PVC is the standard material when it comes to pond liners - it is the most commonly used. The individual PVC webs must be connected to one another completely tightly. Read our article to find out exactly how this works and how to do it correctly.
PVC is harmful to the environment
Disadvantages of PVC films
If you decide to use a PVC pond liner, you should keep some of the disadvantages in mind:
- "Sandwich films" made of two different materials are usually necessary, since single-layer PVC has poor properties
- the environmental balance of PVC is simply extremely bad
- the disposal of PVC is hardly ecologically safe
- there may be evaporation (although most foils are harmless today)
- the liner is not really optimal for creatures in the pond
If you want to use a high-quality pond liner, you should better take a look at the EPDM liners.
need for gluing
As a rule, you don't have to glue much to the pond itself. Pond liners are welded in the factory using special equipment. You can simply order the foil from the dealer in the required dimensions.
If you build your own pond and rely on foil strips, you often have to weld these individual foil strips yourself. In addition, the liner sometimes has to be adjusted on the pond itself - in this case adhesive techniques are used, also to repair damaged liners.
Also note that repairs by gluing will hardly be successful after a few years. In this case, gluing can usually no longer be used as a repair method for PVC films.
Procedure for gluing
The PVC film must always be thoroughly cleaned and dried first (in the case of repairs). The application of the adhesive and the bonding must always be carried out according to the instructions of the adhesive manufacturer. Work very carefully here
When gluing, the film must be on a solid surface, after gluing you should definitely weigh down the seam with sandbags. After gluing, the seams still have to be sealed.
The formation of waves in the film must be avoided at all costs - which is not always easy in practice, especially with longer stretches that are to be glued.
tips
EPDM foils can also be easily repaired should they ever become damaged. This can be done for years and even with liquid pond liner that you simply pour onto the liner. Alternatively, use rubber glue and rubber tape for an easy repair.