Tarp Versus Liner.....

[adreamer2]

What are the ups and downs of using tarp instead of liner....

Adreamer2

[gregbickal]

Tarp rots really quickly. It also cannot strech to make the pipe boots.

Tarp is cheap and blue, so that would be the only advantage I could think of

[Steve Nguyen]

Tarp leaks easily, isn't it?

Steve

[koiczar]

If you're talking about the blue tarps with the grommets in the corners like you buy at Home Depot, they're NOT WATERPROOF and they break down VERY QUICKLY!! 45 mil EPDM liner isn't that expensive, why look for cheap alternatives that would end up costing you more in the long run ( replacement more often and your time).

[keokoi]

EPDM liner hands down..

Have you ever left a tarp in the elements outside.. It doest last very long under The UV rays heat and wind..

Joe

[MikeM]

My first effort at a pond in 1978 was a sheet of polyethelyne clear plastic. It lasted for months! ...Is there anyone else who replaced their first pond in less than 5 months?


....actually, I guess the first ponds were wading pools sunk into the ground when I was 12 years old... a long, long time ago.

[Russell Peters]

There is a company in Oregon called bend tarp and liner. They make a tarp for Koi ponds. They actually use it to line lakes and large decorative ponds in golf courses, etc.. It is really inexpensive, I think 32 cents a square foot retail. It is water proof and won't break down in the sun. You can install bulkheads and bottom drains and it is much lighter than 45 mil EPDM. The only draw back I can see is it is harder to seam your folds. Other than that it is a better product than EPDM because it is very difficult to puncture or tear. Just some thoughts.

[luke frisbee]

I made a pond out of a waterbed mattress once..it actually worked. if i had to do it over again I would have used the fill valve for a bottom drain.

[Russell Peters]

It was called the Koi in a bubble.

[bekko]

Been there, done that. Blue tarp does not work. Like they say, heavy mil plastic sheet works, but the sun eats it up right away. The black vinyl (PVC) that you find at Home Despot is junk because it gets brittle after the plasticizers leach out. The polyethylene-impregnated tarp stuff that Russel mentions is stiff, but really strong and long-lasting. Permalon (cross-laminated polyethylene) is cheaper - about 28 cents per square foot plus shipping. I use it because it is light and costs less to ship than anything else. We cannot get UPS ground service so, with shipping, I pay 55 cents for Permalon. Permalon is not as puncture-resistent as the impregnated tarp, EPDM, or 20-mil polyethylene so you have to line the hole with old carpet or something before putting down the plastic.-steveh