Underlayment Question

[Mmathis]

OK, I obviously haven't planned this out well in advance -- ready to dig & don't have liner or underlayment yet. LOWES & HOME DEPOT don't have what I need. My husband was wondering if you could use that clear plastic sheeting (like for painting & construction) that is 6 mil thick as an underlayment. At this point, any suggestions would be welcome. Looks like I'll need to order my liner anyway....

 

[koiguy1969]

under layment is always neccessary...no sharp rocks, roots, or anything else to puncture the liner? ... good clean sand can serve as a liner cushion as well. and you should dig the pond you want. and then buy the size liner to suit the pond hole. buying a liner first, then digging a hole too big can cause problems. backfilling to fix short spots may not last long. it can also save alot of wasted liner.

 

[ididntdoit99]

carpet, blankets, something like that would probably work better. or a little thicker plastic, like a tarp. My old pond was made from a pool liner, and I used that for my underlayment, I just made sure to cut some holes in it so that water couldn't get trapped between the liner and the underlayment .

pool liner didn't make a good liner, after the first winter when it froze and thawed, it cracked, and the second year i actually used two layers of that 6 mil thick plastic painters tarp for my liner, that actually worked really well, until a dog got it my pond and decided to chew on it. So now, for my third summer.. i finally bought a real pond liner.

 

[Waterbug]

I'd use 6 mil plastic if it was laying around and ready for the trash, but I won't buy it for that purpose. If you want something at Lowes they normally have a landscape fabric, a woven type, not the plastic.

Free if you can find it stuff...Newspaper and cardboard work very well. Old clothes. Carpet is a bit heavy and thick but is good. Carpet pad is great if you can get it.

Most of the time I use EPDM and no underlayment, depends on the soil. You don't want sharp rocks and cut roots sticking up whether underlayment is used or not. Sand is OK for the bottom but can be difficult on the sides and over time can slump down so you can get liner bulges at the sides base.

 

[koiguy1969]

under layment is always neccessary...no sharp rocks, roots, or anything else to puncture the liner? ... good clean sand can serve as a liner cushion as well. and you should dig the pond you want. and then buy the size liner to suit the pond hole. buying a liner first, then digging a hole too big can cause problems. backfilling to fix short spots may not last long. it can also save alot of wasted liner.

i just reread my post...it should have read...underlayment isn't always neccessary... thats why i asked "no rocks, roots, or anything else to puncture the liner?" i could swear thats what i typed. i should start proof reading. this wireless keyboard seems to have a mind of its own. sorry! i have no underlay on my pond. just sand

 

[Mmathis]

LOL! I thought I was becoming quite the pond expert (not)! It all sounded so easy during the planning stages, but now that we're actually DOING IT, my little ducks aren't in a row any more.

Any how ..... So it's an OK thing that I don't have my underlayment & liner purchased yet. And it's looking like we'll have to order same. In general, how long will it take for those to come, and will it be OK to cover the pond-hole with a big tarp in the meantime, versus leaving it exposed?

NEWBIE CORNER: Another question has to do with the dirt (or in our case, the clay). Many of you have said to pile it and use it to make my waterfall. Please elaborate. I "see" a pile of dirt, but I don't "see" a waterfall. And I'm "seeing" a LOT of dirt! How do you make a waterfall from this? How much room does it need to take up (not a big fall), etc. Planning to have all my filter stuff behind this area, too.

 

[koiguy1969]

first envision and sculpt the pile to your rough waterfall design... buy enough pond liner to do the pond and run up the sculpted mound in one piece.( this minimizes leak risks).. cover the liner with assorted stone, ... thats the basic idea...if your using a stocktank filter they make a nice waterfall basin. heres a pic of mine...
** when this pic was taken the top flat stone was removed to show the waterfall weir. normally you wouldnt see the weir.

 

[fishin4cars]

Kind of hard to see in some of the pics as I have had to install and pull out the liner four times so far for rain. But hopefully this will help some. The Crepe Myrtle was already there and as you can see I have been building up by it since the beginning. As you can see, not complete yet but it's starting to take it's shape. As you pile the dirt be sure and keep packing it down, the longer it packs the more stable it becomes. As you dig and add more dirt, keep in mind what your original plan was. As you go along it will seem just like a dirt pile, but as you start forming it will start taking shape and you'll see what the hill tells you. I wanted a little more drop in the fall this time so I went higher to the side of the crepe myrtle and the bog will feed from the bottom drain and spill over from the side of the pond causing the water to travel in a circle. The fall is taking it's shape and I like how wide it's forming and the step ups for the rocks so there should be a good sound effect. If possible make sure and order enough liner to lay everything in in one piece. This makes for far less chances of leaks. Good luck!

 

[Waterbug]

Ditto on the packing down the soil.

Another use for soil is for leveling problem areas in the yard, building berms to add some interest. It's a strange deal, the pile looks huge, but after a while I'm wishing I had more.

 

[Mmathis]

LOL! In our family, 2 chiefs and no Indians! We have a huge hole in the back yard. But "someone" didn't understand the concept of digging in layers! LOL!! Now I'm having to back-fill the "turtle" side to make it shallower. I think hubby was just having fun digging, but just can't figure out HOW he didn't comprehend the differences between 2 feet & 4 feet.... Oh well, the Bobcat doesn't go back until tomorrow, and we still have about 3 hours on the clock....

BTW, there is no EARTHLY WAY (pun intended) we could have dug this out by ourselves. So I'll take my 2nd chief any day!!!!!

 

[addy1]

Great job, you have holes! I even use my tractor to dig holes for plants our soil is not soil it is rocks.

 

[Mmathis]

We are expecting rain (the kind that brings storms & hail, or so they say), and our biggest tarp is only going to cover the clay-pile. So hubby got a really huge one to cover the hole. Also hoping it can act as future underpayment once we're ready to get on with that.

I played with the baby Bobcat some yesterday, and was able to "fine tune" the hole: added a wide, sloping shelf on the "turtle" side. The little excavator was a blast and a Godsend! I'm hooked. Was able to push & compact, and getting more comfortable with those finer movements. Too bad they're coming to pick it up today Well, and there's nothing more to dig up, either...

 

[j.w]

Ha Ha you got hooked on that bobcat. I have never used one but it sounds like fun once you get the hang of it.

 

[Mmathis]

Yes, there is a learning curve, but overall pretty easy.

 

[addy1]

I love mine, always pulling it out to dig holes, move dirt around, mulch, haul things.