Underliner question

[John V]

Hi all, newbie here. I skimmed through previous posts trying to answer as many of my questions before having to ask them. With that being said I have just one (for now ). My site is dug and I'm ordering the liner and pump shortly. My question regarding the underliner; I'm using old carpet, is it recommended to keep the carpet intact in one piece, or can I cut it into sections to fit better? Thanks, John

 

[Meyer Jordan]

One piece> Any overlap left unsealed allows for root intrusion.

 

[Mmathis]

One piece> Any overlap left unsealed allows for root intrusion.

I never thought about that.....but I thought the underlayment was more for protecting the liner against rocks and other hard objects. If roots want to get through an underlayment, they can force through. But a lot of people do piece theirs.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I never thought about that.....but I thought the underlayment was more for protecting the liner against rocks and other hard objects. If roots want to get through an underlayment, they can force through. But a lot of people do piece theirs.

I have never seen root penetration in commercial underlayment (6 oz non-woven geotexrile).
In larger ponds, underlayment also serves the purpose of allowing the venting of soil gases.

 

[Lisak1]

I've torn used carpeting out of three different houses - I can't even imagine wanting to use it again for anything! Although maybe people are finding carpeting that is gently used... the stuff we've dealt with has been pretty disgusting! That's what made me decide that I would never have wall to wall carpeting in a house again!

 

[John V]

Thanks for the replies & input!

 

[MoonShadows]

We'd love to see pics as you progress, John.

 

[CometKeith]

Hi John. Good luck with your pond. I've never used underlayment but it is recommended. If you have pieces that's fine to use that way for a small starter pond.

 

[addy1]

I have used carpet and carpet pad as my underlayment.

Welcome to our group!

 

[mgmine]

If you get your hands on a swimming pool liner, then put that in first then the carpet.

 

[John V]

Thanks again everyone! I'm waiting to hear back from someone getting rid of a 20-25 gauge, 24' pool liner. Unfortunately I can't locate a single piece of 15x15 carpet, so my plan (in theory) is to lay in the pool liner in one piece (if I can get my hands on it), then lay in the carpet in sections and maybe just try to duct tape the seams, then lay in the liner. My pond is small; 7x7 at it's widest points including 4 shallow shelves for plants. The rest is two tiered deep. The upper plateau is about a 1/3 of the pond and sits about 18" deep. The remaining 2/3 is 3'. OK I'm getting ready to hit the "submit" button on my liner and pump order. However before doing so I'd like to impose upon the experts gathered here and ask another question regarding the pump. I'll pose that question in a separate post. Thx again!

 

[John V]

Hi guys, just a quick follow up on my liner. I ordered my pond liner (PondGard 45 Mil EPDM), but I haven’t gotten the liner to go from the spillway to the pond yet. For something like this, can I get by with a lesser liner, like a 20 mil? It’ll be a short run of about 5’-6’, mostly shallow with one section maybe 6”-8” deep. Thoughts/comments? Thx!

 

[EricV]

I don't understand why people try to save a few bucks on liner and underlayment. These are probably the cheapest parts of the pond and if they fail, they are the most hassle to try to replace.

To answer your last question directly, your spillway is not going to have much water in it. That means its going to be exposed to more sun which means its even more important to get something of high quality.

 

[John V]

I don't understand why people try to save a few bucks on liner and underlayment. These are probably the cheapest parts of the pond and if they fail, they are the most hassle to try to replace.

To answer your last question directly, your spillway is not going to have much water in it. That means its going to be exposed to more sun which means its even more important to get something of high quality.

Wow. Lighten up, Frances. Maybe you’ve been ponding for a while and you understand this. I don’t and thought I’d ask. Thanks for the info just the same.

 

[Mmathis]

Wow. Lighten up, Frances. Maybe you’ve been ponding for a while and you understand this. I don’t and thought I’d ask. Thanks for the info just the same.

Unfortunately, some folks are rather blunt with their answers. After a while you learn to ignore it. We all started out as newbies and had to learn what we know either by experience, dumb luck, or by asking questions. But I think he's right in that you don't want to skimp even for that part of the liner -- I wouldn't, anyway. A good proportion of "leaks" are found involving waterways, waterfalls, etc. Now, true, those leaks aren't usually from holes, but still......you don't want a weak link in your system [most of the time, for these leaks, the water gets wicked out by plants, splashing, or misplaced rocks].