Liner critical fail

[academiannut]

So our pond liner cracked open after the last freeze. We just transferred all the fish, frogs and plants to a temporary home (a 300 gal stock trough). Only one floater, one of the baby fish (I expected far worse! There was hardly any water left…)

What ml thickness pond liner get? Seems like 45 is the only option - is that enough?

Any sites you recommend to buy it? And should I buy bigger than I need? (Pond is about 8 ft D circle and 2 ft deep - I may deepen it a foot or so, depending on how hard that is to do).

Pondgard EPDM Liner

PondGard EPDM liner is the material of choice for various waterproof lining applications. Specially formulated to be fish and plant safe, they can easily be shaped to fit the unique contours of any size pond or complex landscape feature.

webbsonline.com

15x15 sufficient?

 

[academiannut]

Also: will i need a seamer kit? Seems like not?

 

[brokensword]

Also: will i need a seamer kit? Seems like not?

45 mil EPDM is used most often with 40 mil HDRPE a close second. If you can, I'd not bother seaming and just get a decent NEW liner. Cracked due to ice seems more like your liner was NOT EPDM or HDRPE but vinyl/pvc? Those have been known to be short lived.

15' x 15' will work for the current size pond. If deeper, calculate depth-width-depth then add 1' extra each side, then of course, do it thet other way. Even if a circle, treat it like rectangle/square with measurements like that. IF you have shelfs, you have to calc that too. The above is with no shelves. Always better to have more than less and ALWAYS, don't cut the liner but instead, roll the extra and camo it.

Can't remember which site I got my HDRPE, 40'x30', for $1200 delivered from Washington st to Mi, about 3 years ago.

Any other questions, just ask.

 

[academiannut]

I have no idea what the old liner was, but it could have been thirty or forty years old. Thanks for the tips-

 

[GBBUDD]

i got several from these folks and in one delivery the load was damaged and no questions asked the order was replaced and done so very quickly and i am talking large liners of epdm http://www.justliners.com/

 

[combatwombat]

IF you have shelfs, you have to calc that too.

Technically the calculation is the same. Practically, I'd add an extra 1' for each shelf as (you know well) folding and smoothing a liner to the contours of your excavation eats up more liner than you expect it to.

 

[poconojoe]

My pond is 45 mil EPDM and my bog is HDRPE. Make sure the HDRPE has the "R" for reinforced. Don't use plain HDPE, only HDRPE.

EPDM requires an underlayment and you can buy that with the liner.
HDRPE doesn't require an underlayment if your soil does not contain too many pointy rocks and such.

Do not buy anything other than these two.

I bought my HDRPE online from American Talapia. Their prices were very reasonable and if I remember correctly the shipping was free.

 

[GBBUDD]

The forum for the total length depth x 2 and an extra foot does not work for me AS @combatwombat said the liner never lays down perfectly and always has wrinkles and or folds . Those equal to over all footage. The forum says just add a foot over each end . i say then add an additional 2 feet to each end on top of that. if your pond is more complex then id make it even more than that.

 

[academiannut]

sounds like i might get the 20x20 just to have lots of options - i do want to add shelves, I'm still researching bog options, and I'm hoping to deepen it. I think I said it's 2 ft deep but the actual water level is never more than 18 inches. I just have comets and frogs, but it gets way too hot in the summer.