How to Line a Pond with Firestone Pond Liner

Looking at installing a pond in your backyard? Don’t forget the pond liner! A high-quality pond liner can help keep your pond waterproof for many years to come. Today, we cover the steps for how to line a pond with pond liner.

Suggested Tools for Installing Pond Liner

We have a few tools we suggest you use when installing your new pond liner. The tools are broken down into three subsections: tools for preparing and cleaning the pond liner, for installing and gluing, and mechanical tools (along with other miscellaneous accessories).

Preparing and Cleaning the Pond Liner

• Scissors or a line cutter
• Tape measure
• Chalk or crayon
• Stiff bristle brooms
• Squeegee
• Cotton rags
• Cleaning agent

Installation and Gluing

• Firestone QuickScrubber and pads
• Paint rollers
• Bucket
• QuickPrime Plus
• QuickSeam splice tape
• Caulking gun
• Silicone roller

Mechanical and Other Accessories

• Drill
• Drill bits
• Saw
• Screwdriver
• Tool box
• Rubber gloves
• Electrical leads
• Mixer

Precautions and Recommendations

It’s important to take a few precautions when installing your pond liner. At Aquascape, we also have a few recommendations to help make the installation process go smoother.

• Store your Firestone pond liner and accessories in their original packaging, away from the sun and other harsh elements.
• Keep all rubber products away from greases, mineral and vegetable oil, solvents with an organic base, petroleum products, and bitumen that is less than 4 weeks old.
• Don’t let your Firestone pond liner come into contact with steam or with heat sources that are higher than 65°C.
• When delivering your pond liner to the installation area, use proper equipment and be sure to store it in an area that is clean, flat, and dry.
• Keep pond liner adhesives, sealants, and cleaning products away from any ignition sources. This includes fire, flames, sparks, and torches. You should also never smoke in the vicinity of these products.
• For adhesives and QuickPrime Plus, be sure to stir thoroughly before and during use. If exposed to temperatures of less than 10°C, restore these products and sealants to room temperature before use.
• Do not install pond liner during precipitation events such as rain, snow, hail, or fog.
• Ideally, you should install your pond liner when the weather is between 5°C and 30°C.

How to Install Pond Liner

These steps are written with the assumption that any pebbles or sharp objects have already been removed from the area, and underlayment has already been placed.

Step 1: Place your Firestone pond liner roll as close as possible to its final position

The wrapper will indicate the direction in which the sheet should be unrolled. Do not stretch the pond liner, and avoid horizontal splices on embankments. Allow each panel to relax for at least 30 minutes before splicing. Avoid excessive wrinkles and apply temporary ballast where it is needed: this can include wooden planks and sand bags).

Step 2: Splice your pond liner using QuickSeam splice tape

Splicing refers to the process of joining two or more rubber liners together, and is helpful for larger projects. Before splicing, it’s important to ensure your pond liner is clean and not contaminated by mud. Clean your liner by using water and a fresh cotton rag.

Stir the QuickPrime Plus, then pour it into a plastic bucket. Using the QuickScrubber with Scrubber pad attached, apply the QuickPrime Plus evenly over the pond liner and be sure to avoid puddling. If it begins to rain, stop priming but do not close the seam. Simply wait for conditions to improve and then re-apply a light layer of QuickPrime Plus.

Place the bond adjacent to the panels, and mark the bottom sheet with the position of the tape. Fold the lap edge back and temporarily fix in place using QuickPrime Plus and apply QuickPrime Plus to each side of the fold. Wait until the QuickPrime Plus has dried, then install the tape using a silicone roller. Trim the tape if necessary, remove paper backing and roll the seam.

Optional Step: Adhering your pond liner to a wall

Ensure that the soil area you wish to apply the liner to is compacted, and the wall is clean, dry, and smooth. For this step you will need bonding adhesive and a paint roller. Position the sheet in its location and then fold it back onto itself. Stir the bonding adhesive and apply using the paint roller to the substrate first, then the PondGard membrane. Let the adhesives dry until tacky and then slowly press the Firestone pond liner to the coated substrate. Once attached, apply light pressure on the outside with a roller.

Optional Step: Adhering to an inside corner

If you are adhering your pond liner to an inside corner, cut the EPDM so that you can create a vertical seam. When dealing with limited height, the liner can be folded into a pig-ear and adhered to the membrane below using QuickPrime Plus. Apply QuickPrime Plus to the membrane and allow it to dry before attaching a piece of QuickSeam FormFlash. Position this first piece of FormFlas 10mm from the upstand and secure it to the corner. Apply another dose of QuickPrime Plus to the area that you will be covering with the pig-eared piece, then apply this second piece of FormFlash to cover the pig-ear. Once covered, seal any exposed edges with Lap Sealant.

Optional step: Adhering to an outside corner

When adhering your pond liner to an outside corner, all upstands need to be flashed using QuickSeam Splice Tape and PondGard membrane. Use a piece of QuickSeam FormFlash with a circular cut at one end and apply it to the designated area, rolling with a silicone roller. Seal any exposed edges with Lap Sealant.

Please note: for more specific conditions and situations, feel free to contact the friendly experts at Aquascape for advice and assistance.

Find the Best Pond Liners at Aquascape

Our wide range of Firestone pond liners can help you create your dream pond or water feature. Need a little help installing your Firestone pond liner? Contact Aquascape Australia for expert advice and a large range of high-quality products and designs.