Stone-Covered Pond Liners

Introduction

Hiding the unnatural look of a plain black liner awkwardly sticking out of a pond is one of the greatest challenges of most pond owners. The “black tarp look” of some artificial water features makes it an eyesore to humans and wildlife. In a bid to give the much-required facelift to a bizarre-looking pond, pond owners spend a lot of money and energy hauling boulders and buying plants. Because upgrading ponds with rocks and plants can be labor-intensive and expensive, it is only sensible to consider Stone-Covered Pond Liners

The job of a stone-covered pond liner is to take away the effort and high expenses associated with placing stones and plants to hide a pond liner. The secret to a more attractive pond is blending everything around the pond. A random part of the pond liner peeping out is just not ideal. To hide this anomaly, rocks are usually placed strategically around the pond. However, using actual rocks can be tricky hence the need for a pond liner that looks and feels like natural rocks.

Why Stone-Covered Pond Liners?

A garden pond should be one\’s oasis. Ideally, garden ponds should have a natural aesthetic, whether naturally occurring or artificial. Most pond building books instruct one to dig a hole spread the liner while extending by a foot out of the hole and above the ground. Then they advise that a ring of flagstones is placed around the overlapping parts of the liner. This advice only helps to hide the liner material that laps on the outside of the pond; it does nothing to hide the sheeting in the pond. The result of this negligence is usually the shiny black liner material nullifying one\’s attempt at creating a natural look.

It is tricky to use real rocks in hiding a liner because the rocks need to be placed according to sizes, shapes, and characters to give the pond depth and accent. Getting the breath-taking effect with actual rocks usually requires a professional water-feature artist and a lot of money. Stone-covered liners are a cheaper option that does not require high-level expertise for installation. It only needs to be laid atop the black liner, and it then gives the effect that the pond is covered in different stones like a natural pond.

Should You Use A Stone-Covered Liner?

Indeed all pond owners seeking to upgrade their ponds should consider a stone-covered pond liner. Most stone-covered pond liners are made from PVC liners infused with fine gravel on one side. Like regular pond liners, they can be easily laid over the existing pond liner to produce a softer, more natural look. Typically, stone-covered pond liners have widths of 0.4m to 1.2m wide enough to cover edgings and streams.

Without the clever invention of a stone-covered liner, it would be incredibly difficult for garden pond owners to blend out the garden pond and the surrounding area using stones. It is not news that stones are not cheap. Run-of-the-mill boulders usually go for over $150 per ton. Ornamental stones go for over $400 per ton. The stone-covered liner, on the other hand, is commonly sold on a per square foot basis which makes it a wiser investment choice for pond owners.

Benefits Of Using Stone-Covered Pond Liner

An obvious benefit of a stone-covered pond liner is that it conceals the pond edges nicely and greatly improves the outlook of a garden pond water feature. However, that is not the only upside to these liners. There are other benefits to using stone-covered pond liners. They are as follows;

• It Creates The Illusion Of A Natural Habitat: Unlike the unnaturalness of a black liner, a stone-covered liner is a welcome development for both plants and wildlife. It creates a surface for aquatic plants to anchor themselves and solidify a root system. The grippy stones of a stone-covered liner also creates a climbing surface for wildlife in the pond

• Protects The Liner: Like whenusing actual rocks, a stone-covered pond liner also protects the main pond liner from UV damage. Stone-covered liners are UV resistant in themselves. And when placed on top of the existing liner; they are an added protection

• Brings Life To The Pond: A natural-looking pond will encourage aquatic wildlife to make it their home. Since stone-covered pond liners makes a pond look more natural, it increases wildlife activity in the pond

• It Is A Cheaper Alternative: When compared to edging a pond with stones and plants, using a stone-covered pond liner is a cheaper alternative. It also requires no professionalism as the stones have already been expertly arranged during production.

• Makes The Pond The Center Of Attraction: Stone-covered liner producers take their inspiration from nature to create a liner that blends seamlessly with the background of a pond. The art piece that is a stone-covered liner hides the unsightly black liner and draws the eye to a more warming natural look.

Qualities To Look Out For In A Stone-Covered Pond Liner

Before ordering a stone-covered pond liner, it is essential to know the qualities a stone-covered pond liner should possess. Here are some features and qualities of stone-covered pond liners;

• Easy To Use: Stone-covered pond liners should be easy to use and flexible. It should easily fit into any three-dimensional shape with a little bending and manipulation. Stone-covered pond liners should easily conform to the shape of pipes, cables, and seams. Stone-covered liners effortlessly fit into a preformed liner with the aid of a waterproof adhesive

• Non-Toxic: Stone-covered pond liners are made from inert materials. There are no traces of cement compounds that can hurt the water\’s pH levels. They are also not made with adhesives or toxic chemicals that dissolve in water. And so, stone-covered liners are not potentially harmful to fish or plants.

• They Do Not Hold Water: Stone-covered pond liners are not meant to act as stand-alone pond liners. They are to be used in conjunction with Green seal, Butyl, PVC, or EPDM pond liners as they do not effectively hold water on their own.

• Durable: Because stone-covered pond liners are made from UV-resistant material, they do not easily succumb to UV damage. They are also not affected by submersion in water or other environmental factors. Stone-covered pond liners generally last a considerably long time and come with a warranty.

• Light-Weight: An area of a pond that will be covered with a roll of stone-covered pond liner that weighs 6Ibs, will otherwise have required truckloads of real stones. Also, stone-covered liners are thin enough not to take up excess space in the pond making them great for small water features.

• Attractive: The best feature of stone-covered pond liners is that they have the qualities and variations of natural stones and pebbles. The stone-covered liner imitates real rocks by recreating the range of colors, textures, and shades found in every square inch of real rocks. The perfect detailing of stone-covered liners gives them their rock-like quality and attractiveness.

How To Install A Stone-Covered Pond Liner

The process of installing a stone-covered pond liner is easy. No sort of expertise is needed. However, it is still vital to know the basics before installation. The first thing to do is;

• Empty the pond of water. Stone-covered pond liners can be installed without emptying the pond, but it is always better to do so.

• Most stone-covered pond liners do not lie flat on the pond even though they do not float. It is advisable to hold down the top of the edges with stone or plant pots to keep it down. Water-proof adhesives like silicon glue or non-water-based contact cement may also be used Instead of stones.

• When cutting off excess material of the stone-covered liner, a heavy-duty utility knife should be used as stone-covered liner material may dull scissors

• It is not meant to act as a primary pond liner, so it must be installed over a pre-existing liner. Though it can direct water and does not allow water to flow through it, it still needs to be installed over an impermeable pond liner.

• If more stone-covered liner is needed to complete the job, then use another piece to overlap the other. A few stones can be used to hide where they meet. Seaming is not needed in most cases.

Other Alternatives For Hiding A Liner In A Garden Pond

Without a stone-covered liner, there are other ways to hide a liner when the water levels drop, and the ugly black plastic liner is exposed. Though these alternatives are not nearly as good as using a stone-covered liner, they still provide a quick fix for concealing pond liners.

Plant Screen: A plant screen installed around the edge of the pond liner will conceal it and give the pond a natural look. To use this method, the first thing to do will be to drain the pond and create a plant screen. To create a plant screen, one will need to fold a plastic mesh in half. Then, put aquatic moss between the pieces like a sandwich. Wire the mesh edges together and fasten them behind the liner. After that, refill the pond with water. As the moss grows, it will cover the plastic mesh and form a beautiful green wall around the pond.

Brushwood: Brushwood is natural plant material, and so it provides a good habitat for pond life. Straw and Brushwood can conceal the edges of a pond and give it a rustic look. Commercial brushwood screening can be bought in mats that are already tied together. The screening can be installed by cutting it into strips and placing one end on the pre-existing pond liner. The other end of the screening should be placed on the top edge of the pond and held in place with stones. Though this does give the pond a more natural look, it tends to decay over time and will need frequent replacement.

Plants: Putting plants around the pond’s edges is a natural way to disguise pond liner edges. Good choices include water lilies and cattails. Water lilies reproduce many after their kind, and they come in different variations and colors. Cattails are also great for the pond edges as they quickly fill it up and produce the desired look. The downside to using plants is that they are expensive.

Rocks: By strategically placing different sized and different colored rocks in one\’s pond, one can hide the pond liner and truly create a masterpiece. The rocks should be tactfully positioned in the pond and around its edges to hide the liner. A water-feature artist should be hired to create an appealing rock arrangement. Rocks, when carefully placed, can create a natural look, trap contaminants in the water, and provide a climbing surface for aquatic life.

The downside to using rocks is that the wrong type can leak contaminants into the water. Sharp rocks can damage the liner. Also, poor placement of the stones will look unappealing hence the need to employ the services of a professional.

FAQs

How Much Stone-Covered Pond Liner Do I Need?

In order to ascertain how much stone-covered pond liner will be required, it is essential to measure the length of the shoreline. After that, determine the width of stone-covered liners needed to cover the pipes, seams, and other places that need to be concealed.

Are Stone-Covered Liners Adhesive Backed?

Most stone-covered liners are not adhesive-backed. So, one will still have to use water-proof adhesives to keep the stone-covered liner in place.

Conclusion

Even a small piece of black liner rearing its head from the pond can ruin the whole purpose of owning a water feature. An exposed synthetic liner can remove the natural aura associated with a garden pond. A pond should be a personal oasis for both the pond owner and the habitats of the pond. Thankfully, with the aid of stone-covered pond liners, every pond owner can amplify the naturalness of their ponds. And the good news is, it comes at a lower cost and is completely easy to install.