Pond Armor vs. Liquid Rubber

SOAP

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 29, 2014
20
0
0
Salem, Oregon-USA
When building your own wood ponds or tanks you end up with alot bigger bang for your buck. When it comes to waterproofing that bigger bang could also mean bigger damage. What your take on DIY Waterproofing.
 

fuzzlebug

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 3, 2014
419
62
46
scotland
Pond armour is easier to work with, it's like thick paint. But what people sometimes forget that pond armour, liquid rubber or any water proffer is that it won't make a plywood tank water tight, it'll just stop wood absorbing water. To make a waterproof build you need to silicone the seams and multiple layers of fibreglass sheets over every seem before applying the waterproof agent.


Sent from my iPod touch using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 

spiff44

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Dec 20, 2007
924
68
561
Midwest
Pond armour is easier to work with, it's like thick paint. But what people sometimes forget that pond armour, liquid rubber or any water proffer is that it won't make a plywood tank water tight, it'll just stop wood absorbing water. To make a waterproof build you need to silicone the seams and multiple layers of fibreglass sheets over every seem before applying the waterproof agent.


Sent from my iPod touch using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Have you used any of these products? Everything you say here is false.

Pond Armor is one of the most difficult products to work with due to its putty like consistency, though it is thinnable.

BOth epoxy and liquid rubber epoxies are water proofing products that work on their own. Fiberglass is used to reinforce the structure and helps to contribute to waterproofing too, but isn't necessary if the structure is built to a certain spec.

And you would never want to put silicon under any other product.
 

fuzzlebug

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 3, 2014
419
62
46
scotland
Like you said its like putty, unless you thin it, like you are suppose to... And I think it was VLdesigns tank on here that leaked constantly when he used just pond armour on its own. When he sanded it back and applied multiple layers of fiberglass matting to every Sean it stopped leaking at the seams. But because of his plywood tanks size the pressure of the water created pinhole fractures in the wood that allowed the pond armour to stretch and caused more leaks. So pond armour on its own is not the solution, and gold label silicone worked fine in my experience when used on the seems of a plywood build as it stretches as the plywood is pushed apart.


Sent from my iPod touch using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 

rodger

Polypterus
MFK Member
Apr 29, 2008
3,343
283
92
Kansas City
When building your own wood ponds or tanks you end up with alot bigger bang for your buck. When it comes to waterproofing that bigger bang could also mean bigger damage. What your take on DIY Waterproofing.
This doesn't make much sense to me. You end up with a bigger bang with which product? I have used pond armor and liked it. I am not interested in liquid rubber because silicone won't stick to it.

Sent from my SCH-S960L using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

spiff44

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Dec 20, 2007
924
68
561
Midwest
This doesn't make much sense to me. You end up with a bigger bang with which product? I have used pond armor and liked it. I am not interested in liquid rubber because silicone won't stick to it.

Sent from my SCH-S960L using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

Silicon does stick to Sanitred... but with Sanitred you don't need silicon as they have a primer that will let you bond the product straight to a glass or acrylic window. But if you still wanted to use silicon you could.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RichardKranium

spiff44

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Dec 20, 2007
924
68
561
Midwest
Like you said its like putty, unless you thin it, like you are suppose to... And I think it was VLdesigns tank on here that leaked constantly when he used just pond armour on its own. When he sanded it back and applied multiple layers of fiberglass matting to every Sean it stopped leaking at the seams. But because of his plywood tanks size the pressure of the water created pinhole fractures in the wood that allowed the pond armour to stretch and caused more leaks. So pond armour on its own is not the solution, and gold label silicone worked fine in my experience when used on the seems of a plywood build as it stretches as the plywood is pushed apart.


Sent from my iPod touch using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
He had a successful build doing the same thing, so what is the point? Please stop giving advise on things you don't know about.

Water pressure has nothing to do with the pinholes.

And Pond armor doesn't stretch.
 

fuzzlebug

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 3, 2014
419
62
46
scotland
He needed to use fiberglass and Pond armour, as pond armour by itself will not make the structure watertight so whenever you are building a plywood tank you need to use more than just liquid rubber, or pond armour or any other waterproofing resin. And the pressure of the water did I fact create pinhole fractures in the wood, as its plywood the more you compress it the more holes and air gaps in the wood will appear. This causes the pond armour to be pushed into these voids and gaps which stretches and seperates the coating causing leaks. And I have used pond armour and other waterproofing resins so I feel I can comment on a subject I do know something about.
 

spiff44

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Dec 20, 2007
924
68
561
Midwest
He needed to use fiberglass and Pond armour, as pond armour by itself will not make the structure watertight so whenever you are building a plywood tank you need to use more than just liquid rubber, or pond armour or any other waterproofing resin. And the pressure of the water did I fact create pinhole fractures in the wood, as its plywood the more you compress it the more holes and air gaps in the wood will appear. This causes the pond armour to be pushed into these voids and gaps which stretches and seperates the coating causing leaks. And I have used pond armour and other waterproofing resins so I feel I can comment on a subject I do know something about.

I'm sorry but everything you say keeps proving otherwise.. as either someone who has actually used these products or knows anything about them. Its bad enough that you're posting this information that can cost someone thousands of dollars not to mention the wasted effort, but you're going to argue about it too?

The Pond Armor pinholes is caused by the epoxy drying and leaving pinholes.... no other reason.

POnd Armor pushed into the wood? What, are you filling it while its still wet?
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store