Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey Everyone,

I am planning to purchase the liner for my beds soon. Going to make 6 beds that are 4' x 8' x 19" . I plan to use these this long term and I am stuck at what liner should I use, I have been googling and reading the forums. Seems like EDPM is more bullet proof but, many are using Dura-skirm due to cost? Both solutions seem great! I have the funds for ether, so if you had your pick which would you use?

Seems like the industry is using both but, maybe that is due to pond liner being the original solution?


When I get done I would like to have the flexibility to move any of the beds from a dwc to a Ebb & flow, or vice versa.

Currently I am leaning towards EDPM because I seem to be... challenging for tools or materials... So bullet proof does have some greater allure assuming both perform equally.

EDPM is 45 mil
Dura-skirm 20mil

The more robust the better IMO.

I bought a 6ft x 50ft roll of Dura-Skrim 20WW and it is incredibly tough stuff. It's actually so tough that it's really difficult to fold it into the inside of a grow bed.

I haven't worked with EPDM but so far my experience with "sheet" membranes is that they're a lot of trouble and a lot less reliable than paint-on solutions.

From my reading the reason to choose dura-skrim over EPDM is mostly whether you plan on trying to sell your produce or not? Dura-skrim seems to be the only product which has the testing documented to be able to get "organic" certifications. There is a thread on here where someone had called Firestone and discussed their EPDM liner and the Firestone person said they have not changed the EPDM liner since the days when they carried the organic certifications, but the cost of testing they chose not to pay for the certification anymore because they have a different product they are promoting that they are paying for the testing on, but said they are still building their EPDM liner the same as they always did.

The important thing with EPDM liner is making sure you are getting an EPDM liner that is meant for ponds. There are EPDM liners which are made for roofing and other items which have other additives that probably aren't good, so if you are going EPDM I personally would go with the Firestone brand name.

I decided to go Firestone EPDM liner for my system, because organic certifications aren't important to me I'm not trying to sell my produce.

If you are finding a dura skrim and EPDM that are priced the same for the same size I'd probably have gone dura skrim, but when I was looking the dura skrim was close to 2x more expensive than EPDM.

When I ordered my Dura-Skrim roll in 2015 from Americover, Inc, the price was $100.59 for a 6ft x 50ft roll. I had to pay $36.90 for ground shipping.

At the time, EPDM was more expensive than that. I haven't checked on pricing since then.

325 for 6x100 from tclynx http://www.aquaponiclynx.com/ultra-scrim-fgc

I think I paid 150 for my epdm which was I think 20x20 roughly, I forget the exact size. So I guess it's not really much more expensive for duraskrim

I have an EPDM pond liner for my pond, but I'm considering Dura Scrim for my new DWC bed.

Being a DWC it's easy enough to drain it and replace the liner if I decide I don't like it, be more of a pain with a media bed.

The pond has got a bog filter filled with gravel which I dug out with a shovel and cleaned a little while back. I wasn't too careful about hitting the liner with the shovel when I was digging and no harm was done. I adjusted the shape of the overflow back into the pond by smacking the liner with a rubber mallet to move the earth around, again no harm done.

There's no denying that EPDM is tough stuff.

EPDM is somewhat stretchy/rubbery, right?

The Dura-Skrim has no give at all. Partly because HDPE is a stiffer plastic but also the reinforcing weave means that it won't stretch to conform to shapes at all.

I used Firestone EPDM liner for my front GB that has rock in it.
I used Dura Scrim for my DWC. I also ordered from Americover but I had to call them to get a cheaper shipping rate. They were easy to work with.
EPDM is more forgiving for sharp rocks.

Yep, EPDM conforms to shapes, that's why I used it in the pond.

Hopefully I can fold the durascrim enough to line a simple box when the time comes.