Indoor water features

“Running water captivates our senses. The sound of water speaks to the elemental needs of the human spirit, for life peace and harmony. With the movement of water the stress of the day and anxieties of the spirit are carried away” so says Ken Lombard from Fibre Features.  

An indoor water fountain can be a soothing, elegant addition to any decorating scheme. A water feature may be used as a focal point in a entrance or entertainment are, or as a small accent tabletop feature in an office or living room.

Different types of indoor water features

Tabletop fountains:

This type of water fountain is small and can be used as a decorative element or centrepiece on tables, shelves or even on a desk in the office. It can easily be moved around from one room to another or if you wish to change the focal point of a room. This type of fountain is usually manufactured from glass, porcelain or ceramic. Besides being highly decorative and soothing, tabletop fountains are often used in bedrooms or dry areas to improve the quality of the air as it acts as a humidifier. This will improve the condition of your skin and help clear a dry throat or stuffy nose. It is actually the ideal item to have in your home during winter or spring when allergies and colds are at the order of the day.

Fog fountains:

We would not recommend this type of fountain for everyday use as it poses as a bit of a distraction, but it is a great item to use during functions or as an interesting focal point at the office. This type of fountain produces fog and adds a tranquil, yet romantic, feel to any room. It also acts as humidifier in dry areas.

Wall-hanging fountains:

This type of fountain is normally used as a permanent feature in offices, entrance halls or indoor gardens. It is normally interesting and impressive and incorporated as a principal focal point or centrepiece in the area it is placed in. Wall-hanging fountains are available in various sizes, so where you will be placing it, will determine what size you will pick. The noise level an indoor water fountain makes grows with the relative size, which can be a problem if watching television or wishing a quiet conversation. Smaller trickling fountains are the best suited in such rooms as they make the correct level of background sound.

Floor-standing fountains:

Floor fountains provide an easy opportunity to add the beautiful sound and décor of an indoor waterfall to your home or business. Unlike wall fountains, floor fountains do not require any instillation or hanging. With indoor floor fountains, all you need to do to set them up is to remove your fountain from the box, follow the easy step-by-step assembly instructions, add water and plug. Floor fountains can be incorporated into a room in a variety of ways. Some of our indoor floor fountains are designed to stand flush against a wall while others act as a dynamic room divider.

According to Lombard the most popular fountains at the moment are wall-hanging fountains and floor-standing water features. “These have a selection of backdrops for example mirrors, slate, sandstone, brick or glass. The water features are self-contained and a submersible pump is used to circulate the water. Many of these features are available with a selection of coloured lights which enhance the feature to make it a spectacular focal point.”

What to keep in mind when shopping for indoor water features

Choosing the style of indoor water fountain will require a bit of consideration on how an individual room is detailed and the decorating style and furniture which is already in place.

According to Ken Lombard, these are the factors you have to consider if you want to add an indoor water feature to your home:

• Absolutely no splashing: Because this fountain will be used inside, you would want to choose something that will not cause you more trouble than pleasure. You do not want to be cleaning all the time and you also do not want your fountain to cause an electrical short. So choose wise when you consider the style and functionality of an indoor fountain for your home.

• Child and pet safety: Do not choose fountains with sharp edges, which require lots of chemicals or have lots of loose parts when you have children or animals living in your home.

• Regular circulation: It is important that the fountain you choose regulates water constantly as you do not want the unpleasant smell of dirty, rotting water hanging in your home.

• Sound effect: The larger the fountain, the louder noise it makes. For some, a larger fountain can be more annoying than relaxing. Larger fountains are more suitable for outdoor areas, whilst smaller fountains are ideal for indoor areas where a soothing effect is required.

How to keep the noise level down

The amount of water noise created by a fountain may be cut back by arranging river rock in the basin. This may in addition assist cut back any splashing problems should they occur. If a pump is creating excess noise, then it likely isn’t fully sunken, so be certain it is completely under water so there is no air moving in it. A pump should always be kept fully submerged in order to prolong its use and not burn it out.

Maintenance

Indoor water features often come with instructions on how it should be maintained. 
Any indoor water fountain will need to be wiped clean at times and water added in order to keep the water level correct. Water will evaporate by naturally so you will have to refill fountain water levels according to the evaporation rate of a particular climate. There are also some chemicals and scents that can be added to maintain en refresh indoor fountain water.