Securing vertical slabs of natural stone to pond liner

[PLeddy]

I want to attach 2' x 2' natural stone slabs to my pond liner. I guess I could use portland cement, but I can't wrap my head around it not potentially harming the liner. I was thinking of using a silicone caulk adhesive, which I have tested and appears to not form a superb contact to the liner (kind of a rubbery/stretchy contact after 72 hours), but appears to work very well to adhere underlayment to the liner and underlayment to the stone (e.g., putting underlayment between the stone and liner).

Has anyone else done something like this? My pond will not be natural looking and is more of an 8' x 5' 3' deep rectangle. The 2' x 2' vertical slabs will only be one slab tall and I could simply rely on the weight of the stone to stay in place (plus use an overhang of stone over the top of the vertical slab to ensure the vertical stone can't fall to the center of the pond, but it wouldn't prevent the bottom of the slabs from sliding out). I was going for something a little more contemporary and want to avoid rebuilding the pond if I simply place the slabs in with no adhering bond and it fails.

A couple of photos of current state and desired look mock up are below.

I appreciate any advice.

 

[j.w]

I want to attach 2' x 2' natural stone slabs to my pond liner. I guess I could use portland cement, but I can't wrap my head around it not potentially harming the liner. I was thinking of using a silicone caulk adhesive, which I have tested and appears to not form a superb contact to the liner (kind of a rubbery/stretchy contact after 72 hours), but appears to work very well to adhere underlayment to the liner and underlayment to the stone (e.g., putting underlayment between the stone and liner).

Has anyone else done something like this? My pond will not be natural looking and is more of an 8' x 5' 3' deep rectangle. The 2' x 2' vertical slabs will only be one slab tall and I could simply rely on the weight of the stone to stay in place (plus use an overhang of stone over the top of the vertical slab to ensure the vertical stone can't fall to the center of the pond, but it wouldn't prevent the bottom of the slabs from sliding out). I was going for something a little more contemporary and want to avoid rebuilding the pond if I simply place the slabs in with no adhering bond and it fails.

A couple of photos of current state and desired look mock up are below.

I appreciate any advice.

Are you gonna have fish? If so and plants? All that stone is gonna turn green and you won't hardly see it. If no fish or plants then I guess you can treat it like a swim pool w/chems. Otherwise to me it seems like a big waste of time and money but just my opinion. Are you just trying to hide the liner? Other ways easier and cheaper if so. Just wondering why you are doing this,not criticizing you.

 

[permaculturebob]

I don't know how many of the slabs you have but it seems like another slab butting up against the bottom of that setup would anchor it pretty well to avoid the bottom of the vertical slab sliding out, or alternately dig a shallow trench under the liner the vertical slab could sit in. I like to avoid glues, foam and such but it seems like the go to pond foam for waterfalls would be reasonably stable.

I wouldn't worry about the cement angle either, once cured it is within a hairs breadth of the same stuff the slabs are made of- they look like limestone or marble, but that wouldn't adhere to the liner well. Just putting the slabs together-top to vertical like a mortar joint, I wouldn't trust that type joint to last as a structural bond resisting the twists and uneven pressures it might be subjected to

Expanding on the trench under the liner angle, another indent could be made in the wall and push the slabs tight into the corner for extra stability.

It looks like these are to be steps in and out, and I do like that access idea to get in and be with the fish. My Ponds have evolved with time as well as their use, and my access points were inadequate, and somewhat treacherous,I like flat stones a little better than artificial slabs, but like JW said it all gets a coat of nature on top eventually.

Say, how about the idea of a bigger rock or two pressed against the side of the vertical slab?

 

[GBBUDD]

I want to attach 2' x 2' natural stone slabs to my pond liner. I guess I could use portland cement, but I can't wrap my head around it not potentially harming the liner. I was thinking of using a silicone caulk adhesive, which I have tested and appears to not form a superb contact to the liner (kind of a rubbery/stretchy contact after 72 hours), but appears to work very well to adhere underlayment to the liner and underlayment to the stone (e.g., putting underlayment between the stone and liner).

Has anyone else done something like this? My pond will not be natural looking and is more of an 8' x 5' 3' deep rectangle. The 2' x 2' vertical slabs will only be one slab tall and I could simply rely on the weight of the stone to stay in place (plus use an overhang of stone over the top of the vertical slab to ensure the vertical stone can't fall to the center of the pond, but it wouldn't prevent the bottom of the slabs from sliding out). I was going for something a little more contemporary and want to avoid rebuilding the pond if I simply place the slabs in with no adhering bond and it fails.

A couple of photos of current state and desired look mock up are below.

I appreciate any advice.

Your thinking like pool construction but you have a flexible rubber base. I have used many adhesives and methods in my time and I realy can't come up with one I think will do the job.
Sticking to the rubber bad idea. With constant flexing doubt anything will last too long . It will be a constant battle.
There are sub frames that can be used but they aren't cheap nor are they designed to be inder water.

If you dug the angle and changed the pitch to like a 60 degree angle you could lay the tile back helping an adhesive by using gravity as well but to line up the tiles off of un eneven surface sounds extremely time consuming.
You could use stainless pins drill through the tile insert the in and let them hold the tile in place pins sticking up on the bottom vertical tile placed up to the pin . Tile standing up with the seat or cap tile overhanging the vertical tile and pins but you'll have overhang and a weak spot it it ever breaks it will be like shards of glass. Ceramic can break to as sharp as a scalpel.

I would rethink the use of tile . Without a firm stable backing tile is actualy quite fragile

 

[Lisak1]

I agree about re-thinking this one. Not being critical, but for all the reasons mentioned. Adhering a tile slab of that size to a rubber liner just seems like a disaster waiting to happen. The liner stretche, gets pulled too far, slab rips off... so many possibilities. Relying on the weight for a vertical slab seems risky - what if someone steps on the top and the whole thing flips forward? Just not a fan of this plan, to be honest. Use the tile for an edging if that's the look you're going for.

 

[GBBUDD]

Should also add as soon as algae and bio film grows onto the tile and there's no way to prevent that your pretty tile is going to be a shade of green or brown .
And don't think about stepping on it it would be like stapping ice to your feet and going ice skating.