9 replies to this topic

[aussiemike]

Can anyone give me any of their experiences with tree roots and pond liners. My liner is 1mm thick.
Regards
Mike

[koikeepr]

Interesting question.

When I undid the one side of my pond this spring to install a bulkhead to attach my retro bottom drain, I was shocked to find that larget tree roots had grown toward and under the liner [he previous owner/idiot that built the pond put it just 10 feet away from large gum trees).

I was able to snip a few that I thought were precarious, but much like anything in a tree roots way, they must have felt the liner and quickly started going deeper under the pond and under the liner. I was amazed.

However, that being said, lesson here is try to avoid building your pond near trees. They will sense the water being dumped and all that and the roots will head towards it inevitably, and you could potentially not be as lucky and have the roots pierce the liner.

[DrCase]

When i built my existing pond i cut out the roots that were coming its way .
Then i poured a 50 lb bag of salt along the tree side of the liner.
How thick is 1mm ? I use a 45 mil

[aussiemike]

Wouldn't that much salt destroy the tree itself. I would like to keep the tree if possible.
1mm is just thicker than a credit card. 45mm is thicker than 2 boxes of matches???????

[chilligirl]

the stuff I use is the 45 mil too, and I don't know why it's called that, because it's definitely NOT 45mm thick. It's maybe 2mm thick. Not sure what the 45 means...

No advice about the tree roots though...

[DrDave]

DrCase said:

When i built my existing pond i cut out the roots that were coming its way .
Then i poured a 50 lb bag of salt along the tree side of the liner.
How thick is 1mm ? I use a 45 mil

1mm and 1mil are two different things. 45 mil is .045" The liner I bought on line was advertised as 45 mil and I measured it as .045". The EPDM liner I got from Home Depot was .055" so it would be 55 mil.

1mm = .03937"
1mil = .001"

[Meekaboo]

1 mil = 0.0254 millimeters

[DrCase]

The salt along your pond liner edge just makes the roots go back the other way..
I wish it would kill the tree
I tell my wife every year i am going to cut it down..but she wont let me
yyess dear

[DrDave]

Meekaboo said:

1 mil = 0.0254 millimeters

Wrong................ Google it and see what other professional engineers like myself say.
I used to think the same.

[stroppy]

DrCase said:

The salt along your pond liner edge just makes the roots go back the other way..
I wish it would kill the tree
I tell my wife every year i am going to cut it down..but she wont let me
yyess dear

your not talking about that lovely maple are you ?