Is Rubber Pond Liner Just Roofing

[elroyjetsn]

Happened to look out on the roof of our building at work and low and behold, it's covered with my rubber pond liner. The same exact material with the same dot matrix numbers along to seams every so often.

Wonder what pricing structure is from the commercial roofing supply and how it compares with pondliner.com??:wink:

 

[DrDave]

Firestone EPDM roofing is the same as EPDM liner for ponds.
Home Depot sells it for $10.50 ft in 15' widths.

 

[kirscp]

Same, but you can "normally" get pond liners cheaper.

 

[elroyjetsn]

Same, but you can "normally" get pond liners cheaper.

That's good to know.:wink:

 

[adsway]

On Dr. Dave's advice I've searched Home Depot for EPDM liner and on their website, but I have only found the Beckett 20 mil vinyal PVC product at Home Depot. Has anyone else had any success finding it there? Does anyone know the best alternative (price wise) source for ordering EPDM 45 mil liner and underlayment in the southern CA area.

Thanks,

Andy in Burbank, CA

 

[TailorMade]

The 20 mil will tear so easy its not funny. Tetra makes a new woven thin lightweight liner but its very expensive. The 45 mil EPDM liner / roofing is still the best price for the quality. Try Kingofponds.com or justliner.com for decent liner prices.

 

[adsway]

Thanks for the feedback. So far the best price delivered I've found is at bestnest.com, but I will try the two places you have suggested.:banghead3:

 

[DrDave]

Home Depot carries it in their Garden Department. They may not offer it on the E Commerce web site. It is $10.50 a foot in 15' widths, so a 10 X 15 would be $105.00.

 

[adsway]

respectfully Dr Dave I hear you, but not in my local Home Depot or on their website. Which HD are you finding it at?

 

[DrDave]

Well, since my location is Escondido, that is my local store and they do have 50' rolls of it.

Your local Home Depot can go into their computer and tell you what store nearby my have it and how much is in inventory.

Next trip there I will get the SKU# and post it here. Send me a PM and I will remember who to send it to.

 

[adsway]

Thanks DrDave! Will do... By the way are there plans on this website to build a bio filter. I just got 2 55 gal plastic barrels and I want to make a filter for my new pond. Which section should I look in?

 

[DrDave]

No not yet, but if you search bio here you will find many photos. Also, google skippy filter and don't pay any attention to their claim that 55 gal drums don't work. The principle is the same.

 

[adsway]

Thanks, I saw your pictures on building the 55 gal bio filter in the Pond Const. & Equip forum. Very cool. What size pipe is that. Should it be the same size as pump outlet and hose size?

 

[DrDave]

The inlet is based on the outlet size of the 1180GPH pump and it feeds a 3/4" PVC pipe inlet to the bio filter. The outlet overflow should be 2".

 

[Randy Walton]

I recommend Polyurea pond liner technology. It is a spray on pond liner that can be applied to any surface, shape, size and will last forever. Check out Ultra coating Inc. for Pacific Northwest installation.

 

[adsway]

DrDave Is there a reason to decrease the PVC pipe inlet and then expand the outlet from the bio filter?

My pump has a 2" outlet and I was going to run it straight w/2" flex tubing to a 2" bulkhead fitting on the 1st barrel, connect the 2 barrels with a 2" connection, and then run a 2" outlet back to my pond. Is my thinking wrong on these sizes? Do I need to slow down the flow for the biofilters?

 

[DrDave]

Keep in mind, I have a single 55 gallon drum system. My outflow goes down a cascading waterfall. DrCase has a 2 barrel system and I suspect the outflow of his goes directley back to the pond. So his may be sealed where mine is open.

In my Bio filter, the inlet is 3/4" fed by an 1150 GPH Beckett pump that has to lift 7'. My outlet at the top of the bio filter which is actually an overflow, is 1 1/2" and I still have to choke down my 3/4" input with a ball valve. Remember, this is not a sealed system and the out flow has the bio material sometimes against the opening, so the larger the better. The water as it travels up through the media needs time to get stripped of the nitrates/nitrites/algae and solid particles that fall into the sump. Too fast and this process may not work as expected.

I have 2 waterfalls, one for the slow bio filter and the other for the white water effect.

You may want to consider diverting some of that 2" line to a water feature.

 

[adsway]

I am running my out of the 2nd biofilter to a 10ft head ht waterfall.

 

[mister2driver]

Nice I live in Burbank, CA as well.
Hope to meet you adsway.

 

[David]

I believe that the original question in this thread was (Is rubber roofing the same as a pond liner).

First let’s start with EPDM and what is it.

Epdm stands for ethylene propylene diene monomer which is the chemical mix for this type of rubber.

So rubber roofing and a pond liner are the both made of the same material (both EPDM).

And they are both made by the same manufacture, Firestone.

But rubber roofing material commonly used on commercial buildings contains fire retardants and algaecides. These chemicals will harm your fish and plant life.

That said I know of people including me who have used weathered rubber roofing with no ill effects.

But I would never build a new pond with new commercial rubber roofing.

I did not know any better at the time I built my first pond.

But now after a few years of pond experience behind me I would never use it again, new or old.