There are a multitude of pond liner materials available in the UK market that include Swedish Butyl Rubber, Firestone Pond Liner, Greenseal Rubber,PVC and many more. Each offering it's own unique composition and in some cases,restrictive or limited use dependent upon the type or quality,therefore it is extremely important from the outset to choose wisely as the wrong material selection could prove to be a costly exercise should a problem arise.
These days,as with most manufactured products,materials are often "renamed" or "rebranded" by either a retailer / distributor from their original manufactured name - this is usually done to protect the manufacturing source or create own brand awareness i.e. Firestone Pond Liner is also marketed under the Gordon Low Products Aqualast or Stephens Plastics Aquacare own brand products.
To the layman,this can sometimes be a little confusing when seeking a suitable pond liner material. Unfortunately there are a few retailers that deem it necessary to misrepresent or mislead the general public as to the actual type of material that is being purchased i.e.
Aqualast Butyl Rubber - no such material
Firestone Butyl Rubber - no such material
Firestone Aqualast Butyl - no such material.
These are 2 completely different material compositions (Butyl Rubber and EPDM) misrepresented as one combined material.
What clouds the issue further, are materials that are promoted using similar sounding brand names to Butyl. Ensure that you are purchasing proper Swedish Butyl Rubber manufactured by Trelleborg / Varnamo Sweden.
Material Identification
Firestone Pond Liner membrane is totally smooth in appearance.
Swedish Butyl Rubber has a slightly embossed or textured surface.
Swedish Greenseal Rubber has a slightly embossed or textured surface and slightly more "stretch/flexibility" to Butyl Rubber.
HD PVC - Smooth in appearance
Tips
In order to safeguard against the possibility of being sold an inferior quality or misrepresented material we recommend:
If not pressed for time - request product samples from a few retailers to compare both quality and inspect any differences in the materials on offer.
Whether buying direct or mail order,request the retailer confirms the exact type of material on offer and if possible,name the manufacturer.
Remember ponds are both time consuming and costly to construct and it could prove costly if the initial material selection was incorrect or not designed for that application.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information or free product samples.