When it comes to plastic sheeting liners, we are the experts. With almost 30 years of experience in the industry, trust us with the materials for your next project. Plastic sheeting is extremely versatile and can be used in nearly any project for any industry. One of the most popular uses we see at Americover is for aquaponics and hydroponics: both implementing the art of growing with the absence of soil and a heavier focus on water. When partaking in these methods, having reliable plastic sheeting and liner materials is a must.
Plastic Sheeting Liners in Aquaponics and Hydroponics
While hydroponics and aquaponics share a majority of the same characteristics, aquaponics includes housing fish in the process. Hydroponics is simply the process of growing greenery suspended in water with no soil. With this method of growing, water retention is the base. That’s why it’s important to educate yourself on the type of plastic sheeting and liner that are used in these farming applications.
Can I Use Any Plastic Sheeting in my Aquaponics or Hydroponics Application?
Visqueen is a well-known brand of polyethylene plastic sheeting. It’s also a term often used for any type of regular plastic sheeting product. Sure, you can use any type of plastic sheeting, but results will definitely vary. Some obvious disadvantages to using just any type of plastic sheeting as a pond liner or trough liner include a shorter lifespan, increased risk of puncture damage, and the susceptibility of contamination. In most cases, Visqueen is manufactured with regrind resin, so it could contain things that are harmful to aquatic plants and fish if it leaches into the water.
What Are the Characteristics of a Good Aquaponics or Hydroponics Liner?
You obviously want something that is going to last when you install it. It’s not an easy task building a self-sustainable farm, so it’ll save you money in the long run to invest in high-quality materials when you start building it. Here are 4 features to look for when you start shopping for plastic sheeting liners for aquaponics or hydroponics applications.
- UV resistance – Whether your farm is indoors or outdoors, you’ll want something that isn’t going to experience premature degradation due to sun exposure. Considering your plants need sun to grow, UV resistance is essential to extending plastic sheeting’s service life.
- Puncture resistance – Considering your main goal is to retain water, you’ll want plastic sheeting that doesn’t rip, tear, or puncture easily. Thicker plastics like 12 mil or 20 mil, provide more resilience and make it much harder to damage, especially during installation.
- Virgin polyethylene – When plastic sheeting is manufactured with virgin polyethylene, it doesn’t contain little contaminates that cause the material to break down faster, or chemicals that produce off-gassing. This helps to create a healthy growing environment for both plants, roots, and fish.
- Waterproof – It’s important to know that water-resistant and waterproof are not the same. Water-resistant can resist water penetration, but over time, if submerged in water, it will eventually leak through. Waterproof means it’s impermeable to water leakage no matter how long it’s exposed to water.
Top Plastic Sheeting Liner Products for Aquaponics and Hydroponics
At Americover, we specialize in specialty plastic sheeting products and we’ve worked with many contractors, growers, and distributors in the aquaponics and hydroponics industry. Based on our experience with these professionals we recommend the following plastic sheeting liner products:
20 mil White Dura Skrim Reinforced Plastic Sheeting
This material has remained the top choice product for aquaponics and hydroponics pond liners and trough liners, especially when cost is an overriding concern. In comparison to other high-quality plastic sheeting liners, 20 mil White Dura Skrim is an ideal solution because it has all the features we mentioned above, and it’s FDA compliant.
HDPE & LLDPE Geomembrane Liners
We would rank HDPE and LLDPE as our second most reliable plastic sheeting solutions for aquaponics and hydroponics because of their custom fabrication capabilities. It’s stocked in standard roll sizes, but we also offer custom fabricated sizes with no minimum. In addition to custom sizes, they can also be pre-welded into a 3d shape so it can be used as a drop-in liner to meet your specifications. They are flexible and available in mil thicknesses from 12 mil all the way up to 100 mil.
These can be a good solution, but if you don’t have a reliable source like Americover, you run the risk of buying a liner that has plasticizers and no UV protection. We can source PVC for you, but it doesn’t rank as a high-quality solution among our customers.
This type of liner is also a solution for aquaponics and hydroponics but can be much more expensive. It can be a reliable, fish-friendly liner that is flexible and sturdy.
Still not sure which plastic sheeting liner to use for your aquaponics or hydroponics farm? Don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our experts. We pride ourselves on helping you find the right solution for your project.
Trusted by Growers, Builders, and Distributors
Americover is the smart source for plastic and polyethylene sheeting. Trusted by contractors and distributors across construction and agriculture industries, our American-made products combine reliability with quality and innovation.
As an Americover customer, you will receive the personalized support of a dedicated account manager to simplify the ordering process and ensure the best solution for every one of your projects. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff is here to answer your questions and fulfill orders Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. If you would like to speak with a representative, call us at 760-388-6294 or email us at inquiries@americover.com.