Pond liner as protective flooring? Why not?

[Vandenberg]

I have an area 7'x12 feet that I am considering using a rubber hdpe pond liner as a disaster prevention tactic.
I'm assuming the 20 mil and less variety of liners are probably not up to the task of actually walking on the surface which takes me to the 40mm thick product.
My questions are preferably to those with experience in such matters that could advise me as to the pro's and cons of doing such a thing as using rubber liners, either previously or currently.
I believe I will install some roofing felt for good measure between the plywood floor and the rubber liner to provide atmospheric moisture a means of escape as to discourage any microbial growth under the liner as well as slight padding.
I'll use basic lumber to frame the floor as to raise the "pond" level in the event of an overflow up to 2x4 lumber height
Is my assumption that 20 mil would be too thin for durability reasons?
Will the 40 mil stuff cut it as far as actually walking in socks on it?
Is their superior way to easily attach this material besides staples...?
Waste of time or is It the way to go?

 

[Capt.Ahab]

I use a double layer of heavy mil plastic with Reflectix type insulated foil on top. Works great and has withstood a couple years worth of use. Its also easy to remove and clean between grows.

 

[Three Berries]

You could get rubber roofing and seam it.

 

[SuperBadGrower]

If you want no worries and an easy time, you can always consider EPDM pond liner made to your custom size.

EPDM used for kois and fish farming. Apparently less toxicity issues and no offgassing. I've heard of crops ruined by material offgassing
Probably an exaggeration for the hdpe, but eh

 

[Vandenberg]

EPDM is what I meant. EPDM is an extremely durable synthetic rubber membrane (ethylene propylene diene terpolymer) aka Koi Pond Liner.
I have High-density polyethylene (HDPE) on the brain due to other research on a different subject.
The use of reflectix sounds like a good idea.
I already have some 6ml plastic and some stray rolls of reflectix. That may help insulate the floor of the elevated trailers floor as a bonus so I may use that approach as it sounds likeLy it would work well to me.
Some super-dooper tape to secure in place perhaps.
Thanks for the idea. Maybe this post will be of help to others.
Any horror stories about what didn't work and resulted in catastrophic failures might be helpful here also, in as, don't bother because it just doesn't work type of experience's.

Happy gardening,
Vandenberg

 

[RandyCalifornia]

I've had whole rooms with hardwood floors lined with pond liner for over 15 years, works great.

 

[Ca++]

hdpe dpm comes cut for floor sizes, as it's for floors. It's use is extremely common, and has no luxury goods value attached to it. IIRC the last room I did was about 30$

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Tenner

 

[mme_oscar]

Hi, I wouldn,t grow without.
I've always use pond liner with growtents or whole room. It works as a charm. I use 0,5 or 0,8 mm and walk on. I never had offgasing. I had several flood in my years of growing but none was a real issue. When I grew in tents I used a frame on which I stapled on top the pond liner like you want to do. I've always made sure the quantity of water involved could be held by the said pond liner. (is: if I use a 200L tank the liner must be able to held 200L +).
I even did an ebb and flood system at floor level using those liner.

I used old carpet underneath when I used pond liner on top of hardwood floor. I never had any issue of condensation.

The only con I see is that it may be hard to set up really nice and tight by your own when used in large growroom.

 

[Ca++]

The last thing I ironed was dpm. The 1000ga is 0.25mm

Panda film is useless, and will get damaged if you turn on the ball of your foot. The 1000 has not left me wanting. Though it's not a hard surface as such. I think some spray glue might work in some instances, but I have not had to rethink it as yet.

Pond liner carries a 'posh bastard' tax here. If I wanted it to be really resilient, I would put carpet over the dpm. I know a lot of people don't like carpet, but I like the sound absorbancy and I seem to be forever on my knees.


I remember using some thin stuff years ago. To get it tight, we put a 50mm square of gaffer on the sheet. Stapled through it into the floor. Then put another 50mm square over to make it water tight. Much as you do when sheeting windows.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Mmmm... vaped carpet fiber gasses... yum! Seriously though, if you do use carpet I strongly recommend intake filters on your tent.

Ty so much for the info in this thread, I greatly appreciate it.

 

[Ca++]

If you want no worries and an easy time, you can always consider EPDM pond liner made to your custom size.

EPDM used for kois and fish farming. Apparently less toxicity issues and no offgassing. I've heard of crops ruined by material offgassing
Probably an exaggeration for the hdpe, but eh

hdpe is pretty good. Only ptfe offers better alcohol resistance. hdpe is buried as a barrier to stop knot weed spreading. Also placed in holes before concrete is poured. Many bottles containing chemicals are hdpe. It's pretty much inert, but can be chemically welded.

I just went to do a little reading. EPDM isn't very resistant, being based on synthetic rubber. It's use in ponds is because it can follow more complex shapes.

I was actually wondering if 0.25mm hdpe was tougher than 0.5mm epdm. I did find that hdpe can tear where epdm would stretch. hdpe being a plastic from oil, and epdm from rubber

In rip off britain, liners are about 5 times the cost of in the states. You would be lucky to find some types at all. So where I am, the differences are mute. I just pay the 20$ and get stapling around the skirting, like folding a bed sheet. Door off, and a plank across. Same with any alcoves formed by a chimney breast. Just board across them. Though the ability to solvent weld hdpe could be a deciding factor for some people. They line quarry walls by solvent welding sheets together. Then use the lined hole for disposal of chemical waste. I have access to big rolls used for this, and it's not remarkably thick. Just remarkably big. The tube is near 10 meters long.

Due to its general uses and chemical resistance, I don't imagine it would off-gas. Water mains are hdpe so it's pretty inert

 

[Ca++]

Mmmm... vaped carpet fiber gasses... yum! Seriously though, if you do use carpet I strongly recommend intake filters on your tent.

Ty so much for the info in this thread, I greatly appreciate it.

What about the carpet that's inside my tent?
It might actually be wool, but I'm not so bothered.
The dust indoors is grey, because it's mostly skin cells. Though I have a hard floor, I put down mats just to catch the ebb and flow of dirt that hard floors tend to gather in corners. There is no dander risk here, but I still like to keep the filth below visible levels. Carpet is good at catching it for removal with a hoover later.

I don't think plastic carpet fluff would get airborne and stay there for long. Wool walks room to room, but only the newest of carpets shows any transfer between rooms.
I'm going to shake the dice, and look after my knees while dampening the noise. They seem a little more immediate

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

I use black or purple 3M furnace filters on my intakes. You definitely will not find carpet fibers in my cannabis. lol

 

[Three Berries]

Just talking on another forum about how long radiator hoses last now and it is because they went to EDPM type synthetic rubbers. Great for heat and pressure cycles but I doubt if it can take the light. so would need painted or covered unlike plain rubber hoses.

 

[troutman]

I got a 45mil EPDM pond liner (15' X 15') last year and made a guerilla pool for water storage.
I also got a Geotextile pond underlayment to put down 1st in my hole to help protect the liner.
They work great and this Spring it was 1/2 full. I have to go check it sometime and throw lime to
drive the pH up of the extremely acidic water to kill the algae, bugs,etc. . I'm not growing there
this year, But do want it full and ready for 2023. I may even put down another once Summer ends
to make certain I'm never going to have to haul water far again.

 

[Chandrika]

Be a man and fiberglass a tub with a drain. None of that bolt on auto zone chit!

 

[Call_me_breeze]

I got this: Vinyl Pond Liner 20 oz. 22 mil Heavy Duty White Tarp (10' x 10') from Amazon, but the listing isn't there anymore. It's worked great for 5 years so far and it didn't stink like EPDM. I attached it to 2x4 on edge and I've walked in and found the damn thing 2" filled. Taller sides and it could be a swimmin' pool, or a greased up wrestlin' pit. I ran the panda wrap down into it and it's worked great, as far as I know, we'll see when I move out.

 

[Hammerhead]

Pond liner is very commonly used.. I've had it on my floor for 8+years.