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Buying or Building A Water Fountain: Things to Consider
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. We have been selling Water Wonders 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 tores, 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 a100 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 pumps
About the author:
Michael Guista is owner of Fountain Mountain, Inc, which sells
pumps wholesaleand
retail and also sells fountains, both
wholesale and retail. He has published two books (Fountain
Mountain Press and Houghton Mifflin, respectively).
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