Choosing the Material for Your Pond

Ponds are deservedly one of the most popular of garden features, but building a garden pond is a major project, and there are a number of different options when choosing pond building materials. Traditionally, artificial ponds were made of puddled clay, brick or concrete. These may still be appropriate in some situations, but tough, easy to use modern rubbers and plastics have almost entirely replaced them in domestic ponds. Choosing the right material for your pond design and situation can save work and expense, ensure the most realistic and pleasing effect, prolong the pond’s life and avoid the risk of leaks. The two most popular options are preformed water features and flexible liners.

Preformed Water Features

These are available in a great variety of formal and informal shapes and sizes, not only as garden ponds or pools, but also as other garden water features, such as waterfalls or streams. They are the easiest of all to use – simply dig your hole and pop the pond in, using a spirit level to ensure that it is absolutely level.

Once installed they have an indefinite life and are virtually trouble free, provided that they are well supported on a bed of sand or soil without any sharp projections.

Disadvantages of preformed water features:

• The maximum length is normally about 4m, Larger sizes are occasionally available , but are difficult to handle and costly.
• They are less flexible, and arguably less natural in appearance, than other forms of pond.

Flexible Pond Liner

Flexible liners are available in butyl rubber or plastic, normally PVC.

Butyl rubber is the most flexible, and in particular will stretch, but is generally heavier to handle and more expensive than PVC.

A good quality PVC liner is suitable for almost any pond situation.

When buying a flexible liner always check its guaranteed life. Provided you get a good quality liner it will last almost for ever – unless you drive a garden fork through the bottom (and even then you can repair it!).

Building a pond with a flexible pool liners is almost as easy as with a preformed pool, and their versatility makes them very popular, particularly for informal pools.

They are also ideal for making other water features such as streams, waterfalls, wildlife ponds and bog gardens.

You can make a pond of any shape and size up to a whopping 8 metres by 25 metres (26 x 100ft).

Disadvantages of flexible pool liners:

• Liner can be punctured from above or below by sharp objects. To protect the muse and underlay, a fine bed of sand or old newspaper to line the pool and if positioning rocks in a water feature always stand them on a pad of spare liner.
• The fabric, normally black and shiny, is unsightly and needs to be hidden or disguised. However, some manufacturers offer liner coated with gravel or fine pebbles.