Repairing liner along pond's edge.

[Jared]

My pond has somehow lost the 1 ft of extra liner around a section of the pond's edge. About an 8 ft long section...

(No Idea how, really. I added a stream. Changed some edging treatment and suddenly a section came up short. Maybe something moved, maybe i cut it while sleepwalking? No idea!)

A good two feet of the edge is now low enough to prevent me from filling the pond as high as I would like!

How do I repair THAT??? I'm scared!!!

Can I somehow glue a new strip of liner along that section?
This sounds daunting to me! How else would I restore the liner edge to a good level?
(I've successfully patched an old skimmer hole with polyurethane sealant and liner pieces thanks to help on this forum)

As far as I can tell, the walls have not slumped or fallen drastically... No leaks that I can detect...
Things have just sort of settled in areas?

I'm willing to pull up sections of the rock interior to fix it. I just need a plan of action.
Thanks for your help!

Pond Specifics:
4,000 gallons, 3ft max depth
3 years old
Edging is 18"-24" boulders on a 12" depth shelf
Rocked interior
No fish
No leaks so far

 

[EricV]

I had something like this happen where soil from the outside pushed liner into the pond making it bow in below the water surface thereby pulling liner from outside the pond into the pond.

To fix this, I excavated the edge, especially the hump pushing into the pond and replaced it with sub-surface bricks which I could then rest my outside rocks on. If that's not your issue, you can still do something similar. Redo the edge in the low part adding to "land area" and removing "pond area" until you reclaim enough liner to raise the edge to the height you need (plus some slack). As you said, this may involve temporarily removing rocks from your top shelf so you can move things around.

 

[Lisak1]

I think you probably just have some settling going on. Rather than adding to the liner (which is still possible) what about filling behind the liner and making the pond slightly smaller? In the long run it might be easier and less worrisome.

Some pictures would be helpful!

 

[Jared]

Thanks for the feedback so far!

If anyone has any advice which doesn't rely solely on backfilling, I would love to hear it! I'll consider pretty much anything right now...

I'm certainly willing to backfill only if I really have to. I have a nice kidney-shape here and the problem area is right at the main curve of the bean... Losing that nice curve would be hard to accept.

I failed to get any photos this fall before the snow fell. If it ever melts enough to reveal the liner I will post.

 

[Lisak1]

Here's the problem with adding to liner that's already in the hole - you need it to be perfectly clean, perfectly dry, and perfectly flat. The first two might be achievable, but the third is going to be very difficult as most ponds have folds and tucks to get the liner to fit. Some areas of the pond may be easier than others so a lot depends on where you need to add liner.

 

[poconojoe]

I unfortunately agree with backfilling as the best option. Splicing liner can be very disappointing if not done completely correct. I've done it (I'm a meticulous person) and had some horrible results that caused considerable failure during the icy winter. I had to add 300 gallons every week until it got warm enough to replace the liner. And, I lost my favorite 14" koi while transferring him into a holding tank. He jumped onto the ground and even though it was for only a few seconds, he never recovered.
In order to maintain the kidney shape, you will have to fill in or carve other parts of the pond's edge. Even places where the liner is fine. Basically a minor renovation is needed to keep the shape you desire.
Over the many years of ponding, I have "reworked" many aspects of my pond's edge. Built my waterfall 3-4 times. Moved and re-stacked flat rocks around the edge. Added or removed soil from under the liner edge. The point is...you're never "done" building a pond. It's not like a construction project in your house where once you paint the walls you're done.
So, what I'm trying to say, in a nice way, you just have to suck it up and re-do that side of the pond. Lower the water enough where you can comfortably re-work the soil.
Try not to make it feel like work. Think of it like fun in your garden and enjoy the time out there.
Let us know how you make out. And we really like pictures too!
Enjoy...

 

[mgmine]

As Lisak1 said make the pond smaller and you will be fine. You can try gluing a new strip on but if that doesn't work then you are out the time and money. Instead of spending it on something that might work spend it on something that will work. The other option is to spend a day and take the liner completely out and do it all over. Yes, it's a lot of work but once it's done it's done.

 

[Jared]

I unfortunately agree with backfilling as the best option.
....
Try not to make it feel like work. Think of it like fun in your garden and enjoy the time out there.
Let us know how you make out. And we really like pictures too!
Enjoy...

poconojoe, Thank you for the awesome reply. Everyone else too. I'm going to just suck it up and back fill. I don't want a smaller pond! But I'll take a smaller pond over a broken pond.

~Jared

 

[420benz]

I would really like to add a strip of liner.I tried this contact cement but it failed. Those of you that added a strip of liner what kind of glue did you use?

 

[poconojoe]

There are special kits for EPDM. If that's what your liner is made of. They have cleaner (primer), glue, and rolls of sticky tape like material. It has to be super clean, dry and a specific amount of overlap.
As I stated previously, I wouldn't do it again. It's not worth the chance of a leak later on. Leaks can be very troublesome and always seem to occur in the winter when you can't do a repair or rebuild.

 

[GBBUDD]

Splicing is not hard at all like lisa said when it's on flat ground to clean the rubber you need to use very unfriendly products like gasoline to clean the liner i know many here will say gas s no good but take it from a builder yours truly, that's all you need that and a ton of patience and i would suggest seaming your seam in other words doing add your extension and then seam the splice if you do that and your reasonably careful you'll do ok. one thats all done use M1 caulking it is far superior to silicone. look up you tube splicing rubber roofing the products and the steps are one and the same. you can also get what we call in the trade a spill kit , that has sock and diapers they are cloth that absorbs chemicals and not water so if you should happen to spill some those could absorb it . but don't leave them floating in the water longer then you have to

 

[poconojoe]

I wouldn't use gasoline to prep the liner. Sorry, that's just crazy! Use alcohol or acetone.

Just bite the bullet and buy the correct size liner.
The liner is the most basic part of your pond. You want it done right or you'll be ripping everything apart when your seam fails. All your water, plants, fish, etc. will have to come out. All your hard work will be ruined. Not only that, but you'll also now need to spend more money on another liner!

Don't be afraid of factory splicing. They can do it in a much better environment and fashion. Way better than someone attempting it in their driveway.
You will have to overlap it, prep it, prime it and glue it with all the proper materials.
When the factory does the splicing, it's like a weld. A bit of a thicker looking line or seam. Probably the strongest part of the liner.

I don't mean to be arrogant or high and mighty, I just don't want you to go through all that work and then be disappointed.

In the end, it's up to you...but you have been warned.