Cheap pond liners - Are they good value?
In this article we show you how to define your needs. We then look at how different pond liners shape up. Best of all we show you how to use some free software Choose It! to select the most suitable 'cheap pond liner' for your particular needs.
RIGID POND LINERS
CostThe title of this article said 'cheap pond liners' so lets have a look at all the factors that affect cost. The direct purchase cost is the most obvious. For flexible liners this can vary from 10 cents per square foot for cheap black plastic sheet from your local hardware store to $1.00 per square foot for DuPont's Xavan 2 ply liner. With preformed pond liners the cost will vary according to the complexity of the shape. Manufacturing and freight costs are cheaper for the symmetrical circular or rectangular shapes. Costs other than the raw materials include hired help if you need specialzed skills and/or equipment - such as that needed for cement liners. Check for delivery costs and return policies before making your rating decision. Thinner liners may also require the purchase of underlay if your ground excavation uncovers stones, rocks or tree roots. Another option that could give a better result than buying a cheap pond liner is to repair your existing liner. For this you can buy repair strips and seal them using the appropriate PVC or rubber adhesive. Maybe you qualify for wholesale pond liners? Usually wholesale prices are available only to Garden Centers and Landscape Gardeners. In addition to proving your credentials, purchasing pond liners (and other water features) at wholesale prices may require you spend a minimum amount with the wholesaler. Even if you don't qualify to buy wholesale you can still get discount pond liners by searching online once you know just what to look for. Here's how I would rate the various options for cost out of 100 (best). You can use these ratings with the Choose It! software tool: RIGID POND LINERS
UV Resistance.Degradation of liner material as a result of Ultra Voilet radiation from sunlight is probably the single most common cause of liner failure. If your cheap pond liner is the black plastic sheeting from your local hardware store and it has exposure to the sun then you can expect it to rapidly degrade and leak. If your pond/stream is always shaded or lined with earth then UV resistance may be of minor concern to you. Also be aware that if your water garden is subject to seasonal dry periods where you have little or no water flow you will lose the partial protection offered by the water (and maybe by the plants that have now withered!) This factor also applies to the liner that is above the normal waterline. Water gardeners often choose to provide shade by using edge rocks or margin plants. Here is how I rate the different materials for UV resistance. RIGID POND LINERS
Temperature tolerance.Lets have a look at another weather related factor. You can ignore this factor if your local climate does not have periods of extreme temperatures. My ratings for both hot and cold extremes are: RIGID POND LINERS
Toughness and Puncture resistance.While a good underlay can assist with avoiding punctures from stones underneath your liner, there are other situations where this might not be enough. I've heard of reports of liners being badly damaged by falling rocks, straying dogs, deer and other wildlife including partygoers and curious children. Here's how I rate liners for toughness. RIGID POND LINERS
Fish toxicity.Some cheap pond liners e.g. polyethylene can release chemicals into the water which are harmful to fish. Some earlier versions of EPDM liners caused fish toxicity so if you are planning on keeping fish and choose EPDM liner then check it is marketed as 'fish safe'. Similarly check for 'fish safe' PVC. Cement ponds will need to be cured before being safe for fish. My ratings for fish toxicity: RIGID POND LINERS
Flexibility.If you are content with a prefixed design with a small pool then a rigid liner has a lot to offer. However if you want to create your own design with curves and shelves or work around obstacles then a highly flexible liner is important. Generally speaking this factor is less critical for larger pond designs. Here is how I rate the options for flexibility: RIGID POND LINERS
Size availability.If you choose a preformed liner (rigid or flexible) you have a limited range of sizes (and shapes) to choose from. If, on the other hand, you are building to your own design then you'll need to select the dimensions of the desired flexible liner. Depending on your supplier your preferred liner material may be cut from a roll of fixed width. If you have already finalised your design then choosing a liner with a width that won't lead to a lot of waste may be important. If your pond is of such size that its dimensions exceed the maximum roll width then you will need to order (and pay for) a custom size or be prepared to join multiple widths youself. The size you need can be determined by the following pond liner calculator: Liner width = pond width + (2 x depth)+ 1 foot Liner length = pond length + (2 x depth) + 1 foot The extra 1 foot is to allow sufficient quantity of liner to go under the edging stones and behind them. I've listed some common roll widths below. Most suppliers will not carry all sizes so if you need a specific size check around. If you are unable to get one wide enough and are not prepared to join it yourself then rate it low. If you need to pay extra to get it made up for you and/or it will delay your project rate it down according to the importance you attach to this. Here is how I rate the options for size availability: RIGID POND LINERS
Elasticity.If your pool is large and the ground subject to movement from tree roots, tremor or unstable structue then you might want to consider one of the rubber based liners which can more easily adapt to such changes. This also applies if it is likely to be subject to ice pressure. If this doesn't apply to you or is insignificant then either ignore it or give it a low importance rating when using Choose It! My ratings of materials for Elasticity. RIGID POND LINERS
Appearance.Pond liners such as colored preformed polyurethane can look very natural and appealing right from the time they are installed. Cheap pond liners formed from 'hardware store' plastic need heavy camouflage from rocks, plants or some other form of cover. If your plans already include this type of cover then rate the importance of appearance as low when using Choose-It! RIGID POND LINERS
Your Choice?Still can't decide? Well, here is a nifty little tool to help you along. Choose It! from SiteSell was originally created to help online website owners in their decision making. However, there is nothing to stop you from using it to make other decisions. After all it is free and you can use as many times as you like. So, now we've gathered all the data about pond liners lets give Choose It! a whirl. STEP #1: Ask the Right Question In our case "Which pond liner suits me best?" STEP #2: List your possible answers to the question Step #2 is to list your possible answers to the question. You can list as many answers as you like. However, three to five is an optimum number. For example, the following could be your possible answers:
STEP #3: List what is important to you Step #3 is to list what is important to you. Then score how important it is to you on a scale of 1 100. To continue with our example, I've chosen the important factors from the list we reviewed above and also their importance for my backyard project.
STEP #4: Rate each possible answer Next, on a scale of 1 100, score your possible answers according to how well each possible answer fulfills the requirements of each factor using my earlier guide. The table below shows the result of this rating.
STEP #5: The Result In this final step, Choose It! crunches some numbers and ranks your possible answers with the best option having the highest score. In the example that we been working on, EPDM and Xavan score 66 and 65.1 respectively with the others scoring in the 47 - 49 range. So I'd then buy either knowing they will equally serve my needs. Note that even though I rated cost as the most important factor cheap pond liners were still not the best solution! Try it for yourself have a go. It is fun, it takes away the headaches of decision making and the best part it is free. * Click the link below to open Choose It! in a new browser window. Keep the new page open, next to this cheap pond liner page. * Follow the 5-Step Choose It! using the information on this page as your guide. Choose It! Check out the steps I took when installing a pond liner in my backyard.
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