So you have excavated a large hole in the garden in preparation for pond’s construction, now what? The next step is to somehow prevent the future water to seep into the ground, which would leave your pond empty and fish dead. What you need is a pond liner.
Pond liner is essentially a piece of waterproof fabric which will keep the water in place. As the name suggests, it’s used to line the dug hole. Not all liners are made equal though and today we will present you a guide how to choose the best pond liners. We will chip in a couple of pond liner reviews as well. You can find them at the bottom part of the article.
Types of pond liners
Pond liners are made of various materials which vary in strength, flexibility and of course price as well. Let’s take a look at the choices you have:
- PVC pond liners – PVC pond liners are usually around 0,5mm thick. The liner is stretchy, however it’s not tearproof, so if the material is punctured, it may get worse over time, eventually leaking all the water from the pond and causing you to get a new liner. Oase pond liner are some of the most popular PVC liners
- Rubber pond liners – These liners can be further divided into EPDM and Butyl Butyl has for long been considered one of the best materials for the pond enthusiasts. However due to high demand in many other industries, it has become quite expensive. EPDM, on the other hand, is less costly material and it has similar or even better characteristics than Butyl. Firestone is one of the most popular rubber liner brands worldwide.
- LDPE pond liners – These liners have two basic benefits – they are very economical, and they are tearproof and flexible. The liners are made of low density polypropylene and they are made to last for years.
- Preformed pond liners – As the name suggests, these liners are preformed and in most, their shape cannot be changed. Therefore if you go for such solution, you will not be able to adjust the pond’s shape in future, unless you’d dig the liner out.
Can you put a liner directly on the ground?
The simple answer would be “yes, you can, if you want to”. On the other hand it is not recommended at all. If you put the liner directly on the dug up ground, chances are there will be a sharp stone which will cause a puncture in the liner when you start pouting in the water.
To prevent such cases, pond liner underlays are available for purchase. Having the underlay under the liner will smooth out most of the sharp stones or rocks underneath the liner. So get yourself the underlay if you wish to have your pond intact for years to come.
Pond liner calculator
There’s not need to make things complicated when calculating the liner’s size. All you will need to do is measure the pond’s width length and depth and then do some simple math:
- Length + Depth + Depth +2 = Length of Liner
- Width + Depth + Depth + 2 = Width of Liner
Best 3 pond liners
We have selected 3 best reviewed pond liners according to customer ratings and the liner specs. Hopefully these tips will prove useful for your decision process. You can find the list below.
TotalPond Pond Skin Pond Liner
TotalPond is well known for making high quality pond accessories and pumps. This pond liner is 30% less heavy than other PVC pond liners. The surface of the fabric is textured in such way that it positively influences good bacteria growth. To prevent tears, the liner is strengthened with polyester weave.
- 14,5 mil thickness
- Ultra durable and lightweight
- Textured surface
- Limited lifetime warranty
- Comes in various sizes
This product belongs to the best rated pond liners according to customer reviews.
Click here to buy the TotalPond Pond Skins Pond Liner on Amazon!
Beckett Pond Liners
Becket is another company well known for quality products and their pond liners belong to the best you can get. They offer liner in various sizes ranging from really small 6 by 12 feet variants to huge 12 to 88 feet liners.
Most of their liners are made of PVC, with thickness around 20 ml, which offers enough flexibility and durability. The product is safe for fish and pond plants, and can hold comfortably about 400 gallons of water.
- 20 ml thickness
- 15 year limited warranty
- Various sizes
Again, there are only few reviewed pond liners which have such positive ratings.
Click here to buy a Beckett pond liner on Amazon!
Firestone EPDM Pond Liners
Firestone liners are especially popular in the UK. The liners are a bit thicker with their 45 mil thickness. Their life expectancy is about 75 years. If you plan to have fish in your garden pond, this pond liner may be the right choice as it is safe for fish and plants.
- 45 mil thickness
- Safe for fish and pond plants
- 20 years limited manufacturer warranty
- Various sizes
Click here to buy a Firestone EPDM pond liner on Amazon!