Pond Liner: Your Complete Liner Repair Guide

Pond liners are a must have for all fish pond owners. They are a plastic liner that ensures that  the water in your pond prevents leaks, and you can maintain a healthy atmosphere. From a technical stand point, a pond liner is an impermeable geomembrane used to retain liquids. Sometimes however you may need to repair this useful tool. This guide will help you, but you can call us 24/7 for liner repairs or ongoing outdoor pond maintenance in Oklahoma. Pond liners are used for things like the:

• lining of reservoirs
• retention basins
• hazardous and nonhazardous surface impediments
• garden ponds
• and artificial streams in parks and gardens.

Common Ways That Pond Liners Tear

Ponds will always lose some water due to uncontrollable factors like evaporation, splashing from water features and waterfalls. But if the water starts disappearing rapidly or at a faster rate than it normally does then you will need to fix the issue or reach out to a team of professionals like Oklahoma Ponds for guidance. When you notice this happening, you have to figure out whether or not you have a leak. Below are some common ways that pond liners tear:

UV Light:

Quality pond liners usually have a warranty against damage from UV light and should at least last up to twenty years. However, there are cases when the pond liner in question is thin and low quality. In these cases the pond liner can be damaged by UV light.

External Sources:

External sources are the main source of damage to the liner. These are things like, people walking inside the pond, sharp objects puncturing the liner, or roots growing up through the base of the pond. You can prevent roots from damaging your liner by laying pond underlay on the ground before laying the liner down. People often lay weed mat first, beneath the underlay which is a cheap way to get another protective layer before the liner. Weed mats help to guide roots away from the liner.

How to Repair a Pond Liner

Once you suspect that you might have a tear in your liner, follow these steps to find it.

1. Turn off your pond pump and monitor the water level for roughly 24-48 hours. If the water level continues to drop, then the leak is located in the main basin of the pond and not outside of the pond in a water feature or piping.

2. If the tear is located outside the pond, then you should check your plumbing joins and pipes for leaks. You should also check the waterfall and stream. In such a case the leak is usually a result of plant latter or other obstructions that raise the water level above the liner, or stones settling and moving the liner. Check for wet spots outside the pond in these areas.

3. If the leak turns out to be in the main basin, let the pond empty to the point where the level of the pond stays steady. This will help you figure out the approximate level of the leak. In the case where the water level gets low enough to harm the fish and plants, then the fish and plants should be removed and placed in a free standing pond temporarily.

Repairing the Pond Liner

There are numerous methods for repairing a pond liner. The method you choose depends on your budget and time frame.

For a quick and affordable fix, you can use a sealant to fix the hole underwater, a sealant that is safe for fish and plants. For more difficult or larger tears, please contact us for assistance.

1. Place the silicon in a caulking gun, and squeeze it into and around the hole in the pond liner.
2. Smear the silicon over and around the hole.
3. For a larger hole, cut a small piece of the pond liner from the edge of the pond and place that over the silicon to patch the hole. Ensure both pond liner surfaces are cleaned well first. The pond can be re-filled when you are satisfied with your repair work.

How to Prevent Pond Liners from Tearing

The key to preventing your pond liner from tearing is to make sure you buy the right pond liner and to install it right. Here are a few common mistakes to avoid when buying and installing your liner:

• Putting too much emphasis on price: Pond lines tend to last for a really long time. As long as you choose one that is tough enough to resist puncturing and damage by exposure to sunlight and that is strong enough to line a pond for many years. It isn’t a bad idea for you to spend a decent amount of money for a product that lasts for minimum 20 years. The best choice for a garden pond would be a 0.75mm thick EPDM (Epalyn) liner.

• Ordering the wrong size pond liner: Measure the hole for the pond accurately in three directions – the length, breadth and depth. Then go online to put these figures into a pond liner size calculator to get the exact dimensions.
• Not adding a protective underlay to your order: Your pond liner needs to be protected from above and below. Without protecting your pond, you’ll be exposing it to possible damage. So, you have to line your pond with a geotextile protective underlay before installing it.
• Failure to secure the edges of the liner: When you install the liner, make sure to adequately overlap the edges to make sure your feature is water tight. Then secure the overlap in place with your choice of edging material.

Oklahoma Outdoor Pond Liner Repair

We hope that this pond liner repair guide has been informative about everything you need to know about pond liners and how to take care of them. If we can assist in maintaining your Koi pond or if you have any questions about installation, costs, or ongoing cleaning, please feel encouraged to reach out to us. We service the entire state of Oklahoma and would love to see you have your perfect outdoor pond!