How to choose the type of pond liner

Here at AquaLiners Direct, we have put together a guide on how to choose the best pond liner for your project and requirements. If you're considering rectangular pond liners, or a round pond liner or you have an irregular pond shape where a square pond liner won't be suitable, we can help.

Pond Design - Rectangular Pond, Square, Circular?

Before considering the pond lining options available, you should choose the design of the pond itself including its shape, such as circular, rectangular, square etc. There are two main types of ponds:

A natural pond design usually has sloped sides and an irregular shape. It can be edged with grass, paving slabs or planting to soften the outer perimeter of the pond. Natural designs range in size from a small garden pond up to a large lake.

A formal or ornamental pond design, often used as part of the architecture of a garden or for Koi/fish ponds, normally has straight vertical sides, so often a square or rectangular pond liner fits. This design can be square, rectangular or circular (or a mix) and may include steps for planting.

You should also consider whether you want a stream or waterfall incorporated into your design. These are not difficult to include; you can see more detail about how to install them on our Waterfalls and Streams technical page.

Pond Lining Options for Natural and Formal Ponds

Natural ponds and lakes are lined with a flat sheet liner. The flexibility of a rubber or PVC liner means that it can be folded and manipulated to fit around any corners or steps in the design to create a snug fit.

There are 4 types of flat sheet pond liners:

• Elevate PondGard Liner: a 1.02mm thick EPDM rubber, Elevate is our top-of-the-range lining material, which can be used for all ponds up to large lakes.
• Elevate GeoSmart Liner: a 1.00mm thick EPDM rubber, a slightly cheaper alternative to PondGard lining material. 
• Elevate PondEasy Liner: 0.8mm thick EPDM rubber, once again offering a slightly cheaper option than the previous two liners, perfect for smaller garden ponds.
• SealEco GreenSeal Pond Liner: 0.75mm EPDM rubber, SealEco is a great alternative to Elevate, providing a super durable material with greater flexibility due to the reduced material thickness, which means it performs well with slightly more complicated designs.
• aquaPLAN PVC Pond Liner: 0.5mm PVC, aquaPLAN is our low-cost pond liner option. It’s great for small garden ponds and water features where thicker materials are not required.

You can find out more about these lining materials on their relevant product pages or our pond liner comparison.

Formal ponds can be custom-made using a box welded liner to the exact requirements of the pond design. These liners are often made from SealEco 1mm or 0.75mm, with a welded base and flange at the top for fixing - great for ponds with straight sides, such as rectangle ponds. We also have the option of using Butyl, click here to find out more about this. The benefit of this type of liner is that there are no unsightly folds because the liner fits the exact shape of the pond. To find out more, see Box Welded Liners.

We always recommend that all pond liners are fitted with pond underlay. Underlay is used to protect the liner from any roots, stones or other debris that could cause damage to the liner. This is important to maximise the life of the liner, as much of this debris may come to the surface over time as ground movements occur.

Next... find out how to measure and calculate your pond liner