By: Stephen Drummonsy
Submitted: 2010-08-31 07:53:34 | Word Count: 768
Flexible Liners:
Having a Flexible liner is usually by far the most satisfactory way of making a pond which is large enough to accommodate numerous aquatic plants and various fish. You will not be limited with the range of sizes and shapes of Rigid liners offered inside the catalogues and from the garden centres. The transportation and handling can also be a whole lot easier. Price should not be a stumbling block because on an equal area basis, a high quality Flexible liner is no dearer than a fibreglass Rigid liner.
The one drawback with a Flexible liner is that you can not achieve the superbly smooth surface and angles that you’ll find from a pre-formed style of liner. There will be also a number of wrinkles, but this will not not pose any serious problems.
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Plan to begin the task during the spring and during a fairly dry spell of weather if you are lucky enough to get one. If the pond is to be permanent try to purchase butyl sheeting if you can. It’s the costliest, but it will easily outlast other types and any tears will be easily repaired. Where money is a problem choose a very good quality PVC liner.
If you are building a short lived pond for breeding fish or holding the stock when you are cleaning out a permanent pond then an inexpensive polythene sheeting is perfectly satisfactory.
One problem which occasionally arises when buying a Flexible liner is that some suppliers use trade names without stating inside the catalogue just which construction material is used. Just remember to ask before buying and ensure you check the length on the guarantee.
Rigid Liners:
Using a Rigid liner is probably the simple way of making a tiny pond . It is worth considering if you merely want a pond for rearing fish, a little wildlife pond or even a mini-pond for some aquatic plants and a few Goldfish. It is also a good way of lining a raised pond.
A lot of experts over the years have warned against the usage of a Rigid liner if you want a well balanced pond for a range of aquatic plants and several types of fish in water which will not be green with algae. Until quite recently they were generally correct as there is a good list of drawbacks. The cheaper liners had an unacceptably short lifetime and were often garishly coloured. The depths were also generally less than the critical 18 inches and the same old shape was too small and too fussy.
Things have changed rather a lot these days. There are tough black plastic ponds with a long-term guarantee not to mention sizes well over 40 sq. ft surface area and depths of in excess of 18 inches all readily available and undemanding geometrical shapes are offered alongside the convoluted ones. In addition to that they have shelving for Marginals which is a great improvement. There is certainly even a range of Rigid liners that are fitted with a planting area for Bog plants already built in to them.
When buying your liner be sure that the guarantee runs for at least 10 years and choose a dark colour if the construction material is plastic. Confirm the depth is deep enough and keep in mind that an easy shape gives you more surface area for your money than a fussy one.
Concrete Pond:
The normal style of pond which is still regarded by some as being the best is concrete. Concrete continues to be used where a large square or oblong pond is to be built, but it is a job for the professional. But it will be possible to build a simple round or oval pond if you have some experience of working with concrete. Do not forget that if you do do this yourself you do need to finish the job in a single day. When the concrete has dried, paint the surface with a proprietary sealant such as silglaze before filling the pond with water and stocking it. Raw concrete is harmful for the fish.
Author Resource:-
I spend a great deal of my spare time in my garden but I must admit that most of it is spent either improving my pond or just sitting by it watching the world in water. A lot of my fascination with ponds was created with the help of a gardener london company. They gave me all the help and advice that I needed as and when I asked them for it.
