Best place to ask Pondy type questions?

[kathyd]

Hi - going to build a big pond mainly for wildlife, but looking for advice on the best type of liner to use - is this forum the best place to ask, or can anyone suggest a better one please?

Ta

[Kleftiwallah]

Do what I'm doing, keep asking on freecycle for a corner bath! (leave the plug in).

Cheers, Tony.

[Two_Sheds]

looking for advice on the best type of liner

What size are you planning, and what is the soil like? (stony?)

I would've thought butyl, but it's not cheap. If you want a small pond, then a pre-formed would be cheaper.

I've used old baths before, but they're really not shallow enough: you have to fill most of it in to get the shallow edges necessary for the critters

[Nicos]

I think this forum is fine Kathy

Here or the DIY one would have been OK.
Maybe any specific questions which may neccesitate in the use of finger plasters or steri-strips might be best on the DIY one????

[kathyd]

Thx for the quick replies all.

We're planning a HUGE pond, and I can't wait!! It's going to be about 160-180 sq metres, taking over most of the front garden . We foolishly asked for permission to build it at the mairie's (local mayor's office), and it's taken over 15 months for the 'water police' (??) to tell us we don't need to ask for permission for a pond this size anyway... so we're free to start digging at last! Well, to get a man with a digger to start digging . So we've been looking at liners online, but there are so many types and it's hard to find objective, unbiased reviews... hence the posting here. Digger man could sell us a geotex liner (whatever that is), but it's from the UK and costs 780 euros delivery (about £700 or so), which is a tad ott.

So ... we know it's going to cost a fortune (and we don't care! We'll just spend the children's inheritance, lol ), but we need to know we're buying the right thing. OH read somewhere for example that any kind of PVC liner contains toxins, which presumably isn't good for wildlife? Or is that just more scare-mongering from a company which wants you to buy 'their' product instead? We have no idea...

The soil we're not sure about yet TS - some of our garden is stoney / slatey and almost impossible to dig through, but other areas are nice cultivated soil. The pond area is south facing but often damp verging on a bit soggy in places after heavy rain, has a small orchard along one side, and a stupid large mound of earth in the middle which currently forms Chicken Mountain, but which will be dug out for the pond. The mound was planted with a big conifer but we cut that down ages ago. There are various shrubs and things around the place so hopefully we won't hit bedrock 10" down...

There are 2 huge leylandi style hedges along 2 sides of the front garden too, both of which we're having removed and replanting with something lighter and softer - and expecting to be gale-blasted for a few years while everything grows big enough to provide some shelter.

[Two_Sheds]

Large Pond Liners - Everything-Ponds.com

I'm sure you're reading loads, and finding there's too much info out there?

I'd order some books (from the library if you have one?) and have a thorough read, making plans on a pad of paper as I go.

The Wildlife Pond Handbook: A Practical Guide to Creating and Maintaining Your Own Wetland for Wildlife: Amazon.co.uk: Charlie Dimmock, Louise Bardsley: Books

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creating-Gar...423734&sr=1-22

Garden Pondlopaedia: Amazon.co.uk: Graham Quick: Books

Some of those ^ are only a penny

[Kleftiwallah]

I should get that communication from the Mayor's Office framed. You can be sure some 'jobsworth' will be round before long.

Cheers, Tony.

[veggiechicken]

I wondered whether you could avoid using a liner at all, and using puddled clay? Here are a couple of links
Pond Construction
Digging out and making a clay lined pond

[Dusty Rhodes]

I second VC's suggestion if it turns out you have some heavy soil(clay). The area where it puddles up after a heavy rain might be a possibility. The excavator might be able to steer you in the right direction. He might hit deadpan when he digs down a wee bit. Lots of farm ponds by me are clay lined.

[kathyd]

Thx everyone, including the links . You're right, we have been reading loads, but more is always good! The initial problem is just what kind of liner to go for really. Clay would be lovely, but the soil doesn't really show the signs of being clay.. we get waterlogged because the water table is quite high, and little springs spring up all over the place during heavy rain (including in our attached barn!). Now if we found a spring under the pond location, that'd be great! But life isn't usually that kind . I expect we'll just end up buying whatever 'appears' to be OK, and is affordable, and hope for the best. By the time any warranty expires we'll be too old to care anyway .

[veggiechicken]

I dug a small pond in my garden in the wettest corner. I haven't lined it in anyway - just left it to be either a pond or a boggy bit. At the moment its full to the brim! I did think about using a plastic membrane but it seemed out of context. I know you want to do something proper in your front garden but if this bit of your garden gets waterlogged you may be able to work with it to your advantage. A membrane works both ways - it will contain water but it will also exclude any water that may be underneath it and force it out somewhere else. Just a thought!!