twenty five thirty years that are still used today. And again,

(15:49):
this is what we do. So what you're paying for
is our expertise. You're not paying for us to learn
on the job. You know, we we know what we
can do for you. We know what's going to set,
we know it's going to look good, we know it's
going to be low maintenance. A lot of people think
water features are mosquitoes and big chemicals and this and that.

(16:09):
You know, we want to design these water features to
be low maintenance. We want you know, enjoy them. We
want them to last, you know, several decades. And that's
what we do for our customers, and that's why people
come to us.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
You don't know what else amazed me about what I've
learned is when you look at and I remember way
way many years ago when we were at the shows
and you would do a feature, and I would look
at the feature and I would go, that's beautiful. But
there's no way that I could ever afford that. It's

(16:44):
just there's no way, right. I was actually amazed at
how affordable it is to do a water feature. Yep,
you know what.

Speaker 3 (16:55):
And I'm glad you brought that up, because with what
we do, oh my gosh, I I could never have
a koi pond or a waterfall in my own backyard.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
You know.

Speaker 3 (17:03):
That's a rich man sport, as you always like to say, Nick,
and that's not true. It's no different than purchasing a
hot tub, or purchasing a patio or a landscape or
any type of remodeling work. It's no different than anybody else,
you know. And we are quite affordable for what you're getting.

Speaker 2 (17:24):
Well, yeah, because you think you know one of the
guys up there from MUSS and I love them. They
bring me rock for landscaping and stuff because I'm way
up in the woods and it's hard to find anybody
that wants to come back there. It's hard to find
anybody hell that can find it. Google can't find it
half the time. But this guy comes in and my
guy who was running the skid steer there, so just

(17:45):
deliver him back here. And he came back. He said,
what are you guys doing with all this rock? And
he goes and he just kind of rolled his eyes
art pond. He's a great guy, but he thinks I'm
nuts because I just keep doing all this stuff up there.
But he brought this guy back and he said, look
at this, and it was the water fall in the back.
And the guy looked at it and he goes, turn
it on. I turn it on. He goes, I've never

(18:06):
seen anything like that in my life. He said, that's
the coolest thing.

Speaker 3 (18:08):
They're so cool. And the one you have is really
cool because it's it's more in a wooded setting. You
have great stone. You know that you have up there.
The sound is great and it disappears. You don't need
a pond at the end. Like Nix. It doesn't have
a pond.

Speaker 2 (18:23):
You know.

Speaker 3 (18:24):
It just disappears into the ground. And it's low maintenance.
It's wonderful. You get everything without the maintenance of a pond.

Speaker 2 (18:32):
When we dug a hole for that, Lin looked out
over the top of the deck and said, what the
hell is that for? There's this big pit there and
it is. Another thing that that amazes me is that
it looks it looks pretty like it's not not invasive, right,
it's not, it's not. But when you do it and
you realize the work that goes into it and the
pumps and everything, and the other thing I realized is that,

(18:55):
you know, we had some little water foontains that were
what I call the steins guard, which are fine, right, okay, right,
not knocking them, but they got that little pump in there.
That's sure. Okay. The stuff you guys supply is industrial.
Oh it's crazy the quality of that stuff.

Speaker 3 (19:11):
And that's that's why we we have to you know,
we have to use the best products. It's Wisconsin freeze,
thaw everything. You know, we with water. Water is the
best escape artists on the planet. It is you know,
water wants to escape, so we have to contain it.
So we have to use the best products to do that.

(19:32):
We have to use the best filtration. And obviously our
staff is great. Our staff is very, very talented and
they know what they're doing.

Speaker 2 (19:41):
Well. In the inventory, I mean, you guys carry everything.
You got. You got the stone, the small stone, you got,
the big stone, you got the driftwood inventory freeze. Now
I know it goes up and down. Sometimes I'll come
there and there'll be it looks like there's five thousand pieces,
and I'll come there and there'll be two and you say, well,
we sold them. We're getting another truckload, right. But the
rocks that was more it impressive. I remember last time

(20:01):
I was there, maybe twenty Now this last time that
I came over it was probably double that, and you
had all kinds of artsy fartsy rocks now different veins
of different co Oh.

Speaker 3 (20:10):
Yeah, we really try to pick out unique rocks to drill.
We drill in house, and which, by the way, it
helps with the price, absolutely it does. You know, we
don't have to ship them out to get drilled. And
we carry a great selection of aquatic plants, water lilies,
all sorts of things, lotus and that's.

Speaker 2 (20:29):
Why I always see Angie smiling out there working with them.

Speaker 3 (20:31):
She loves that plant section, you know. And so yeah,
we're not a huge store or shop or a custom shop.

Speaker 2 (20:38):
You're pretty, it's a pretty it's a pretty impressive.

Speaker 3 (20:40):
It's a nice showroom and we do try to pack
a lot in.

Speaker 2 (20:43):
Have you won an award for that showroom.

Speaker 3 (20:45):
No, no, you should enter that because it is I
never I never entered an it's so nice.

Speaker 2 (20:50):
And then you have the little statuary if somebody wants that.
The thing that's most impressive about your showroom to me,
and I think people probably take it for granted. I
love the front water features that. Yeah, but when you
walk in and you go into that little office with
that patio door, and that water feature is right by
the patio door out there, it looks so cool.

Speaker 3 (21:09):
Nick put in my Patiodor Kurzoner remonoy. It's like, yeah,
we worked together, Yeah we did. You did our windows,
you did our patio door right there, and it's beautiful.
You go in the back there and you see all
the different water features.

Speaker 2 (21:22):
We have four bubbling rocks and three waterfalls.

Speaker 3 (21:25):
Do you really know?

Speaker 2 (21:26):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (21:27):
Holy yeah, wow. Yeah, well that's great.

Speaker 2 (21:30):
You know, I'm just going to tell you that, being
in the business i'm in, I have the drills for
the rocks too.

Speaker 3 (21:36):
So yeah, you know, they they're unique drills to be
able to do that. It takes a while, yeah.

Speaker 2 (21:42):
It does. But the cool thing about it is is
that what I loved about yours, and a person could
go on Amazon and do this themselves and get But
everything that you do fits together. Everything that you do
is made to do what it's doing. And I'm going
to tell you this. You know, we have the big,
big area where the pumps are. Had some of the
smaller rock drop in there. All of a sudden, the

(22:04):
pump stops. I can't figure out why I go in there.
That thing sucked in the rocks. I believe that thing
could almost grind it. That's the industrial pump that you
have in there, took the rocks out. Boom, fine, yeah
there are I mean that would have destroyed anything I
got on the internet.

Speaker 3 (22:18):
Well, of course, you know we want it easy in,
easy out. If you need to check your pump or
replacement all the fittings.

Speaker 2 (22:26):
I mean what I'm getting to Denis, I can. I
can do the maintenance on this myself, which is nice
where I'm located.

Speaker 3 (22:32):
We teach you how to do the maintenance. You know,
you don't need us to to help you every week.
It's something you know that we can teach you how
to do.

Speaker 2 (22:40):
You guys are very patient with the teaching. Oh yeah,
like it's that they take their time. Sean's great Sean
will give you what I like about Sean. It's kind
of watching Sebastian Maniscalco and and uh, you know another
another scientist, because he puts humor with it, so like
you have to take the pumps on wintry goes, I

(23:00):
never do, Like does that mean yes or no? He goes,
did you have any problem?

Speaker 3 (23:05):
I said, no, no, right, you know, and and certain
water features you don't, certain water features you do, but
you teach that. And we do sell a lot of
pond fish too. We have lots of koi and different
types of fish that we sell for people. It becomes
a hobby, you know where.

Speaker 2 (23:21):
You think grandparents and grandkids. That's where I see it
almost because I've been on some of your features. You
probably don't even know, but that's they have the court
and they said that my grandkids will sit here and
watch the.

Speaker 3 (23:32):
Fish from the hours and feet and that's what it's
all about, you know. We really try to do something
where it's interactive with the family, interactive with your lifestyle.
If you're coming home at night from a stressful day
of work and you know you want to sit down
and all of a sudden you look outside and your
fish are swimming around and you know immediately you're you're

(23:52):
relaxed and you want to enjoy that that moment with
with you know, the landscape in the backyard of the wildlife.

Speaker 2 (23:58):
Well, people that grew up with natural water features, many
of their memories as kids are connected to that. Now
you can create that. I think it's Dean give out
your information. We are Aquatica. We're located in Wales, Wisconsin
two two seven James Street in Wales, Wisconsin and right

(24:18):
off of eighty three Highway eighty three and ninety four,
just south of ninety four. Aquaticaponds dot Com is our website,
Aquaticaponds dot com. We're also on Facebook at Aquatica Wisconsin
and Instagram and everything else. So you can sign up
for our email newsletter whatever you want. And we just

(24:39):
finished a seminar yesterday at the store, our fall seminar
we just had at the store yesterday on Saturday, and
it was it was wonderful, well attended.

Speaker 3 (24:48):
Oh yeah, and so yeah, we're here if you need
us water features, watergardens, ponds, you name it.

Speaker 2 (24:53):
Dean, thanks for coming in on Sunday spending some time
with Guru. As always, I appreciate it, and now I
will I've thought it over, and I will let you
buy me lunch.

Speaker 3 (25:01):
Sounds good, all right.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
News Talk eleven thirty WISN We will return again next
week