Pond liners

Liners have simplified the construction of garden ponds. If well-detailed they are strong and durable. For lined ponds the design principles are:

• pond liners should never be visible - exposed liners are ugly and vulnerable
• pond liners require protection from above and from below - this can be provided with two layers of fibre matting.
• if necessary, concrete can be laid above and/or below the pond liner and the matting layers to provide additional protection
• if a heavy object (eg a fountain, a sculpture or an island) is to stand above the pond liner then it will require a foundation below the pond liner
• detailed design of the pond liner edge is of critical importance
• free-form pond shapes are relataively easy to construct
• rectangular ponds can be made with pre-formed liners (built into a box shape by the supplier)
• rectangular and free-form pond shapes can
• be combined by using hard construction for the pool edge and a flexible liner for the floor

The following materials are suitable for liners and are available in various thicknesses:

• polythene
• polyethelyne (PE)
• polyvinylchloride (PVC)
• Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM )
• butyl rubber

Of these materials, butyl is the most expensive and the most durable

Trade names: Bend Tarp, Firestone, Pond Gard, Tetra Xavan, AquaWeve