Choosing a Pond Liner – EPDM liners are the optimal choice

Executive Summary by: Gerry Fung

Pond Liner: The most popular choice for advanced pond constructions is the pond liner, because it offers an unlimited potential for design creativity, dependable longevity, and low maintenance.

pond liners

Durability is one of the primary yardsticks used to measure the efficacy of pond liners. In areas where earth tremors occur, liners do not crack as easily as preformed liners or concrete, and will thereby last longer than their preformed cousins. However, depending on the liner material, pond liners are adversely affected by UV light to varying degrees.

A secondary consideration is the suitability of the liner material towards marine life. Plastic-based pond liner material (E.g. polyethylene, polythylene, PVC, and polypropylene) contain stabilizers which allow the plastic to bond.

There are five main types of pond liner constructions: Polyethylene, Polythylene, PVC liners, EPDM/rubber, and polypropylene. Polyethylene and Polythylene liners typically cost half that of polypropylene and EPDM.

Polypropylene, however, is not as flexible as EPDM liners. If you are building an extremely large pond, polypropylene may be a viable option. Otherwise, the majority of pond builders prefer EPDM rubber pond liners.

Because EPDM pond liners are rubber-based, they are extremely flexible (much more so than PVC liners), and they do not contain any plasticizers that can make the liner brittle and crack with age.

While more expensive than Polyethylene, polyethylene, and PVC liners, a 45-mil EPDM pond liner can last for up to 20 years because of its natural resistance to UV, and its puncture resistance.

How to Build a Pond or Water Garden With a Pond Liner

Executive Summary by: Paul Bromhall

Using a pond liner is probably the easiest way to build a water garden or fish pond. It is more important to line the bottom and sides of the pond more thoroughly with this type of pond liner.

By designing a pond correctly you will limit daily access to the sun. If you decide to edge your pond with decorative stones you can position them to overhang the pond slightly to create some well needed shade. Flexible pond liners are sold by rectangular size. It is important that the pond liner you buy will be large enough for the size of your pond that you dig. To calculate the sizes for any type of flexible liner simply measure the length, width and proposed depth.

When installing the pond liner you can line the sides with sand when you begin to fill with water. Place the centre roughly in the middle of your pond. You will now be about to start filling the pond with water.

During the filling of the pond you can walk around the pond lifting the bricks slightly as the weight of the water “pulls” more pond liner in.

Check out my other guide on pond gardening and gardening gifts