When someone hears the words stone water fountain they might automatically picture massive public fixtures or monuments covered with statuary and spraying powerful jets of water into large basins. This not the only way in which such fountains appear, and a modern home or business can also enjoy the presence of a well-made and beautiful stone fountain too.  When considering a stone fountain you have the choice of granite in addition to basalt garden fountains.

It helps to consider exactly what sort of stone is used in the making of such fountains, and for the modern owner the most common choice will be granite. Fortunately, granite is a stone with a very wide array of naturally occurring colors and it is also a wonderful material to sand and polish to a highly reflective shine. This means that a gardener could opt for a natural stone fountain with rough edges and a simple bowl-like shape, or they could also select a highly-polished fixture that would look good in a garden or even the interior of a contemporary home or office. Both granite and basalt are igneous rocks cooled from magma. Basalt is another choice for a stone garden fountain due to the texture and the durability. One difference in the two stones is the basalt is fine grained so it is harder to see the individual particles of the stone like you do in granite. Basalt can come in rough and polished just as granite.

One of the most appealing features of this stone is the fact that it can be carved and shaped, or left in a natural state. This means that an owner could opt for a fountain that looks like a free-standing river rock, or they could select a highly carved, shaped, and dramatic fountain as well. The range of shapes, sizes, textures, and finishes is amazing, and is also another reason for the frequent use of stone in a fountain.

Many modern consumers will also opt to purchase a stone water fountain due to the fact that the materials are so durable and long-lasting. While a cast stone, metal, or even acrylic fountain might eventually lose some of its original good looks, the fountains made from natural stone tend to keep up their appearances. They can, however, run into some trouble in areas where deep winter freezing occurs.

It takes only a moment to consider the ways that water and ice can work on natural materials such as stone in order to understand the sort of vulnerability that a stone fountain would face. Even a small collection of water trapped between two surfaces of a fountain could form enough ice to fracture or crack it.

This means that someone who decides to use a stone fountain for their yard, garden or courtyard will have to ensure that proper winter time maintenance is done. This might mean removing portions of the pump mechanism, covering the entire fixture with a waterproof tarp or fountain cover, and even filling some of the cracks or bowls of the fountain with burlap and towels to draw any available moisture away from the stone.

Even with a need for a bit of care and maintenance, a stone water fountain can often be one of the most picturesque and cost-effective choices where home and garden water features are concerned.