Repairing Liner Leaks

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Rich Binsacca

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A healthy water garden relies on strong liner.

Aquatic plants are typically more carefree than their inground counterparts. In a water garden, however, plants are just part of what needs attention. The liner, equipment, infrastructure and finishing materials also require regular attention, maintenance and repair.

Regular maintenance checks of your water garden should include leak inspection. Look for wear points, unexpected low water, saturated soil outside the liner and soil in the bottom of the feature. The following images and their captions demonstrate the simple steps to repairing a liner leak.

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Step 1: Drain the water feature and carefully remove plants and fish. Remove the protective gravel, cobble and boulders from the area suspected of leaks, exposing the liner, tear/puncture and any signs of other damage or wear. (Inspect it carefully.)

Warnings

Always use caution when removing or setting plants within a water feature or when wading while caring for your garden pond. Wear waders or soft-soled shoes, and cushion the edges of the risers holding the planting containers, always seeking to prevent damage to the liner.

Facts

The best flexible liners are made of EPDM. Choose liners that will span your feature’s length and width, after adding double its maximum depth to each measurement. Avoid joining two liners, if possible – such points are prone to leaks.

Tips

Protect all water feature liners from the sun’s UV rays to keep them from aging. (Water, rock, plants and edging materials help shield the liner.) A liner’s topmost section can become exposed if the water level drops from evaporation. The toughest liner materials – rigid fiberglass and flexible butyl rubber – usually can withstand short-term UV exposure without incurring cracks, leaks or other damage.

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