What is butyl rubber film and where is it used?

When decorating landscape design and not only it is recommended to find out what butyl rubber film is, and where it is used. An overview of the pond liner can play an important role. It is also worth giving a general description of the products, considering the use of EPDM film for ponds and pools.

Lakes, ponds are an excellent opportunity to experience the beauty of water and relax 100%. However, just digging a hole and filling it with liquid is far from enough! Water leakage can be a serious problem. Butyl pond liner generally does a good job of removing this difficulty. Thanks to it, you can even completely abandon concrete and metal bowls, achieving the same effect.

The foil material guarantees excellent waterproofing properties. This solution is ideal for both large and small reservoirs. Officially, this product is called EPDM in foreign countries. This material is cheap, especially when compared to sprayed polyuria. The real difference between them in terms of the quality of protection is not too great.

The hot sun will not be an obstacle for installers. High-quality film withstands ultraviolet radiation. Neither PVC nor bentomata can boast of such dignity. The ecological properties of the material make it suitable for any children's pool, for drinking water supply, for a stocked or decorative pond. The service life of such a coating is very long.

No wonder that professional builders and landscape designers speak positively about butyl rubber sheeting. However, it may well be applied without any preparation. It is only necessary to take into account that the mass of most rolls exceeds 200 kg. But with the proper skill and well-thought-out work, you can lay the bottom yourself, including alone.

To use butyl rubber film for a pond, you must prepare:

• tape for bonding EPDM membrane;
• installation glue (for fastening to concrete, metal frame, wood or plastic);
• suture primer;
• a sealing agent that increases the resistance of the edges to mechanical stress;
• acetone (but other compositions with a degreasing effect can also be used).

However, in the absence of experience, it is more correct to contact professionals.... They will be able to correctly distribute the load on the bottom. Professional work is the best way to prevent pile wrinkling and de-insulating. There will be high requirements for the installation of a concrete pad. There are, in addition, a number of subtleties that must be taken into account.

It is not recommended to place a pond with a butyl rubber film near a tree or even from a developed bush. Plant roots are able to break through the waterproofing layer and disrupt the bottom. Accurate calculation of the bottom surface plays an important role - only on its basis it is possible to correctly assess the need for the material. Particular attention should be paid to checking the decorative elements at the edges of the pond; their violation of waterproofing and the integral character of the seams is unacceptable.

Crushed stone or sand cushion under butyl rubber film should only be used as a last resort. It is much more correct to put high-quality geotextiles under it. Therefore, the main stages of work are as follows:

• determination of the point of location of the pond on the territory;
• arrangement of the base;
• decoration;
• installation of additional equipment as required.

Stereotypical solutions with a blue or blue pond bottom have long been outdated. Rather, their use betrays the lack of original taste and creativity. The variety of options for coloring the film is very large. It is quite possible to pick up, for example, various shades of brown or green.... The place for installing the pond is selected taking into account the optimal configuration and other subtleties. Butyl rubber allows you to transfer even rather complex geometric shapes of the substrate. However, errors can be eliminated only when taking into account the allowance. Normally, it will be about 0.5 m and will allow you to fix the sheet at the edges. To make the result more effective, the width or length of the reservoir to be created is added with twice the depth. Whether to dig a pit or erect walls of the required thickness without digging the soil is up to people themselves.

The film should be laid unfolded at least 30 minutes before laying.... The flooring must be formed without tension. It should lie completely free. The canvas is unrolled, starting from the coast, from top to bottom. Other installation methods are not permitted.

It is undesirable to allow horizontal connection of the sheet. The film is leveled along the shore, laying the edges in a previously prepared trench along the perimeter. Water is supplied to the middle part of the film, which will distribute the canvas in accordance with the selected shape. The necessary folds on the slopes are formed with their own hands as the container is saturated with water. During the construction process, there is often a need to glue the film or repair it. For this purpose, use special adhesive mixtures and tapes of the same companies that made the material itself. A sealed connection can be obtained using assembly adhesives. Formulations such as Bonding Adhesive, will allow the strips to join, and stick them on some kind of base.

The use of adhesive tapes is also allowed.... In this case, the film is thoroughly cleaned and degreased. Hot vulcanization also plays an important role. This method guarantees excellent security and excellent elasticity of the seams.

On average, 7-10 dollars are paid for 1 m² of film with a layer of 1 mm or more. It is worth remembering that each supplier calculates the price according to its own scheme... Along with square meters and running meters, the cost can be calculated both per roll and per kilogram. Most often, coatings are purchased with a thickness of 0.5, 0.8 and 1.02 mm. The thinnest material is naturally cheaper than others, but it is not suitable for large bodies of water.

A high-quality two-layer membrane guarantees the reliability of waterproofing for several decades. Thick material from Spanish, American and other manufacturers is sold for about 300-400 rubles per square meter. You can buy a running meter with a width of 6-8 m for about 3000 rubles.Buying a roll with a thickness of 0.8 mm (with a declared warranty period of 50 years) of 15x20 will cost 100 thousand rubles.

The products of the elite division can reproduce the appearance of natural stone, gravel and other natural materials. The cost of such a product starts from 700 rubles per 1 m². The best quality products are supplied by Italian factories. Products from Germany and the USA are slightly worse. Among the individual manufacturers, you should pay attention to the following companies:

• Agrilac;
• Izofol;
• WTB Elbesecur;
• Renolit;
• Gardena;
• Heissner;
• EPDM PondLiner;
• Larex;
• Ergis;
• OASE;
• Pontec.

In the next video, you will be installing butyl pond sheeting.