Had a similar issue with woven fabric myself—after a year or so it turned into a muddy mess underneath. Switched to non-woven and it's been smoother sailing since. Curious though, has anyone tried layering different materials to balance drainage and durability? Wondering if that might help avoid some of these headaches down the road...
"Curious though, has anyone tried layering different materials to balance drainage and durability?"
Funny you mention layering—I actually experimented with something similar last spring. Had a client whose rain harvesting setup kept clogging up, and the woven fabric underneath was a disaster after just one rainy season. We ended up layering non-woven geotextile fabric over a thin gravel bed, then added a layer of coarse sand before placing the tank base. The idea was to improve drainage without sacrificing stability.
Honestly, it worked better than I expected. The gravel and sand combo seemed to keep things from getting muddy or compacted, and the non-woven fabric prevented finer particles from washing down and clogging everything up. It's only been about eight months now, but so far it's holding up nicely—no muddy messes yet.
Still, I'm curious how it'll hold up long-term... Has anyone else tried something similar for longer periods? Would love to hear if this is sustainable or if we just got lucky this time around.
Interesting approach—I haven't tried exactly that combo, but I've seen similar layering setups hold up pretty well over a couple years. Seems like you're on the right track... fingers crossed it stays solid long-term.
I've seen setups similar to yours hold up pretty decently, too—though I always get a bit cautious about long-term reliability, especially with rain harvesting. One thing I'd suggest is keeping an eye on the layering materials every few months. Sometimes settling or shifting happens over time, and catching it early can save you headaches later. But yeah, sounds like you're thinking it through pretty well... good luck with it!
Had a similar setup at one of my rentals a while back, and honestly, I didn't find the layering to be the main issue. For me, it was more about algae buildup—especially in warmer months. Curious if you've thought about shading or UV filters at all?
