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preformed pond liner

Ponds Made Easy: Preformed Pond Liners

Corrine Dolezal

Did you ever wonder how people got some of the great shapes for their backyard ponds? You will see them in numerous different shapes and sizes, and they look like some professional pond builder spent hours digging and shaping them. Seeing one of these can make you leery about attempting to build a pond on your own. After all, you know you can't design anything nearly as nice, and you wouldn't know how to construct it if you did. So how about if I told you that you can have one of these intricately-designed pools without hiring a professional landscape artist? All you need is a strong back to dig a hole and a preformed pond liner.

Preformed pond liners are made of fish-friendly vinyl or fiberglass and come in different sizes, shapes, and capacities. Some of them have their own templates you can use to dig them into the ground, or you can draw around them with chalk. A preformed liner is actually more appropriate in small applications. Generally they are difficult to level, and larger liners tend to be awkward and heavy to work with. They are very durable, though, and unlikely to leak. They are designed to hold the water in securely and not to allow contaminants to pass through into the water. You will find a variety of both rigid and foldable preformed pond liners by searching the web.

There are a number of things you need to consider, however, before trying to install a pond liner. Look at how the lawn around the area you're considering for your pond slopes. You don't want to end up with a lot of rainwater run-off nor about lawn products, such as weed killers and fertilizers, getting washed into your pond where it will kill your plants and fish. While it might be tempting to locate your pond under a tree, you need to keep in mind that tree roots often prevent you from digging where you want to dig. Check to find out if any utility lines run through the area you're considering for your pond.

Preformed pond liners can be expensive to buy, especially if you opt for a larger or more elaborate model. You can pay as much as $5,000 for a large, top-of-the-line liner. Of course, you can always start much smaller and add to your water garden feature over the years. A small 2' diameter fiberglass pond liner will cost about $120. When purchasing a liner, you need to know not only the dimensions of the liner but also the water capacity and depth. If you plan to have fish in your pond, you will need room for them to swim, a place for them to lie dormant during winter months, and room to add equipment that will aerate the water for them.