If you are not satisfied with the current service of your liner and looking for something else, polyethylene plastic sheeting also known as visqueen can be the best alternative for you.
You can use Visqueen as a pond liner because it’s safe, durable, and flexible. Though It’s not durable like other liners, it’s more flexible than others. So, you can easily place it everywhere, even inside the holes without tearing it cause it can extend up to 12 inches or more.
Let’s get going into the main section to enlighten you about every possible aspect regarding how can you use Visqueen as pond liner. Then you can decide whether it’s going to be a good option for you or not.
Is using Visqueen as a pond liner a good idea
Visqueen is a kind of polyethylene, which is available in different forms and sizes. It’s usually very low-density and is widely used all over the world lately. Apart from being user friendly and durable, it offers something more.
The fact that Visqueen is a vapor retarder, makes it even more useful. It traps moisture so the overall condition is never dry. As a pond liner, these facts make Visqueen a great competitor.
Pros of choosing Visqueen as your pond liner
The points that might make you interested in buy Visqueen
- If you are running out of time and in urgency to meet a deadline, visqueen is the perfect liner for you. It takes less time and less effort to install.
- Visqueen sheets are UV protected. This means melting or degrading is very less in the Visqueen liner.
- The main issue that you might have faced with liner is holes and tearing. These issues are very less with Visqueen as it is resistant to puncturing or tearing.
- You can get a Visqueen liner custom made as well. With respect to the dimension of your pond, you can get it liner made.
- During summer even in extreme heat, Visqueen outperforms all the other liners because of its super flexibility and heat resistance.
- The liners made out of Visqueen sheets are naturally resistant to various chemicals.
Cons of Visqueen as a pond liner
While there are many pros to the Visqueen liner, there are some cons as well. From the experience of users all over the world, a few problems and issues they found are noted down below.
- A number of users addressed their frustration about the Visqueen liner seeping. Also added how the Visqueen liner has punctured the diffuser and caused more problems than solving.
- Since your pond is a fish pond, organic nitrification is very much needed for the fish. But you won’t get the nitrification same in Visqueen liner as you would get in other liners.
- And a few people questioned its durability due to the seeping of water every now and then. Some even got holes in the liner within a few months of use. So before placing an order for the desired Visqueen pond liner, verify and validate the longevity that you are promised by the seller.
Different Visqueen Fish Pond Liners
Visqueen polyethylene has various kinds of its own. Though it’s important to determine the right kind, it might be baffling for you. But this is where we come in.
Let’s figure out what are the kinds and which will best suit your needs.
- PDB20 is the thinnest and most flexible kind of Visqueen polyethylene with only 20 millimeter thickness. If your pond is smaller in size you can surely go for it. Visqueen PDB20 liner with three different layer density will make sure you get a good service from it.
- PDB24 is a bit thicker than the previous one with 24 millimeters of thickness. In the case of a larger fish pond, this kind of Visqueen is more suitable and durable. It is very resistant to rough use and has fewer chances of holes and tearing.
- PDB30 is a high level pond liner with 30 millimeters of thickness. So it requires a bit more extra effort and time for installation and thicker coating needs to be applied in this kind of liner.
- PDB40 is thicker than any other kind of liner with the heaviest weight as well. The previous liners mostly have three different layers of various densities, but this one has five. It is highly resistant to hydrostatic disease.
- PDB GEO is a customizable option available for you. Geotextile style can be used under or even over your pond to increase the lifespan of your fish pond liner.
If you are still confused, for better understanding, a chart with various information and data about visqueen polyethylene is given below. So you can have an even more precise idea about which kind of Visqueen will be the best for your fish pond.
Visqueen Polyethylene | PDB20 | PDB24 | PDB30 | PDB40 |
Per Sq. Ft. Price | 0.35 | 0.39 | 0.49 | 0.61 |
Maximum Size in sq. ft. | 100,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | 40,000 |
Expected life in years (exposed) | 10 | 10 | 12 | 15 |
Warranty of the liner | 20 years | 20 years | 20 years | 20 years |
The installation process of the Visqueen fish pond liner
Compared to other liners, Visqueen is very easy to install. The overall process is less time-consuming as well. Make sure the Visqueen liner is pushed inside the hole keeping 12 inches past the borders when you place the liner over your fish pond.
Attach liners with top-quality glue and make sure both ends of the liners are glued perfectly. If you don’t make sure of proper gluing, through the cracks debris will come along with other dirt and small rocks. Which will cause holes and other issues as well. So be careful with gluing.
When the pond is filled with water, don’t forget to add gravel, tiny rocks, and various stones all over the perimeter to hide the liner. Then add dechlorinating elements to your pond water and wait for a few days for everything to settle down.
Check the pH and concentration of the water and if it’s perfect, you can release fish in the pond and plants as well.
Final Words
It’s not very easy to choose a pond liner among all the available options. You need to do an adequate amount of research and planning in order to find and buy the best liner for you.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to protect against leakage or just want to beautify your property with a new water feature, then it’s worth considering using Visqueen as your next pond liner!
Hopefully, this article cleared any doubts about whether or not can you use visqueen as a pond liner.