Liner: Which one to use?

[BennyLava]

Hi all. Wanted to start a new thread asking about pond liner, since I pretty much hit a wall with my other thread. I have too much filter that requires too much pump, so I have to do something different. I have figured out that I can go up to 1500 gallons, and still have enough filter and UV overhead room, to manage the clarity and quality of the water. I bought too big of a pressure filter, and I have always deemed my 600 gallon pond to be too small anyway. So I can rent a small backhoe for relatively cheap here in TX, and then all I would need is some liner, and some stones/dirt to hold the liner down, correct? I am trying to keep this as simple as I possibly can, cause I don't want to spend too awful much, I just want to go to the max capabilities of my filter, pump, and UV clarifier. This comes out to be 1500 gallons. Also, I am currently living in the guesthouse of my grandparents, while I go to school. So I have permission to do a pond, but no go hog wild with it. As it is not my land.

Anyway, here are my questions:

1. Which pond liner is the best?

2. How do you connect the sheets of the liner? Heat it?

3. Where is a good place to buy said liner?

4. What is the best way to do the edges? Just lay the liner down over the edges, then put a little dirt on it and some big rocks bought at the local rock yard?

5. What are the best dimensions to do for a 1500 gallon pond?

 

[newday3000]

1. Which pond liner is the best?

45mil or thicker, EPDM, find it cheap but shipping seems not be worth the it for online websites in my view

2. How do you connect the sheets of the liner? Heat it?

I wouldn't bother trying to join liners. Not worth the effort but it's a plastic/rubber adhesive product and the seam needs to be clean and dry. Seems like a lot of effort when it's cheaper to buy a liner the size you want.

3. Where is a good place to buy said liner?

I would find a local pond shop or HomeDepot, Lowes

4. What is the best way to do the edges? Just lay the liner down over the edges, then put a little dirt on it and some big rocks bought at the local rock yard?

rocks work fine. some like to dig a ledge into the side so the rocks are submerged.

5. What are the best dimensions to do for a 1500 gallon pond?

to maximize a liner a square or rectangle uses up the most liner you purchased. all other shapes use up liner and reduce the Gallons

 

[DrDave]

My Home depot sells 55 mil. the one I got off the Intenet was only 45 mil. Unfortunatley the HD liner is only 15' wide.

 

[BennyLava]

Well from what drdave says, it sounds like you don't have a choice but to connect the liners. I mean, if you don't, that means you are buying a liner, that has already decided the shape of your pond, for you. If I buy a 1500 gallon liner, (one suitable and sized for that volume) then I don't get to pick what shape my pond is. Unless I am missing something here? If not, can anyone tell me exactly what the best thing to combine the liners is? I know it's a rubber adhesive, but which one is safe for the fish? I wouldn't want have chemicals floating around with them that are bad for them.

 

[koikeepr]

they make wider liner...you just need to buy it at a pond shop or online. I would avoid overlapping/seaming liners if you can. It's a can of worms unless you really know what you're doing.

 

[koiguy1969]

you need a karge clean flat smooth surface to seam it .. but with the proper tape its not that hard...and the tape aint cheap!!! if i recall it was $1.79 a foot.

 

[koikeepr]

It is expensive, you are right! Seams in a pond make me very nervous...I always worry about leakage. Better to go long and buy more liner than go wide and have to seam, in my opinion. Plus, if you go too wide it starts to get hard to catch the fish and reach to skim the pond.

 

[koiguy1969]

its dfinately better to not have seams...that goes without saying..but if needed they arent that difficult.

 

[koikeepr]

...but you are the DIY god and have lots of guts...the rest of us are just mere mortals...:banana:

LOL!

 

[BennyLava]

I guess I am kind of confused here. Some of yall have huge ponds, but did not have to connect liners? You just got a big giant liner that was all one piece? But then how did you get to pick what shape your pond was going to be?

For reference, can someone post me a link to one of these huge, one piece pond liners? I just don't see how it's possible to use a single piece liner. Maybe I am missing something here?

 

[koiguy1969]

many liners have one or more factory seam(s) ...and some places will make custom size liners for you....picking pond shapes... a liner buying rule.. you buy to fit your dig...dont dig to fit your buy. there is tons of online liner sellers. how big are you looking to go?

 

[koikeepr]

you buy to fit your dig...dont dig to fit your buy.

Well stated! clap! clap! clap!

 

[DrDave]

Info on liners.
If you Google Firestone EPDM splicing you will find PDF files. These are too large to load here so if you want, you can send me an email with your return email address and I can send them to you. I have everything they published on it with photos.

 

[newday3000]

my local pond store has liner that is 10', 15', 20' or 25' wide and upto 100' long (they cut it to the length I want. I can make any shape or size pond using the options above. You should be able to find a pond store in Dallas who can cut you liner in what ever size you need.

This is the cheapest option and much easier than glueing liner together which simpliest is not worth the effort unless you are expanding and existing pond.

 

[koikeepr]

Yes, if you buy from Home Depot/Lowes, there will be a maximim size they sell--which is fairly small. If you go with a pond shop or online the widths are much more amenable to larger sized ponds. Of course, you can expect to spend $$ accordingly. I prefer Firestone brand liner...and that is not sold at the home improvement shops.