Choosing The Right Pond Liner - A Guide To The Choices Available.

There are a bewildering array of choices when it comes to lining your new pond and they all have their advantages and drawbacks so making the right choice is important because making the wrong one can be expensive! Before you decide on the type of liner you are going to choose you need to decide what sort of pond you plan on making. Is it going to be raised above ground, and if so how? Is the pond going to be naturalistic or formal? Is the pond for fish or wildlife? How deep is the pond going to be? Is it going to require filtration? These are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself and the answers will help decide which liner is the right choice for your pond. Here is a list of some of the more commonly used and popular methods of pond lining and a few of the benefits and drawback each method offers.

1. Rigid pond liners,(these are generally made from glass fibre or vacuum formed plastic).

Pros:
They are tough, long lasting and extremely puncture resistant.
They often don't require underlay.

Cons:
They can be difficult to install 'in ground' as a precise hole is required to fit them.
Larger ponds are bulky and delivery and installation can be difficult as a result.
You are limited to the shapes and sizes available.
They can look more artificial than other choices.

2. Concrete

Pros:
Very long lasting if carried out well.

Cons:
Can crack if soil moves or concrete is too thin or weak.
Prone to frost damage.
Labour intensive and requires skill levels some DIY'ers may lack.
Potential leaching of cement into pond water making water highly alkali can harm livestock.

3.Fibre glass coating.

Pros:
Very long lasting.
Extremely puncture proof and repairable.
A perfect fit with no folds or creases.

Cons:
Expensive - requires skilled, professional installation in most cases.
Requires a solid cement structure to bond to.

4. Flexible pond liners,( EPDM rubber, Butyl rubber, PVC etc).

Pros:
Almost any shape or size of pond is possible.
Relatively cheap,(depending on type).
Flexible and repairable.
Most natural looking choice.

Cons:
Can be punctured.
Requires underlay.

As with most things in life you get what you pay for but as a personal preference in almost all situations I’d go for a flexible liner. Unsurprisingly given their name they offer the most flexible option in both a physical sense as well as in the differing pond types you can create with them. If you are serious about your pond in the long term then a high quality EPDM rubber liner would be my recommendation. They are tough, flexible, repairable, UV and temperature stable and if well installed and maintained should last a lifetime.

By: Robert Gaskell

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Robert Gaskell has kept fish of all kinds for over 30 years. He currently writes for Swell UK, the UK's leading online aquatics and pond supplier.