Pond Liners are UV resistant and composed of non-toxic materials

Which pond liner should I use for my new pond?

There are several factors you will need to consider when building your pond liner to ensure you get the maximum lifespan possible.The first thing you need to do is determine what the ground (substrate) is like. Is it rocky, are there a lot of tree roots, or anything else that might potentially damaged the liner. Next you will need to determine what sort of aquatic life you want to keep in your pond. Are you putting in creatures with sharp claws like crabs, crayfish etc.

A proper pond liner will be UV resistant and composed of non-toxic materials that will last a long time outdoors. Proper pond liners are rot resistant as they spend its lifetime submerged in water, but not mildew or algae resistant, otherwise marine and aquatic life will not survive. This means you cannot use a pool liner for a pond liner, as the chemicals in a pool liner may harm aquatic life.

Many people think they can get away with normal builders plastic as well. However this material, while cheap, is not guaranteed to be pin hole free. In addition to this, it is very thin (100 – 200 microns) and they are usually not UV resistant and tend to break down and fail quite quickly.

There are some common materials used in making a pond liner:

EPDM

Butyl Rubber

LLDPE

HDPE

PVC

About The Different Materials

EPDM – (Ethylene Proplyene Diene Monomer) and Butyl Rubber are used when very long life spans are needed and where the soil is rocky and uneven. It is the material usually recommended by a lot of gardening shows. It is one of the more expensive options, but it is easy to use.

HDPE – (High Density PolyEthylene) – its a high quality PolyEthylene liner that has a long lifespan (12 yrs up to 30 yrs), and is very flexible. Its is very friendly to aquatic life.

LLDPE – (Liner Low Density PolyEthylene) – is a more flexible version of the HDPE liner. The main difference being that UV and chemical resistance is a little lower(up to around 12 yrs). Still has very good puncture resistance and is very flexible.

PVC – (poly Vinyl Chloride) – if you buy this material, ensure the product is sold as a pond liner and not some other use. Otherwise you will find that your aquatic life will not survive. PVC pond liners are at the cheaper end of the market and should not be used in areas of high puncture or wear resistance will occur, but they do offer good value for money.Most liners will be between 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm. Generally, the thinner the material, the cheaper it is to buy, but the less robust the material will be. Consider your ground conditions and your minimum temperatures. If it gets very cold, choose a more robust liner.

How big should my pond liner be?

The size of your liner must include enough vertical height, so remember to add on the length and width at least twice the depth of pond. Also allow enough extra pond liner to finish of the edges.

Should I use an underlay?

An underlay can be used to help protect the liner against sharp objects in the soil.

How long will my pond liner last

Depending on the material, grade and thickness, you can expect a lifespan from 8 to 30 yrs plus.

How do I look after my pond liner?

For any liner that you do choose, there are a few things you can do to help get the maximum lifespan from it.

1. expose as little of the liner as possible to direct sunlight. Consider finishing edges with rocks or other features.
2. do not allow any animals to move over the liner.
3. when placing rocks or heavy objects, do not drag them over the liner
4. when preparing the pond for installation of the liner, make sure all sharp sticks and rocks are cleared from the soil. In rocky conditions consider an underlay.

My pond liner has a tear, can I patch this?

Nearly all pond liner materials have a patch kit available to repair or patch any tears or rips that may occur.

For More Information Visit:- Pond Liner