Seaming is not difficult but it does require some foresight and thought. Hopefully this list will help you to create a seam that will last for many, many years, issue free. If you can seam your liners in a driveway or somewhere flat that is by far your best option. The method below is how I have created my seams, both in ponding and in roofing. This is a guide to help you in your DYI project. The first fact you need to know is MOST of these products that you will be using are EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE, toxic, and dangerous to yourself and the environment , but once dry they are non toxic to fish. This is a guide, it is up to you to take your needed precautions. This is by no means complete list of what could happen on your site or to you, so use all the necessary precautions and keep the kids away.
Now on to the good stuff, a list of what is needed.
1. Safety glasses.
2. Nitrile gloves.
3. A Chemical respirator if you are susceptible to noxious fumes.
4. EPDM rubber. I do like to use pond safe rubbers, there are a couple manufactures who brand a line as fish safe. Many folks have claimed to have used rubber roofing for their pond, and I believe, as long as it is cleaned well it's ok. To me it was not worth the risk. I used Firestone PondGard 45 mil EPDM; there is also Carlisle, a big name in commercial roofing products.
5. A board for a firm solid surface to seam on the full length of the seam is best, the wider the better.
6. A good pair of sharp scissors.
7. Wood roller or any firm roller wheel.
8. Permanent marker/construction crayon.
9. Water or cleaning of new rubber; Elbow grease for dirty previously burred liner. I have used Gasoline to clean and restore old liner to look like new.
10. Shop towels , anything that will not leave hairs behind.
11. EPDM primer, Firestone makes there own, as do several others.
12. Double sided EPDM seam tape.
13. Single sided EPDM seam tape.
14. Caulking that will bond to rubber; Genocil 4500, Pls30 , M1, are just a few.
15. Caulking gun.
16. Scrub pad applicator.
Here are a couple videos to help with the concept behind seaming. Why more then one ? Each video does a good job but, with all three, they fully explain the process. The one thing that is crucial is to NEVER STRETCH the liner or the seam tape. And NO SMOKING OR OPEN FLAMES
Now while these videos all show a nice working area and a nice straight line, that is NEVER the case if you are remodeling or adding on to your pond. The principals are the same as above but you may need to have a lot more then a 3" or 4" overlap or you may need to add a filler piece. Like the photo below shows .
The folds and wrinkles can really make it trying and very time consuming. Don't be afraid to do too much, and don't be afraid to make small controlled sections of a seam. The longer the seam the less interruptions the better. If you have an area that you question, if you were to place a 4 foot by 2 foot piece of rubber over that area does it get you outside the problem area. Will an other size do the job ? Can you cover over the whole area? The other item that only one video touched on was caulking the seams this does two things; one it creates yet another mechanical seam and two it helps keep plant roots from finding an edge to lift and gets under thus creating a leak. The last note I have is if you know your seam is in an area where there will be lots of plants, to me it is worth placing a larger piece of rubber placed on top to keep the roots back and away from the seam. Plants like cat tails and some rushes have roots that could make great horror flicks, pointed and very sharp.
Here is a write up of my most recent expansion project.
Got the seam done today it was a challenge !!! The old rubber was folded over making a round out of the liner corner. And the bog has 6" of water where I had to stand to make the seam. This picture shows the double sided tape applied to cleaned EPDM I used gasoline to thoroughly clean the buried liner. Once clean I then installed the primer using a common scrub kitchen pad making circular motions scrubbing as you go ." no soap infused in the pad" Let the primer DRY FULLY clean and Apply primer to the other piece you want to seam the rubber too. Apply the primmer to that piece and let it dry fully. Lay the rubber with it's primer over the seam tape leaving the plastic film in place for now. Then when the liners are lined up and smooth start at one end pulling the plastic out from underneath inch by inch smoothing the two rubbers together and needing them so as to not allow air bubbles. Work your way all the way down your seam and when done use a common wallpaper seam roller or a hard roller to force the two together. First rolling across the seam and the rolling with the seam. Picture 1 and 2 . I should add you get one chance and one chance only to get it right . This is contact cement once you touch the two material together it's done and can not be moved. The more help the better though I had none but i have done many seams over the years
Picture 3. I applied a bead of caulking to the seam so at this point I have a seam with the seam tape and a seam with the caulking.
Picture 4. Is both surfaces that were just seamed and caulked cleaned and primed allow primer to DRY FULLY . Lay out the top seam tape leaving the plastic on until you have the seam tape lined up. When you do and the rubber is flat and smooth begin pulling the plastic out slowly inch by inch working the seam tape onto the primer needing the seam tape onto the rubber while it is centered over the seam. Use the wood roller to work the seam tape fully onto the primer.
And the last step is to apply caulking over the entire seam .
This will make for a BULLET PROOF SEAM ! Though it doesn't look like the rubber in the last photo was clean i assure you where it was caulked and seamed was spotless.
1. Double sided seam tape
2. Genocil 4500 caulking
3. Single sided seam tape
4. Genocil 4500 caulking
The final product has 4 methods of sealing to the two pieces of rubber
Good Luck happy Ponding
Now on to the good stuff, a list of what is needed.
1. Safety glasses.
2. Nitrile gloves.
3. A Chemical respirator if you are susceptible to noxious fumes.
4. EPDM rubber. I do like to use pond safe rubbers, there are a couple manufactures who brand a line as fish safe. Many folks have claimed to have used rubber roofing for their pond, and I believe, as long as it is cleaned well it's ok. To me it was not worth the risk. I used Firestone PondGard 45 mil EPDM; there is also Carlisle, a big name in commercial roofing products.
5. A board for a firm solid surface to seam on the full length of the seam is best, the wider the better.
6. A good pair of sharp scissors.
7. Wood roller or any firm roller wheel.
8. Permanent marker/construction crayon.
9. Water or cleaning of new rubber; Elbow grease for dirty previously burred liner. I have used Gasoline to clean and restore old liner to look like new.
10. Shop towels , anything that will not leave hairs behind.
11. EPDM primer, Firestone makes there own, as do several others.
12. Double sided EPDM seam tape.
13. Single sided EPDM seam tape.
14. Caulking that will bond to rubber; Genocil 4500, Pls30 , M1, are just a few.
15. Caulking gun.
16. Scrub pad applicator.
Here are a couple videos to help with the concept behind seaming. Why more then one ? Each video does a good job but, with all three, they fully explain the process. The one thing that is crucial is to NEVER STRETCH the liner or the seam tape. And NO SMOKING OR OPEN FLAMES
Now while these videos all show a nice working area and a nice straight line, that is NEVER the case if you are remodeling or adding on to your pond. The principals are the same as above but you may need to have a lot more then a 3" or 4" overlap or you may need to add a filler piece. Like the photo below shows .
The folds and wrinkles can really make it trying and very time consuming. Don't be afraid to do too much, and don't be afraid to make small controlled sections of a seam. The longer the seam the less interruptions the better. If you have an area that you question, if you were to place a 4 foot by 2 foot piece of rubber over that area does it get you outside the problem area. Will an other size do the job ? Can you cover over the whole area? The other item that only one video touched on was caulking the seams this does two things; one it creates yet another mechanical seam and two it helps keep plant roots from finding an edge to lift and gets under thus creating a leak. The last note I have is if you know your seam is in an area where there will be lots of plants, to me it is worth placing a larger piece of rubber placed on top to keep the roots back and away from the seam. Plants like cat tails and some rushes have roots that could make great horror flicks, pointed and very sharp.
Here is a write up of my most recent expansion project.
Got the seam done today it was a challenge !!! The old rubber was folded over making a round out of the liner corner. And the bog has 6" of water where I had to stand to make the seam. This picture shows the double sided tape applied to cleaned EPDM I used gasoline to thoroughly clean the buried liner. Once clean I then installed the primer using a common scrub kitchen pad making circular motions scrubbing as you go ." no soap infused in the pad" Let the primer DRY FULLY clean and Apply primer to the other piece you want to seam the rubber too. Apply the primmer to that piece and let it dry fully. Lay the rubber with it's primer over the seam tape leaving the plastic film in place for now. Then when the liners are lined up and smooth start at one end pulling the plastic out from underneath inch by inch smoothing the two rubbers together and needing them so as to not allow air bubbles. Work your way all the way down your seam and when done use a common wallpaper seam roller or a hard roller to force the two together. First rolling across the seam and the rolling with the seam. Picture 1 and 2 . I should add you get one chance and one chance only to get it right . This is contact cement once you touch the two material together it's done and can not be moved. The more help the better though I had none but i have done many seams over the years
Picture 3. I applied a bead of caulking to the seam so at this point I have a seam with the seam tape and a seam with the caulking.
Picture 4. Is both surfaces that were just seamed and caulked cleaned and primed allow primer to DRY FULLY . Lay out the top seam tape leaving the plastic on until you have the seam tape lined up. When you do and the rubber is flat and smooth begin pulling the plastic out slowly inch by inch working the seam tape onto the primer needing the seam tape onto the rubber while it is centered over the seam. Use the wood roller to work the seam tape fully onto the primer.
And the last step is to apply caulking over the entire seam .
This will make for a BULLET PROOF SEAM ! Though it doesn't look like the rubber in the last photo was clean i assure you where it was caulked and seamed was spotless.
1. Double sided seam tape
2. Genocil 4500 caulking
3. Single sided seam tape
4. Genocil 4500 caulking
The final product has 4 methods of sealing to the two pieces of rubber
Good Luck happy Ponding
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