Which Type of Liner to Use for my New Pond?

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Hey all,

So I have recently decided to dig a small pond, approximately 300 gallons in size. I'm not planning to add any fish or plants, but I would like to enhance the pond with some lighting and maybe some artificial pond lilies or something. I'd also like to add that this will be my first pond, so I'm currently a newbie at all this.

What I am unsure of is which type of pond liner I should go about using when I build this pond. I understand that flexible liners can be easy to work with, since they give you the freedom to fit the lining along the contours and edges of the hole that gets dug. However, what about pre-formed liners? Are they easier to work with, particularly for a novice pond DIYer such as myself? I would think that there are probably a greater range of options for pre-formed liners that are smaller in size (around 200 gallons), but I'm only speculating.

What type of liner do you guys think I should go with for installing my small pond? PVC, EPDM, Butyl, etc?
 

JBtheExplorer

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I would suggest flexible and EPDM. PVC works but has a shorter life expectancy. Preformed liners seem to be so expensive for such a small body of water.
 

sissy

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I used 45 mil epdm which is just a fancy name for rubber roofing .pvc is cheaper and if protected from the sun can last 10 to 20 years or more .Most times we end up building bigger ponds anyway .The is also 20 mil epdm and 30 mil epdm .My first pond was a preformed but in freeze and thaw it would lift out of the ground .pvc would be the cheapest and would be easiest to change out if there is a problem with it and if you want to go bigger easy also
 

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The hardest thing to get right is a preformed liner. I had one that I dug up and reset twice, carefully leveling and packing the soil under it replacing the liner, filling it, and admiring my effort, only to find in two weeks that it wasn't level any more. Preformed liners are pretty ugly when level, but really ugly when part is sticking up. You dig the same size hole for the same size pond with a flexible liner, but the bottom doesn't have to be level, and if one side is higher at the top than the other side, you use some of the dirt you dug up to level it.

While EPDM is not the cheapest liner, but it lasts, and it is waaayyy easier to work with than the others since it is so flexible.

Out of curiosity, why an artificial water lily? Real ones are not difficult to grow.
 

sissy

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pvc and epdm both are more flexible when laid in sun .I use pvc to surround my filters and for my waterfall.Yep reset my preformed 4 times in 2 years and since other pond was built i decided it was easier to just take it out .I did like the way it looked .But with 200 gallon pond it would be easy to change out and fish will grow out of that size fast .Stock tank to hold them or build pond in another spot if you have the room .I know several on here have put there preformed above ground .Most preforms I saw were over 1 hundred dollars and more .It will depend on how much you want to invest and if you plan on building bigger in the next couple of years .Been there done that and us ponders so no bigger and then we build bigger :)
 
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Thank you all for your informative replies! I did some more research as well and I think that either EPDM or PVC liner would be better, since they are flexible and there's a chance that I may want to have the pond size larger than what I am currently considering (200-300 gallons). I've read up that some PVC liners are UV resistant, and therefore can last a number of years out in the sun. EPDM liners have longer lifespans since they are more durable (rubber roofing), but the longevity isn't so much of a concern to me at the moment. I can see myself potentially changing the location and size of my pond in the future.

For a 300 gallon pond, I reckon a 10x12 or 10x13 pond liner would probably suffice. Any excess liner can be trimmed. I did some scouring around and found what seems to be what I am looking for. Does this seem like a suitable liner for my search? http://www.pondplanet.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=102&product_id=352

Oh, and I'm not averse to growing pond lilies....I just want to focus on getting my pond erected first. I'm very new to this, so I want to focus on one thing at a time. After I get the pond up & running, I will think about adding some lilies to it.
 

sissy

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I have 1 of those textured liners but afraid to tell you it does rip fast .i had it in my water fall under my stock tank and it ripped against a concrete block when i tried to pull it over the block .Check ebay, amazon, northern tool .lowes hardware sells them online and in stores you can also use a pond calculator .Dr foster and smith and pet mountain and that pet place sell them .Even online walmart sells them .Google them and you can compare prices also on compare .com .Do not know where you are located but that is what i could find .Hope it helps
 

herzausstahl

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Dig the hole, then buy the liner. Don't cut off the excess just tuck it under so you can expand a bit in the future if you decide too. I would spend the little extra on the epdm, you may decide you want 2 ponds in the future or at the very least resell it on craigslist. My mom has one that has lasted 25 years in our winters and the parts that have been exposed to full sun the whole time haven't cracked or degraded at all. I marvel at it every time I see it. And hers was the roofing liner, they didn't sell it as pond liner at the time.
 

koiguy1969

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preformed are not as easy to install as soft liner. and flexilble liner allow for the pond size and design you want not what a machine pressed out..... just my 2cents
 

sissy

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I bought my liner from dr foster and smith but knew what size i was going since I was going longer not wider .But if you plan on changing it out in a couple of years you can go with pvc and then use that pvc liner for something else .I used my pieces and my stock tank filters because it had more flex to it .Why not go cheaper for now since the companies seem to know there was a problem and added uv protectors .My neighbor has a pvc liner 8 years old and has decided now she wants a bigger pond in another spot so they can view it from there new deck .Before they sat under there carport and the pond was there .
 

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