I have done my one large pond more than once (don't ask). The first time I
put down paper and when I went in the second time that paper had entirely
gone back to the earth. I won't ever trust paper as a liner again. The
carpet I put in the second time was entirely intact when I moved the liner
from that pond to another (pond bug made me do it) and served very well as
a buffer between the liner and roots and rocks I could not remove. The only
think negative that I heard when I was asking about using it is that if you
have overlapping edges that make for a heavy seam that this can cause a
weakness in the liner at the seam. Don't know if this is true since I
haven't had any problem with what I have. DK
"Mickey" wrote in message
...
I don't have shale either but I can tell you what I used as food for
thought. I put down sound sand to smooth things out. Then I put down lots
of
old newspaper probably 1/4" thick. Then a layer of carpeting it was a
beautiful brown then the EPDM liner.

"Phyllis and Jim Hurley" wrote in
message . ..
We have all struggled with the labor of 'the hole'. Yours sounds
particularly messy. May you finish and get to enjoy it this year.

We used carpet for the sub-liner for the falls (main pond is concrete),
but
did not have to face shale. The synthetic carpet has help up well, but
over
20 years, one layer would probably not stay in good shape. Can't say
what
your shale would do over 20 years with rotten carpet only as buffer
between
it and the liner. Maybe someone selse will have better knowledge. A
lot
depends on the size and sharpness of the shale!

We look forward to seeing your pond...this year?

Good luck.

Jim

--
____________________________________________
Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per jogger) at:
www.jogathon.net
See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley
"pixi" wrote in message
...
Is old carpeting an adequate underliner when the soil is permeated
with
broken shale?

I have been working on this !@#$ pond for almost a year now. Got the
hole
dug last September via backhoe. We have groundhog shale, so even
planting
a
shrub is backbreaking work. Then it started to rain and rain and rain
and
I
had to quit for the winter.

So this year I have hired a young teenager to help. We have finally
gotten it leveled and the waterfall form is dug out. T oday I am
going
to
angle the shelves so that stones won't fall into the pond.

Then out come the concrete blocks that I have been using for a pivot
to
keep
the edges even. And that lucky teenager will get to shovel the loose
shale
out of the bottom.

Don't know if we'll get the terrace flagstoned this year or not. My
neighbor gave me tons of flagstone and I have to get it from his yard
to
mine before he forgets he gave it to me and it disappears.

Well, I'm rambling. So will close.

I'm beginning to hope that the pond will be finished this year. Wish
me
luck. Pixi