Fine Garden Fountains

There are lots of different styles and choice of fountains too choose from and within this article it will run down so of the main types and their features.

Large

Now these are not for the average garden due to the sheer size of them, if you have a common garden then this probably would not be the best option for you.  They do range in size and weight and if you really want a large water fountain then they can make a good replacement for a pond or other type of water feature if your garden is a little smaller.  The measurements can be over sixty inches in height and width and they can weigh in at a wopping 60lbs or more, so if you are considering one of the large outdoor water fountains make sure you check out the statistics and that it will fit into your garden space before you undertake purchasing one.

Regular

The choice for most will be a regular sized outdoor water fountain and these range from the small birdbath style designs which are made of stone, through to the more contemporary stainless steel versions.  Many of the fountains are superbly crafted and often will be turned by hand and this gives every one a unique feel and look.  Very affordable and easy to install makes these a great gift for a relative or a excellent purchase to enhance your own garden.

3 Tiered

One of the best looking and most elaborate designs are the three tiered outdoor water fountains.  Usually standing on a plinth with three separate bowls on top this creates a visually stunning effect and really demonstrates all the wonderful elements of a water fountain.  The mix of the craftsmanship to create the exterior of the fountain with the constant flow of water encapsulates everything that is good about water fountains and will provide the garden with a stunning focal point.

Wall Style

If you do not have a great deal of space in the garden then the wall style outdoor water fountains will make the ideal arrangement.  These are ideal to place against a walled area as the design means they are higher than but not as wide as the regular fountains.  There are again with this style some unusual design effects to sometimes create a more irregular or rugged effect to disperse the water with ridges and bumps over the wall.  The wall style fountains are made from a range of materials including copper, stone and slate.

Modern

Leaving some of the traditional elements behind the modern outdoor water fountains make use of new materials to create the contemporary look for the new age gardens.  Generally, but not always these will be made of stainless steel or another like substance and this creates a superb effect as the water flows over the steel and shimmers in the sun light.



By: Chris Courtis

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Outdoor Water Fountains

Coming home each day can be a stress relieving period when you know you can relax with the sound of water falling in your living room. Indoor wall water fountains help to create the ultimate tranquil room in your home. The light playing on the wall as it falls over the wall and the sculpture creates an ever changing image in a work of art. They are also very beneficial for your health and beauty.

Indoor wall water fountains release negative ions into the air of your home from the moving water. These ions attach themselves to the airborne pollutants and take them out of the air, thus purifying the air that you breathe. The air inside your home is often more polluted than that of the outside with smoke, odor, and dust.

You can eliminate the need for an air purifier when you have one of these waterfalls in the living room or any other room of the home. Research has also shown that these negative ions have a positive effect on your brain activity and can be very helpful in reducing and treating depression.

Indoor wall water fountains (http://www.garden-fountains.com/Detail.bok?no=906) can be attached to the wall or be freestanding walls of cascading water. They are also available in a wide array of materials from nature, such as bronze, copper and slate. You can also choose the number of panels you would like to have in your wall fountain.

The norm is between one to three panels, but you can have as many as you wish. Those fountains that stand on the floor can be moved from one room to the other and do not require installation on a wall. They are also very easy to assemble.

Before you rush out to buy one of the wall water fountains, you should sit back and study the room in which you want to place it. You can choose a horizontal or vertical fountain, but you do need to make sure you have the space available, either on the wall or the floor.

You also need to look at the height of your ceilings to determine which type of fountain is best suited to this room. If you have high ceilings, them your best choice would be vertical wall water fountain (http://www.garden-fountains.com/Detail.bok?no=1236) because a horizontal model would be diminished by the height of the walls.

The depth of the wall water fountain is also another factor that you need to consider before you make your purchase. You do have to allow this depth from the wall and allow for the furniture that you will place beneath it. For example, if you want to have the fountain on the wall over the sofa, you want to make sure that there will be enough room to walk around the sofa and that it will not impeded the flow of traffic within the room.

Wall water fountains do not require any amount of care or maintenance. You can clean the glass with glass cleaners or with a mixture of vinegar and water. You may find mineral deposits collecting on the face of the fountain, but a simple cleaning with CLR and a bristle brush will take care of this for you. If you have pebbles in the fountain, you should not use any abrasive cleaners or water containing bleach because this will cause damage to the material behind the pebbles.



By: Sarah Martin

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Outdoor Garden Fountains

When a stream intersects the garden, this requires more work. You should use general treatment in expanding the water area considerably. One of the ways in which you can do this is to create a lily pond in that part of the garden beyond the brook, having an inlet and an outlet, thus securing water circulation.

Bays should be formed on the near side. Communication across the stream may be by means of a simple bridge, or stepping stones if the water is shallow. You should resist the temptation to give a “rustic” character to his bridge and think carefully about adding patio statuary, large fountains, or indoor wall fountains that are best left indoors. It should be a plain affair, well and firmly built, as befits its purpose, and with a hand-rail on either side.

There is a type of water garden which is frankly artificial and depends for its water supply on the kitchen tap or the pump. This last condition means that you should have some knowledge of the economy of water and that can best be done by devising what is called a circulating system.

The first consideration will be the planning of the ponds (for such they are) and in that you must be guided by the levels in your garden and your desires in the matter of water area. If there is a distinct slope in the garden surface, so much the better. It will help you come up with a simple arrangement for running off the water, as must be done from time to time to keep ponds clean and their tenants in healthy condition.

You must provide for the waste or overflow from the pond or series of ponds for when the garden slopes toward the house. The most convenient way is to carry it into a gully in connection with the house drainage system. When the slope is in a contrary direction the best expedient is to make a “soak-away” drain. This is merely a pit sunk in the soil and filled with rubble, into which the overflow pipe is conducted. Consider hiding the rubble with a large fountain such as a wall fountain or other type of patio water feature.

The ponds must be constructed with an impervious bottom by using cement or concrete. This means forming the bottom and building up the sides of the pond. If you use rock or rubble sides, they must be built in cement. You also have to be careful to make the joints watertight. You can make the floor with six or eight inches of concrete, faced with cement. The surface should not be finished to a dead level, but should have a slight fall toward the outlet, to facilitate running off the water.

If the pond sides are built of cement, you should make the edges battered with the edges showing. You can do this by first building a frame of wood. Fresh cement of good quality should be used, tempered with a third part of sharp sand. Pipes for inlets and outlets should be inserted when the sides of the pond are being made. If a single pond is installed it will only be necessary to carry a waste-pipe from its bottom to the drain.

This should be done in a straight line, if possible, to facilitate unstopping in case of obstruction. The most suitable piping is iron gas pipe of not less internal diameter than one and a half inches. A plug must be provided to close the inlet, which may be a simple cone of wood fitted to the bore of the pipe. Again, the piping can be hidden with the inclusion of large waterfalls, patio statuary, or garden fountains. When you want to make two or more ponds, they should be connected by piping into a single system, with the waste-pipe connecting the one nearest the drain to it.

If all ponds stand at the same level, the connecting pipes may enter and leave at the bottom, but if the levels are stepped, as would be the case on sloping ground, the overflow from each pond to the next lower one of the series must be placed at the water line, otherwise the water would all flow to the lowest pond. You can conveniently fill up the pond and drain it with the garden hose.



By: Allison Ryan

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Indoor Water Fountains

Installing large statuary in your garden in one unique way of complementing your landscape and make your outdoor spaces look just as good as the interior of your home. These statuaries are also fountains and to make things easier for you, consider placing them as close to the water source as possible. You must provide a firm base for the large statues that you choose and use flexible hose to connect the pump to the fountain. The resting place for the statuary must be level.

If you want to have a fountain in the middle of the statuary, you need to mount it on a pedestal designed just for that purpose. The pedestal will have a hollowed out section in the center where there will be a type of pond. In order for the fountain to function, you must make sure you keep this area filled with water. In this case, you can install the garden statuary (http://www.garden-fountains.com/Detail.bok?no=1072) anywhere in the garden because the water source comes from within. You can also make your own pedestal with a pool with bricks or stone and mortar.

Large statuary will suit any garden theme or decor. Choose a Greek or Roman style statuary or one that looks like a large angel. However, such a statue may look somewhat out of place in a country style garden. You can have the statuary free standing or have it attached to a wall if you want to give it more support.

Most large statues are made of precast concrete, but you can also have them made from fibreglass so that they replicate the old-fashioned look you want to create. They also come in various colors and different surface finishes. One thing you have to think about is whether or not you want to have fish in the large fountain (http://www.garden-fountains.com/Detail.bok?no=2914) area of the statuary. If so, you have to stay away from lead because this is toxic for fish.

You also have to be aware of where you place the statuary in your garden. If you have it in a place where it is constantly in the sun, then you will have to be diligent in keeping it clean because the sun leads to a build up of algae. In a fountain where you do not have fish, adding chlorine bleach to the water on a regular basis will help keep it free of algae.

Large statuary outdoors is usually hard to take indoors during the cold weather of the winter. You must take care to weatherproof it to keep it looking good all the time. If it is made of concrete, you need to apply a concrete sealer to keep the moisture from seeping through tiny cracks in the concrete and causing cracks to appear, which will mar the look of the statue and eventually cause it to fall into a state of disrepair. The water in the cracks will freeze and this may even cause the statue to ***** in half.

You do need to drain the water from the fountain in the fall of the year. If you can tip the base of the statuary, this is an easy task. If this is not possible, you have to pump the water it or siphon it out in some way. Cover the statue during the winter as well with sheets of plastic so that it won’t be exposed to the weather.



By: Sarah Martin

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Outdoor Water Fountains

An outdoor water fountain is a great complement to your garden or other outdoor space. Not only are water fountains elegant, they also have a soothing aura about them that is very relaxing. Depending on how much space you have, and your budget, you can find the one that is ideal for your needs from among the hundreds of types, sizes and materials available. Your outdoor water fountain can be wall mounted, freestanding, tabletop, floor fountains or the traditional statuary type. You will find a wide choice of materials ranging from metal, stone, concrete, terracotta, slate, etc.  Let us take a look at how you should care for your outdoor fountain during winter.

Winter Care For Outdoor Water Fountains

After enjoying your outdoor garden water fountain through summer and spring, it is time to take care of it when fall arrives with winter not far behind. Winter brings extreme cold temperatures and while your outdoor fountain might be sturdy enough to withstand the weather, you cannot allow the water to freeze in it since this could result in damaging the fountain and its pump. Portable outdoor fountains can simply be carried indoors or even stored in the garage until winter is over. But if you have a large outdoor water fountain, then there are several things you need to do to ensure that it is up and running after winter.

If your fountain can be moved, ideally is should be stored in your garage. It is often possible to dismantle tiered fountains, making them easier to store. Large fountains and fountains made of cast stone pose a problem with portability. Hence just before the temperature becomes sub zero, make sure that you drain the water out of the fountain. The pump must also be preferably removed and stored indoors through winter. This is a good time to clean out the pump to remove any build up of dirt and algae. A fountain cover would be a good investment now, so that you can keep the fountain from accumulating moisture. Covers are usually water proof material with a drawstring that help you fix it really tight, preventing it from blowing away in a breeze. These covers are available in different sizes to suit different outdoor fountain.

Outdoor fountains often come with nightlights that highlight the fountain after the sun has set. Illuminated fountains are available with their own LED lights. If not you can easily buy your own. Spotlights are also in vogue so that if you have an outdoor garden party, your fountain can provide the lighting you need. In summer, you can also relax in your garden during the cool evenings, enjoying the sight of your outdoor fountain and the water cascading down.

Nowadays there are trendy outdoor fountains that do not have a conventional shape. They are designed with abstract ideas and unusual materials. A majority of them are made of lightweight material, enabling you to move the fountain when necessary. Earlier outdoor fountains were common only in public places but today, they have become quite popular, especially the outdoor wall water fountains, at business houses and large homes.



By: Davis Marco

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Indoor Water Fountains

While wall fountains may come in varying styles, cascading wall fountains are some of the most popular. A cascading wall fountain consists of a wall hanging design with water cascading down chiseled slate or smooth granite. These falling sheets of water provide a mesmerizing effect. The smooth movement of the water and the soft buzz of the fountain combine to create an enthralling sight. How many times have you eaten at a chic restaurant and noticed the beauty of the swathes of water that flowed down black granite or steel?

The beauty of cascading wall fountains can be sourced to the fact that out of all the different styles of fountains, these most resemble waterfalls. Something about the non-stop flow of water over a smooth surface reminds you of an exotic place where water surges down from a single source with force.

Choice in Materials and Styles

Material and textures for a wall fountain may vary. Granite, slate, ceramic, and fiberglass are the most popular materials. Granite is obviously the most expensive material, but it lends itself particularly well to cascading wall fountains. The smooth polished surface of the granite and the ever so slight ripples of the water complement each other beautifully. Fiberglass is another fountain material that’s increasingly being used. For more ideas on choosing a distinctively designed wall fountain visit http://www.garden-fountains.com/Categories.bok?category=Wall+Fountains.

Fiberglass is lightweight, which makes a fiberglass wall fountain easier to install. It’s less expensive than other high quality materials like granite and is easier to maintain. Plus, fiberglass can be made to resemble the texture and appearance of stone, slate and other natural materials. Fiberglass cascading wall fountains can easily be shifted from one room to another. Get an idea of the beauty that a fiberglass wall fountain can add to your home, office or garden by checking out http://www.garden-fountains.com/Detail.bok?no=70. The inherent versatility of fiberglass wall fountains makes them a viable choice when designing with a particular budget in mind, and without compromising the integrity of your design concept. Steel is also another material that’s increasingly becoming popular due to its minimalist elegance. The clean lines of a steel wall fountain will juxtapose flawlessly with a minimalist design philosophy. It is perfectly suited to a corporate ambiance which requires an atmosphere of refined sophistication rather than to a cheery eatery.

Visitors to your office will no doubt be impressed when they catch a glimpse of a wall fountain at the entrance or while they wait in the lobby. It will be visually pleasing to them and the calming sounds of trickling water will give them a nice feeling of relaxation. You can customize these by adding your company name or logo to create a personal statement about your company. Textures can also be varied to bring about differences in the way the water flows. Corrugated surfaces produce a different ripple effect as the water flows down creating a magical effect. With the right illumination, the rippled surfaces seem to come alive. The right balance of falling water combined with a bit of cleverly placed luminance can achieve a scene which is certain to stir the senses. Whatever material, texture or style you choose, cascading wall fountains will rarely disappoint.



By: Elizabeth Jean

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Outdoor Water Fountains

Old age catches up with everyone and sometimes, it catches up with a vengeance. As a result, more and more senior citizens are going into assisted care environments, like senior centers. Senior centers provide a restful environment to their denizens and one of the details that makes for a soothing and relaxing senior center is a wall fountain. In addition to providing a soothing background noise, wall fountains offer a wonder visual experience and hydrate the air at the same time!

What are Wall Water Fountains?

Generally, a wall water fountain is installed in a common area, entrance or walkway in senior center facilities. This lets the water flow provide soothing background noise and visual enjoyment for individuals. They also serve to catch dust and other irritants from the air. Several wall fountains are designed for health service use, which come with solid state (metallurgical) anti-fungal agents that also help reduce the risk of bacteria and viruses from spreading. They work by pollutants that are captured by the water. Pollutants are then run over a set of plates where piezoelectric charges pull the spores down and keep them from re-circulating. So, in addition to being pleasant and attractive, they serve as sort of a renewable HePA filter, and help to keep the residents safe.

Wall fountains are attractive - they come in a variety of sizes, from small, discrete bubblers to ones that cycle through twenty gallons per minute and are meant for display walls in reception areas. It can project a certain distinction or even time period. Often displaying a modus of professionalism and classical styling to what could otherwise be an austere environment.

Water Wall Fountains in Senior Centers

In senior centers, wall fountains often promote a sense of life reflection in quiet moments, which allows seniors to reflect on their life in past years and what the future may possibly hold. Not to mention the new research of the healing properties of flowing water. Wall fountains are becoming very common for outpatient care facilities. Several styles of can be found to match the décor of any senior center, ranging from rough-hewn styles of stone, to classical marble facades, to more modernist steel and coated copper varieties. View more styles of wall fountains at http://www.garden-fountains.com/Categories.bok?category=Fiberglass+Wall+Fountains. The fountain bed materials can be pebbled, slate, or even filled with glass beads.

Installing one is not very difficult at all. Any handyman type person on staff at the senior center should have no problems installing a new wall fountain. Remember that water weighs 8 pounds per gallon when situating your fountain - make sure it has proper support in the wall structure and make sure it’s placed near an electrical outlet as most come with a self contained electrical pump. Good locations for wall fountains in senior centers include in the lobby, the communal recreation areas and even the dining hall. The aim is to provide the soothing benefits of flowing water to seniors residing in the senior center, including the ability to look at them and hear them.

If you are looking at renovating a senior center, don’t overlook the obvious benefits of installing wall fountains for your residents and their visitors. They are delightful additions which make your senior center more attractive, offer pleasing ambience to center residents, and provides air filtration and anti-microbial benefits. To view a distinctive selection of wall fountains visit http://www.garden-fountains.com/Categories.bok?category=Wall+Fountains.



By: Elizabeth Jean

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Indoor Garden Fountains