Butyl liner and pre-formed pond question.
madpenguin
Posts: 2,543
I have a pre-formed pond in my garden that has been in place for 13 years.It was previously at our old house for 10 years but we dug it up so we could use here.
It took a lot of digging to get it in the ground but it is now not as level as at first so overflows one end and has a gap the other! It also seems to have a leak towards the top as no matter how often I refill it always finds its level about 4 inches or so lower than the edge (cannot see a leak though).
As replacing with a new preformed pond will be too much work I was thinking of lining the existing pond with a butyl liner.Is this a good idea or could there be problems.Also is the butyl liner fairly flexible and easy to fit.
I will be cleaning my pond soon so would be a good time to put in a liner.
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I 'disturb' the pond every year in the spring when I clean it out. Been doing the same thing for over 25 years and the fish and wildlife still seem to thrive!
I agree with pansyface, I think if you went the butyl liner route you would get a lot of unsightly creases around all the curves and shelves and it wouldn't really follow the contours which would leave air gaps under the liner which are never good.
The leak will be right on the line where the water stops at. So I would give it the clean out, fill with fresh water and let it drop to the level it sits at. Have a good inspection. If you still can't see it, top it up another inch so the water is above the leak and try adding a little ordinary milk to the water around the edges. It sounds mad but it can help to see where the water is flowing out. It will remain milky for a while where there is no leak, but fresh water will keep being drawn into the leak, making it look less milky where it is!
I'm beginning to think it all might be too much for me this year!
So will just try and hide edges with plants and think about it next year!!