The exact shape or look of a pond may not matter too much when it’s built for a utilitarian purpose, like watering crops or livestock. However, decorative ponds are largely defined by their shape and layout since it’s the most visible part of the design. A pond can’t just look great from above ground. It must fit into the landscape and complement the existing curves and lines. Even with modifications, rigid preformed pond liners all end up looking the same. It’s much harder to get a preformed liner to look natural than a flexible material.
Visible Lip
The lip of the liner, that rests over the edge of the pond banks, is the hardest part of a preformed liner to disguise. Since it’s not flexible, you can’t simply tuck it under soil or sand and create a natural looking transition. Almost all preformed pond liners are surrounded with large slabs of stone or mounds of gravel to cover the lip. Since it only protrudes a few inches out from the edge of the pond, this lip is prone to working its way free from materials piled over it for a disguise. You may find your pond’s edges become more visible after each winter due to frost heaving. Flexible pond liners are easily cut, shaped, and covered to create a seamless transition from the bank to the water.
Waterfall and Fountain Features
Many pond owners dream of adding waterfalls and fountains to their decorative ponds but are surprised at how hard this can be with a preformed liner. These liners are designed to primarily hold still water with little to no disturbances. This is why there’s only a small lip at the edge of the pond to cover the bank. If you add a waterfall or fountain, that causes splashing and small waves, you’ll find your banks soaked and likely to collapse around a preformed liner. Flexible liners are easily extended as far as you like over the bank, protecting it from erosion no matter how much splashing occurs. As an added benefit, disturbing the water’s surface is a great way to introduce oxygen to the water and control algae growth. Yet, the pond must be designed to compensate for the effect on the banks.
Bank Options
As mentioned before, rigid pond liners must be covered with slabs of rock, chunks of stone, or gravel to hide the lip. This leaves you with no other options for designing a bank that looks like a beach or a naturally planted area. While rock slabs and gravel may protect against bank erosion for short periods, the water eventually carries away the soil below. The edges of the preformed liners don’t protect against this erosion. In contrast, a layer of flexible liner definitely will provide wonderful protection when extended far enough. Stick to flexible liners so you can choose from a variety of bank styles and help your pond blend into the landscape.
Shelves and Overhangs
Fish and plant ponds work best when designed with gradual shelves that gently slope to the depths. Most preformed liners feature at least one set of shelves molded into the sides of the pond, but these spaces are very small and offer little room for holding the pots of partially submerged plants. When you design your pond with the flexibility of a quality liner, like AquaArmor from BTL Liners, you can create as many shelves as you like and even build overhangs that give fish the perfect place for hiding and spawning.
Don’t settle for the round, kidney, and rectangular shapes offered by preformed pond liners or box-welded liners that are even less creatively shaped. For a truly natural look, smooth a flexible liner over the curves of freshly excavated soil for a beautiful water feature with a natural appearance.
