Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Pouring concrete over a liner?

I am interested in lining a koi pond and pouring concrete over the liner.

Any one ever done this before or have sugestions.

Should I have dirt under the liner or set it on top of more concrete to ensure there is no funny business.


I have never worked with liners, but no time like the present, well... mabeye I'll wait till the snow melts.

While not over a liner, google "shotcrete".

You might try a website like "Koiphen" to get feedback from Koi enthusiasts on this. This is great website for ponds but typically we raise fish other than Koi.

http://www.koiphen.com/forums/index.php

A couple of inches of concrete over a liner will make a big diff where you know hoofed or clawed critters are going to merrily amble about in a pond, where storm tossed branches may lance through, it will keep the liner from being damaged.

Before putting the liner in, a priority is to make sure you don't lay it on anything with sharp edges like cut roots or stones. On a small pond, it may be practical to lay old synthetic carpet remnants, or a bed of sand to make sure the weight within the liner does not puncture the liner, forcing it onto a sharp object

One downside to concrete on liner, being a slippy surface the concrete will slide on gradients when wet. Extensive forme work is used for pouring concrete where steep or vertical sides are involved.

But, as the concrete is being used to 'armour' a liner, there's no reason why laying the concrete can't be done in stages, floor, then easy sides, then tricky sides...

When making an 'armoured' pond you would get the benefit of two materials, ages durability of concrete to resist hard knocks and the ages durability of a liner which won't be vulnerable to punctures, or exposure to uv and going brittle, the main weaknesses of liner ponds...

Regards, andy
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100% totally agree with Andrew but when I build an armored pond for a customer I will place the carpet on both sides of the liner. This will protect the liner from the concrete should it contain sharp aggregate or crack in the future and rub through causing a leak. Another suggestion is to place a very small weaved galvanized wire down in between the dirt and first layer of carpet. This will provide protection from chipmunk, ground squirrels, moles, voles, etc chewing holes through the liner.... Awesome waterlilys Andrew

Thanks Guys!! Sure hope I get this project.