EPDM Liner over stacked concrete bags

rams2050

10 years ago

Hi, all!

As some of you may remember I built a pond out of stacked concrete bags, which have been allowed to weather and harden, then lined this above ground pool with EPDM rubber. The liner was large enough that there is quite a bit lapping over the top layer of concrete bags.

Here is my dilemma:

I am all for trimming the liner and installing coping stones on top of it. Later, probably next spring, I would stucco the exterior of the concrete bags to help make them even more impervious to weathering. I also plan to build garden planters, from real stone, on the rear of the structure, again to help stabilize it.

My husband, on the other hand, seeing all that good EPDM rubber draping from the top of the pond on several sides, has another idea: he would like to leave the EPDM where it is and then next spring build up the exterior of the pond with real rock mortared into place over the EPDM.

I agree; that might be more weatherproof and it might help protect the concrete bags, but my concern is that the EPDM would act like a barrier and that a micro-climate would be created beneath it which would actually be more harmful (condensation, then freezing) to the integrity of the concrete bag structure than would being exposed to the elements.

We have absolutely no experience with ponds, although our pond is looking fabulous (I will post photos later today), and so we are lost as we try to decide what to do.

We will start up the pump later today and see how the water runs. This is so exciting!

Thank you for any help or suggestions you may provide us.

Comments (3)

mckool
10 years ago
Shalom - just a thought - maybe peel back the liner and use great stutff in fill the voids and then put back the liner and let the great stuff expand and form a seal between the bags and liner ( the cheaper - Walmart has a cheap brand and since it will be covered it may be the most economical)

Maybe use concrete topping or cement and make a paste and apply like a stucco or plaster wall over the bags
rams2050
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you for the great ideas. I like them, and I will probably incorporate them into my design.

Again, thanks for taking the time to reply.
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sleeplessinftwayne
10 years ago
Having had the misfortune of having a fair number of packaged concrete mix bags stacked that were rained on rather heavily several times, I can probably add a couple of cautions. ( I was injured and could not get into the yard to take care of the problem.)

Stacked bags do not absorb moisture evenly resulting in very poor structure. Some of it results in good sized chunks and some in crumbles that don't stick together.

The paper bags deteriorate and rip apart allowing the separate cured contents to slip and slide or just crumble away to cause loss of any original structure. Once a bag has deteriorated, it is impossible to pick up or move the resulting concrete without it falling apart.

Mortar doesn't help since air and water pockets are formed that cause uneven expansion and contraction. This destroys any cohesion in the cement.

Even if there is EPDM on top of the stack. the bags will absorb moisture from the ground. Once again this will cause uneven curing and a collapsing structure. The top will rapidly (depends on weathering conditions, number of bags stacked, etc) become uneven causing any coping stone placed on top to become uneven.

The idea of a stone wall built on the outside of the stack may be feasible (much like ancient rubble filled walls) but any debris will eventually work its way down between the ground and the EPDM without an inner wall as well. Coping stones would need to be placed on the walls for proper support, rather than the bags.

By their nature stucco and plaster coatings are thin and very fragile. Moist conditions make them more fragile and pretty much temporary.

Casting or pouring cement is a much better use of the material.