Cutting into hard preformed pond liner

16 years ago

Hi,

More wacky ideas here! I'm kicking around the idea of cutting into my existing hard pond liner to add on a skimmer and if all goes well with that an annex/skimmer for the other side. The plan is to use a heavy duty tub (I already have) and using scraps of pond liner already on hand to connect the two with silicone sealant. No actual blueprint yet... just these wild ramblings! How nuts am I?

Considered new user ID: hillbillygreen

Featured Answer

taralynna

16 years ago

I dont have experience with this, but I do have some very recent experience with attaching liner. Everyone I asked about using silicone warned me against it. I went to a pond/koi store and bought some double sided adhesive liner tape. When it gets hot outside it melts and becomes almost like tar. On top of that I used single sided adhesive tape which gives an additional seal. All surfaces must be very clean. I used vinegar and water since I was doing the work while standing in the pond with fishes all around.

I'm attaching a link to a website that has "seaming tape". This looks like the stuff I used. I also see now that they attached my skimmer box using the same stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: Seaming Tape

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

horton
16 years ago
Shelly, I have mated quite a few preformed ponds together and also added a fifty gallon drum onto the side of a preformed pond or two through the years.

After cutting the desired size of area out with a jig saw/saber saw, I bolted the two sections together around the perimeter of the cut with 1/4" nuts and bolts to hold them securely. Prior to bolting them up tight I laid a bead of Plummers Goop between the two sections as a sealer.
Using splicing tape, as suggested by taralynna, is also a good way to seal up the joints.
Insead of buying it from a pond store, try going to a hardware store and ask for skylight/roof flashing, sealing tape. It is the same seaming tape used for EPDM pond liners, but is sold a lot cheaper as skylight/ roof flashing tape.
You can get it double or single sided and it comes in a strip about five feet long.
"Horton"
Related Discussions
Hiding liner at edge of pond?
Q
Comments (18)
There is in fact a shallow area through the middle! About 12" deep. I was so disgusted when I(we..DH)was digging and found the phone lines going into the house!!!!!! We did not damage them but had to leave the soil under them for support of course!!! There really is no other location that will work in my yard. Really ticked me off...lol. Hopefully it will work well for the plants I intend to get this next week. I will set them on bricks to bring them to the surface if needed. I put the pump in the far end to make sure the circulation kept going throughout the pond. No dead water areas. As far as heron go I am hoping that my dogs and cats will keep them away. I have not had a problem with the cat fishing as of yet. They have so far(crossing my fingers).I do occasionally see them(Herons)flying over my house. I am kind of surrounded by swampy areas and lakes so they have plenty of other resources. I must say I am darn proud of my skippy filter. I love the pot. I found it at Menards. I still need to finish the edging and will do this with smaller river rocks held in place by landscape edging. It will make it easier to mow around then the rough edge of the bigger rocks. Thanks so much again for all of your help and input.
...See More
Pre-fabricated pond liner work - not in the ground?
Q
Comments (6)
I've done it without any problems but with much smaller preforms. 130 gallons is going to be quite a bit of water weight so you'll have to make sure the unit has some good support. For several years I had a kidney shaped unit sitting on the concrete pad outside my front door. I had the shelf area propped up with a cinder block and bricks and I had bricks stacked around the outside of it to hid the unit as well as help with support. The others I have were round units with a fairly flat bottom and 3 small shelves. I had bricks under the shelves and my husband cut some 1x4 pieces to fit snugly on end under the lip of the unit to help with support and then I had bricks surrounding the unit. The kidney shaped one bowed a little bit but the round units have held up the best. I had one of the round ones sitting out in the yard last summer with no support whatsoever with extra plants that I was selling and it did fine. I think you just need to pick the unit you use carefully and provide some support and you'll be fine. As already mentioned you can also build a box unit for it or a raised bed and bury it.
...See More
Cutting my pre-formed liner for skimmer
Q
Comments (3)
You are nuts. ;-) Sealing anything to a preform is just asking to do it again and again. Though, if you wanted to set things up so that the preform would overflow into a box, you would have a similar skimming effect. Providing you have enough flow. Think of pouring iced tea into a glass, if you pour slowly, then no ice gets in the glass, pour swiftly and all floating stuff goes into the glass. Yes I think you need some sort of face plate on the pond side, though it should be flat and stiff, not thin and bumpy. Make sure you have enough slack in the liner under the opening, so the water doesn't pull the liner down, and away from your seal. Greg Your Pond Doctor
...See More
Bog garden in preformed pond liner?
Q
Comments (6)
Not familiar w/ "everdry". As long as the water quality is good don't see why it wouldn't work. Is the water temp cool? If so there are some interesting things you could try, if you're brave. 65 gallons is big. I would fill the bottom w/ inert material to about 18" to 20" from the top, then you want to use a 50/50 mix of peat and sand, NO SOIL. Bogs are nutrient poor acidic enviornments. This would be a typical pitcher plant, flytrap, sundew type bog. Lots of things can be grown in this ecosystem including native orchids etc. I'm sure others will fill you in.
...See More
shelley_t
Original Author
16 years ago
Excellent info taralynn and horton!

I think I will try the hardware store... That stuff is pricey. I just saw a whole new soft liner for near that price. Plus paying shipping. Still, I'll be saving and referencing
that link.

I wonder what's bad about silicone caulk. I used it on a homemade biofalls I made and it worked beautifully until the tub froze and burst a couple winters ago. I suppose it makes a difference when its submerged versus a waterfall.

Thanks again!
sleeplessinftwayne
16 years ago
The problem with silicone is it is not compatible with all materials. Unless held in place with some sort of mechanical seal it just falls off or washes away. It is not an adhesive. It functions as a dam. Sandy
lsst
16 years ago
If the rigid liner is Polypropylene, Silicone and adhesive tape will not stick for any length of time.
If the skimmer can be attached directly to the cut out area of the rigid liner with nuts and bolts around the weir, then the silicone would provide a gasket and help prevent it from leaking.
shelley_t
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone... I'm making my hardware store list today. I think I have a loose blueprint together.

Hope this all goes well! I'll let you know!

Here is a link that might be useful: Logan County Locavores
shelley_t
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi again horton and all,

I just got the roof flashing sealing tape, and it looks just like the pond store stuff, but it is single sided and the non-sticky side has a whitish gray cloth like material on it. It also says it is not intended to be used as a wearing surface and must be coated with cold press asphalt or acrylic coating. Think I should proceed with this or go get another brand? I'm concerned about if its trying to say it won't seal without that next step and the finished appearance... since I would prefer plain black.

Thanks!
sleeplessinftwayne
15 years ago
Shelley, I think you will find the stuff you bought is intended to join one piece laid on top of another or butted up to each other. It won't work as a gasket or waterproof seal. Exchange it for the double sided stuff or return it and go to Menards or other store where they carry enough roofing materials to stock everything. To get a really good contact, I would use a heat gun just before I tightened the bolts for the last time. Sandy

Cutting into hard preformed pond liner

taralynna

Comments (8)

horton

Related Discussions

shelley_t
Original Author

sleeplessinftwayne

lsst

shelley_t
Original Author

shelley_t
Original Author

sleeplessinftwayne

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Cutting into hard preformed pond liner

taralynna

Comments (8)

horton

Related Discussions

shelley_tOriginal Author

sleeplessinftwayne

lsst

shelley_tOriginal Author

shelley_tOriginal Author

sleeplessinftwayne

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

shelley_t
Original Author

shelley_t
Original Author

shelley_t
Original Author