The ravages of time also take their toll on pond liners. PVC films often have to be replaced after just a few years because they age relatively quickly. You can find out how to proceed step by step when renewing in our article.
How do you renew a pond liner step by step?
To replace a pond liner, you should first empty the pond and bring living creatures to safety. Then remove the old liner, lay out a bed of sand (approx. 5 cm thick) and a fleece on which to spread the new pond liner.
When to renew?
Individual damage to the pond liner can usually be easily repaired by gluing, but with older liners, damage often occurs relatively often. This is different for different types of pond liner:
- PVC film
- PE film
- EPDM film
PVC films in particular become porous after just a few years because the plasticizers they contain evaporate over time. This can result in the entire film or at least large areas leaking slightly. In this case it is worth replacing. Otherwise, you should definitely replace PVC and PE films if they are older than 15 years.
EPDM films, on the other hand, have a very long service life - up to 50 years - and often also have a 20-year warranty from the manufacturer. These films usually only need to be replaced after a very long time. You can also repair larger leaks with liquid foil.
Procedure for renewal
First you have to empty the pond completely before removing the old liner. It is also recommended to remove the pond sludge, as this is the easiest way to remove the film.
It is best to dispose of the old liner along with the fleece and, before installing the new pond liner, lay a new layer of sand and a new pond fleece on top.
Step-by-step instructions for replacing the pond liner
- New pond liner
- Spade
- Wheelbarrow
- Dirty water pump
- sharp knife or cutter
- ev. Landing net
- ev. Replacement basin for creatures from the pond
1. Clear out the pond
First you have to remove the creatures from the garden pond and bring them to safety. It is best to catch fish with a landing net and place them in a replacement tank until the exchange is complete.
2. Drain the pond
First suck the water out of the pond. The best way to do this is to use a dirty water pump (€36.00 on Amazon). If you use other pumps, make sure the pump has a strainer, otherwise it could become clogged.
Then cut the old foil several times with a knife (if possible at the lowest point) to allow the remaining water to seep away.
3. Dispose of pond sludge and foil
It is advisable to dispose of the pond sludge because you can usually remove the film much more easily afterwards. You can simply add the pond sludge to the compost, it is purely organic waste.
The easiest way to remove the foil is to first chop it into pieces (use the spade for this).
4. Insert new foil
First create a new sand bed - it should be around 5 cm thick. Then place a new fleece on top and you can then lay the new foil on top of the fleece.
Tip
Information on what you need to consider when disposing of the film can be found in this article.
