Planning is the quintessential component you should focus on in any pond design. And, one key choice you will make will concern the pond liner.

After you have made your choice of pond position, you will need to look at the size and shape of pond you want. Try to take into account the stocking level of the pond when finalising the size and depth and make sure you incorporate different shelving levels and a sloping bank into the design. The shelves will provide a suitable place to position aquatic plants and a gently sloping shelf will enable and wildlife that may accidentally fall into the pond an easy route to escape.

When you are happy with the shape and size and have removed any sharp objects from the base of the pond you should line all the surfaces with a layer of sand. This will provide a suitable base surface for your underlay and pond liner.

You should always incorporate liner underlay into the design, it will give added protection to the liner and hence prevent the liner from being punctured by any sharp objects such as twigs, roots or stones.

There is a good choice of pond liners available from online aquatic stores and while Butyl has been the liner of choice for many years, a new and equally good alternative you may want to think about is Epalyn. This can be formed easily to the shape of your pond and is easy to work with. Many stockists of this material offer a lifetime guarantee with this type of material making it the perfect choice for the lifetime of your pond.