The Wonder of Water Fountains
Posted By Houston Decorator on October 6, 2010
What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase Water Fountains? A ceramic or cement formed round water fountain with some water spurting up from its center in your backyard? Not so anymore!
I want to tell you about some of the newest types of fountains. Today you can buy tabletop fountains, outdoor fountains, floor fountains or, our favorite, wall fountains. All are designed to bring “Feng Shui” into your life. I interpret Feng Shui to be relaxation, serenity and peace. Stress is an ever present part of life today and everyone needs a way to relieve this stress. Water fountains can help bring this peace, serenity and relaxation into your home, office or business environment. The gentle sound of the flowing water is soothing to the mind and soul. In some cases the sound is so minimal one does not realize that on a subconscious level they are hearing the soothing sounds that are helping them to relax and relieve their stress.
Let’s start with table top fountains. These tend to be smaller and are less expensive. They can be made of copper, ceramic or slate. One can even purchase battery operated models. All require some source of electricity to operate the water pump on the fountain so one needs to decide where one wants to place the fountain based on where the power source is located. The advantage to a battery operated model is the power source is in the fountain itself so a wall outlet and cord is not needed. I have seen them placed on small tables in out coves near the front doors of homes and offices. I have also seen them placed in the corners in businesses that have a lounge or waiting room. Sometimes they have been placed in the business lunch room or the homes dining room. These models are usually lightweight and can be move easily to another location within the home or business as desired. A light can be placed above or at an angle to the fountain to enhance the beauty of the fountain.
Floor fountains are usually larger than your tabletop models but can easily fit in almost the same areas as the tabletop fountains. They range in size from a couple of feet tall to several feet tall. Some people use them as additional art in the home or business environment. These fountains can be made of a number of materials including glass, slate and fiberglass or cast stone. Floor fountains can also be custom made to meet the needs of the purchaser. They all require a power source so need to be located near an electric outlet unless you want to extend an electric cord across the floor which I do not recommend. One can place a cord along a baseboard but it should be hidden in some way so as not to be an eyesore. These fountains are in the low to mid price range except for the custom models with their cost depending on how involved or extensively customized fountain needs to be. Again light can me mounted above, below or off to the side to enhance the beauty of the waterfall.
We are going to leave the house or office and now move to outdoor fountains. One can purchase either a stand alone or wall fountain for the backyard, garden or patio. There are several types one can choose in outdoor water falls. There are solar, stone garden styles, rock, light weight or even disappearing water fountains. These styles usually range in price from the low hundreds to several thousand dollars. This all depends on how big or the number of water falls you wish to have in your yard, garden or on your patio. Light will enhance the beauty of the water fall at night and can make your yard, garden or patio look magical. The water can be piped directly to the water fountain or one can add water as need to any of these styles of water fountais. I would recommend a direct water line to the water fountain as this can alleviate a lot of time spent maintaining your water fountain. These types of water fountains require some maintenance as they are outdoors and in the elements but can be an enhancement to any home or business. Outside of the solar water fountain the remainder use some style of pump to move the water from the bottom to the top so direct wiring is preferred but an electrical cord to a nearby electrical outlet can be used to power the pump. The one nice thing is the power line can be underground in the outdoor setting so no one will see and electrical cord or conduit line.
Now I would like to talk about our particular favorite type of water fountains. These are the indoor wall water falls. These water falls are purchased to bring Feng Shui into the home, office or business. How nice is it to be relaxed whether at home, in the office or in a lobby or waiting room. These fountains are the most beautiful in the water fountain/fall line and they can be mounted anywhere the purchaser wishes including wherever a picture would be mounted. Many owners consider this type of water fountain to be pieces of art and they are known to enhance the beauty and value of any home, room or office. These fountains can be made of stainless steel, copper, slate or lightweight slate. Certain models can also incorporate a logo. This could be your company logo, a family crest or initials. This personalizes the water fountain to the company or individual purchasing the water fall. They come in a variety of widths to suit the desires of the purchaser. This is usually determined by the size of the wall or area where you want to place the fountainl and the amount of money one wishes to spend. Most models also come with mounted lights above the water fountain or a light set that can be mounted above the water fountain to enhance its beauty. The price varies from the mid to high one hundred dollars to several thousand dollars depending on the size and materials used in the manufacturing of the water fall. Again one needs to have access to electrical power to operate the pump used to circulate the water and operate the lights. The water needs to be physically added to the fountain as they are not set up to have a direct water line installed. There are also products available to control mold and mildew growth which I recommend be added to the water every couple of weeks and every time new water is added to the fountain.
Robert Hauck enjoys sitting outdoors unwinding after a hard days work while listening to the gentle sounds of a water fall. When unable to be outdoors he enjoys listening to the sound of an indoor wall water fall while relaxing. He says the Feng-Shui effect of the gentle sound of the water fall helps him cope with the stress and pressures experienced in this busy world we live in today.
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