The 'Daddy' of pond liners - but why is Butyl in decline as a pond lining material.
Butyl is a synthetic rubber that was discovered in 1931 and was first used to make the inner tubes for bicycle tyres. It wasn’t long before it was realised that this airtight, watertight yet flexible material would make great material for pond liners. For many years butyl rubber became the 'de facto' standard for professional landscapers. Pick up a gardening textbook and turn to the pond section and you will often see butyl pond liners recommended.
Polymer Problems
Unfortunately in recent years the exact polymer used in the make-up of Butyl has become prohibitively expensive. The same polymer is used in other products such as car tyres and a lack of polymer availability has seen its price increase. We still stock butyl pond liners as they are still asked for and many customers swear by them. Once a pondkeeper finds something that works they find it hard to give it up! However, butyl rubber has been surpassed by EPDM rubber – a slightly different type of rubber pond liner but with better characteristics than butyl.
Butyl Pond Liner Options
Butyl can be purchased in varying thicknesses of 0.75mm, 0.80mm and 1.00mm. The most popular ‘weight’ is 0.75mm. At this weight the pond liner folds nicely into even the tighest corners without the creases becoming too deep. One of the most positive characteristics of butyl pond liner is its elasticity. The way it gives, means that it can stretch into the most complex shapes. The textured finish found on Butyl makes it great for creating pond waterfalls – the texture helps to grip the rocks before they have been mortared down into position.
Butyl pond liner appearance once installed
A butyl pond liner should provide over 20 years of service as long it is correctly installed with a good pond liner underlay. Over time the butyl pond liner will take a certain external sheen on its appearance. Many people like this as it looks like a natural ‘aged’ look – those who want their pond liner to look the same as the day they installed it should consider a pvc or ldpe pond liner.
Butyl pond liner repair
Should a butyl pond liner ever need repairing then this is easily achieved using ‘cold glue’. A relatively inexpensive double-sided adhesive tape that can be used to join pond liners together or to repair a patch.