Joining 2 ponds

[IronAnneKidd]

I have 2 ponds in the front yard fairly close to one another. One of them has a rubber liner, the other is a preformed. I would like to pull up the preformed, dig it deeper, then put in a rubber liner. Would it be possible to join the 2 liners together to make one bigger pond? I think if I could make it work it would be shallow where I joined them, so smaller fish life, or tadpoles could escape to the other side.

Would this be possible and if so how do I make it happen? Would just taping the seams be enough?

Thoughts?

 

[Lisak1]

People have definitely done exactly that. You would want to make sure the new liner overlaps the old a good length and I would suggest taping and gluing, just to be on the safe side. @addy1 would the goop you use work for this application?

 

[Usman]

overlap 2 liners atleast a feet , add any adhesive which is used for linners may b primer in the middle part and stick 2 way tape on 2 borders . then supper press it by some heavy weight , leave it for hours and cure time is a week
im confused how will you connect them , have u drawn it? i think you will need to cut some 6x12 inch portion from top of performed pond so you have a channel that enters , other wise its edges will not let u .

Pond Liner Tutorial Seam connection - YouTube

How to Seam an EPDM Pond Liner - YouTube

 

[Waterbug]

It is easier to use a stream to connect. No seaming, just overlapping.

Bulkhead fitting and pipe can connect too.

 

[Usman]

It is easier to use a stream to connect. No seaming, just overlapping.

Bulkhead fitting and pipe can connect too.

realy ? will it not leak water ? do u have instructions anywhere i can see how , i know can b done as waterfall but im wondering how to do where water stays on top without leak

 

[Waterbug]

As long as the upper is a bit higher and there's a gap between the liners to stop wicking there no problem. Of course if the upper is only a 1/4" higher you have to be very accurate. A inch or two higher is more forgiving.

Basically the same as a waterfall...just very short.

 

[EricV]

And, of course, above the actual water line (as shown in the first diagram).

 

[Meyer Jordan]

It is easier to use a stream to connect. No seaming, just overlapping.

Providing that the stream is on a slope. Simple overlapping will not work if stream is basically close to horizontal.
I think that the OP is thinking more along the lines of a connecting channel.

 

[Lisak1]

That's how I imagined it - two ponds on the same plane joined by a canal of sorts. Definitely need some kind of glue.

 

[Usman]

As long as the upper is a bit higher and there's a gap between the liners to stop wicking there no problem. Of course if the upper is only a 1/4" higher you have to be very accurate. A inch or two higher is more forgiving.

Basically the same as a waterfall...just very short.

thanx . thats pouring in as a waterfall basically , not actual joining since fishes cant swim back forth , yes i have used this but its not much useful as it restricts fish movement , i was thinking u meant actual joining at same level
only thing i can think without glue is 2 large pipes ( 1pipe needs to be wider ) fitted in to eachother with liner jammed in between at both sides then cutting the upper half of pipe open if desired

 

[addy1]

would the goop you use work for this application?

I have used it to join liners, fix a short cut edge, put in pipes into the stock tank, no failures.

The main thing is to make sure the liner is clean and dry, rough it up a bit with sand paper, apply a lot of goop, let it dry good with a weight on it. Of course most of mine were done, dried briefly then water added. So giving the correct way not my way.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Loctite-...-Sealant-1675273/203163733?keyword=pl+roofing

 

[Lisak1]

@addy1 - to fix a too short edge would you apply the goop so it ends up on the outside of the pond or the inside? Or does it matter? We have an edge that is slowly slipping into obscurity right now and needs attention come spring...

 

[addy1]

I used it , someone, no clue who............... lol cut one part a bit short, around 2 feet worth, short by inches. With our slope I made a water level mistake and a angle mistake when I cut the over hang.
Anyway, I straightened it out as best as I could, the pond liner, made sure the water level was a bit low. Dried and cleaned the outside of the liner, rubbed it a bit with some sand paper.
Dried it real good, gooped the heck out of it, made sure every bit that was touching with the new piece, had goop on it. I pushed them together with my hands let it sit for a few days.
I then added a layer of goop to where the pond liner edge and the new piece of liner met, a lot of goop and then added a small cut piece of liner over that goop, pushed it down let it dry. It has been that way since 2010 and still holding.

For me it has worked just fine. I tried the double sided tape, but I could not get the liner smooth enough to make a good seal. The goop goes into the creases and dips.

Wear gloves! that black stuff is messy! And have more than one pair of throw away gloves you will be changing them a few times. And if you get it on yourself have some mineral spirits to get it off.

One of the stores has some wipes you can buy that remove the stuff nicely.

 

[Lisak1]

Thanks! That's my exact problem - about two feet of liner cut too short. Initially I had about 4 inches above the water line but that has slowly sunk (damp corner anyway that both holds water after a rain and is too shaded to ever really dry out). And since it's the corner that meets up to the waterfall it's causing a bit of, shall we say, water loss. Ssshhhh...

 

[Waterbug]

Both ponds can be on level ground. The sides of the upper just need to be built up higher...1/4" higher, so basically the same level. Couldn't tell with the naked eye.

Fish can go up and down streams but generally only go down.

But I assume a stream isn't desired in this case so a seam specified by the liner manufacturer would be needed. If the liners are different materials a mechanical fastener is needed.