Buying or Building A Water Fountain: Things to Consider
A great deal about fountains has changed over the last decade.
Now there are really high class ones made of copper, bronze, concrete,
and stone, and some fairly nice ones made of resin and fiberglass.
There are several things to consider, though. As a pump wholesaler,
I speak with fountain owners all the time and also look at lots
of samples of fountains at trade shows and in magazines. Before
purchasing a fountain, there are quite a few questions to ask.
What looks good in a store might not look good at your home or
business. Or it might look good for the first month or year but
then you’ll get tired of it. Fountains are usually around for
a long time; in fact, concrete and stone ones last centuries and
are hard to remove once they’re installed. Here are things to
consider.
Bronze Fountains
These are at the high end of fountains, and can retail for
ten to twenty thousand dollars. They are plain classy. But will
one of these fit in where you want to put it? Do you have the right
yard or business or location for such a classic kind of display?
Also, do you like the aging process (the verdigris patina) that
bronze undergoes. Can you afford one of these? If you answered yes
to these questions, a bronze fountain might be right for you. It
will last your lifetime, your kids’ lifetimes, their kids’ lifetimes,
etc. And they are durable enough to be moved from house to house.
Copper Fountains
Like bronze fountains, these too tend to be classy, especially
the name brand ones like Water Wonders, which mix copper with glass
and slate. These make especially nice wall fountains. There are
certain things to think about, though. Are you locating the fountain
in a room with good acoustics? Some rooms make the pump noise really
echo, especially small rooms with walls that are close together.
Do you know someone or can you hire an electrician to hide the cord
in the wall? These fountains are a bit too expensive to buy if you’re
going to let the cord run outside the wall for everyone to see.
Finally, it is a good idea to go listen to them run at a store before
purchasing. Some of them make little water noise and some make a
lot. To increase water sound you might have to turn up the pump
to the point of there being slight splash. But if you are careful
and go to a store with Water Wonders or other copper fountains on
display before purchasing, and are happy with what you see and hear,
these are great fountains. >
Concrete Fountains
These still provide the most bang for the buck, primarily
because concrete is so inexpensive. In fact, a huge part of the
cost of concrete fountains is in transporting them to stores for
sale and in the labor of painting them. The concrete itself is the
least expensive part of the fountains’ manufacture. There are some
differences in how they are made, though. Some companies, like Brandelli’s,
use a “light” mix: their fountains are not nearly as heavy as those
produced by, say, Avila’s. Also, some companies like Brandelli’s,
use a stain over concrete, whereas others, like Avila’s or Lomelli’s,
use paints (usually more than one at a time) or stains. Also, most
concrete companies (though not all) reinforce their fountains with
steel. This makes them strong but also means the concrete must be
sealed. If not painted (as most fountains from Mexico are not),
then they do need to have a clear sealant put on them. Otherwise
the water will seep through to the steel, which will rust. Eventually,
the fountain is likely to crack. One final word of advice on concrete,
beware of “cute.” Cute fountains (mama dogs with baby dogs, boys
peeing) sometimes don’t look so cute over time. Ask yourself if
you’ll still think the fountain is cute years later. Remember, concrete
fountains can last hundreds of years. And they are difficult to
move so pick something that will stay put. The traditional Italian
3-tier fountain is always a safe bet.
Resin and Fiberglass Fountains
The quality of these has gotten a lot better, and they have
the clear advantage of being more easily handled than concrete ones.
Some do look like concrete and stone, though they tend to look much
more realistic at first glance than they do after a week has passed.
Then it is pretty clear that they are faux. These are also a lot
easier on employees who work in stores, as they don’t have to worry
as much about their backs. We would sell these at our store but
just don’t like their looks as well as the real thing.
Stone Fountains
These look incredibly good or mediocre. The handcrafted stone
fountains out of Mexico and many of the large ones out of China
are beautiful. But there are also mass-produced stone fountains,
which use crushed stone mixed with resin. These just don’t look
like real stone to us even though they are.
Making Your Own Water Fountain
There are lots of ways to make your own fountains. The easiest
way, perhaps, is to place a pump in a small tub or on some liner.
Then place a wire or plastic grate on top of the tub or the liner,
and layer pebbles, rocks, etc. over the wire or plastic grate. Your
pump and plumbing will be hidden! No one will no where your water
is coming from. You can then connect black PVC piping to the pump
(black sprinkler pipe is incredibly inexpensive yet professional
looking) and let the water rise up seemingly out of rocks in your
yard. You won’t have to worry much about pets as the water source
is covered with stones. Likewise, you won’t have to worry about
kids drowning. You can also build a little waterfall over such a
pit if you want, just throwing in boulders to hide your electric
and tubing, etc. Some people use bamboo for spouts. You can also
drill holes through slate (we’ve found it’s really easy if you soak
the slate for a day first). Slate is so porous, however, you ought
to seal it once you’re done drilling. You can also find rocks in
nature that already have holes in them.
How Big of a Pump do I need?
Basically, if you buy a fountain at a store you should have
instructions on the best size pump for that particular piece of
garden art. If you are making your own fountain, here is a rule
of thumb: for every inch of width you need to pump 100 gallons per
hour. But note that a 100 gallon per hour pump is not pumping the
same volume at one foot head (elevation above the pump), two feet
head, three feet, and so forth. If you are making your own fountain,
it is likely you will have to guess which size to buy, and you might
be wrong the first time you build one. Most pumps are adjustable
but often can be adjusted down only a bit. However, magnetic-driven
pumps, the most common kind, are inexpensive and durable. You can
find them online at many wholesale
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