We salute your good taste! Fountainful represents design studios with 30-50+ years building beautiful concrete garden ornaments.

Within 24-hours of ordering, your build is queued for production. This means the molds, concrete mix, and color stain are allocated.

Concrete fountains are held together by gravity just like they've been designed in Europe for millennia – there are no interlocking components. Remember that children and pets must NEVER climb or play on a fountain or bird bath.

If building the fountain into a wall or structure, use professional contractors who understand concrete expansion principles and the required joint spacing and materials to help with the buildup of stress when concrete naturally expands and contracts seasonally. 

Yes! Many of the family-run design studios we represent have been industry leaders for 30-50+ years. Their processes are meticulous.

➤ Casting, curing, and staining decorative cast-stone concrete is not an exact science. Delivery times are rough estimates based on the design studios' extensive track records. 

First they pour the concrete and let it dry; then the piece will get buffed and polished before being stained to your color selection and dried again. Then a waterproofing seal is applied.

All stains and seals must cure completely before shipment.

The biggest contributor to an extended cure time is unseasonably humid weather where the design studio is located. This isn't frequent, but can happen in spring & summer. 

The designers will completely refinish a piece if the original coat did not meet expectations.

Concrete items are stained, not painted. Stains are formulated to enhance and complement the hand sculpted concrete craftsmanship – not hide it! (Think of how staining a fence does not hide the natural wood, but rather enhances it).

It’s normal for the cast stone to show through in parts.

No, this generally is not possible.

A design studio cannot rush the time concrete needs to dry and cure. One of the contributors to cure time is the humidity level, and this is often hard to predict.

The long cure time applies to both cast stone concrete and Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete. A design studio will refinish a product if the original stain does not meet expectations.

Only if the Description on the product page contains an explicit "Forklift Required" warning – it will be obvious! (and it is very rare).

Our standard LTL delivery service includes a liftgate, which gives the delivery driver the ability to safely lower the pallet from the truck and onto the ground.

Once on the ground, you and your helpers can carry individual fountain components or use a dolly/handcart to move them to your location of choice.

At this time we only ship within the Lower United States, with a potential plan to expand the range in 2024. Most items ship Free Standard Delivery within the Lower 48 U.S.

If you live in Alaska, Hawaii, or internationally, please contact us to discuss options.

Most heavy, Made-to-Order concrete items ship via national and local LTL shipping partners.

Ready-to-ship items often ship via common carrier such as FedEx, UPS, or USPS.

Similar to furniture deliveries, you're likely to receive a call from the freight carrier to confirm a date and time for drop off.

Refer to our Shipping Policy for additional information.

Yes! You'll receive tracking details via email as soon as the tracking number populates the system and is made available to us.

For Made-to-Order items, this happens after the design team gives us the Ready-for-Pickup date.

For Ready-to-Ship items, this happens when the warehouse confirms the shipment has been picked up by the freight carrier.

Due to the heavy weight of our concrete Made-to-Order offerings, the majority of orders ship via LTL freight carrier. As a Fountainful customer, you have two options for receiving your order:

"Standard Shipping" is free of charge. In this case, the pallet is safely lowered on a liftgate at your curb/foot of the driveway.

We also offer an upgrade to "Threshold/Inside Property Line." In this case, after the pallet is lowered, a cart is used to bring it up to the porch, garage, or potentially the side of the house if there is no gate. Select this option during checkout for an additional charge. Not available on Blue Thumb items.

See our Shipping Policy for additional details.

Made-to-Order delivery time frames are stated on each product page and vary by brand. See our Shipping Policy for a master calendar of brand time frames.

Each item is individually hand built and the stain/finish must completely cure before the item is packaged for safe transit.

We intentionally state a broad delivery time frame to maintain accuracy from season to season.

// Example: after Easter and through the summer months, deliveries will shift to the latter portion of the range, due to increased volume driven by spring and summer garden planning. Conversely, orders placed in winter months deliver within the earlier portion of the range, and sometimes even sooner.

Ready-to-Ship items typically leave the warehouse within 5-7 business days of order placement.

Keep in mind that the Shipping Weight is a figure that includes the weight of the pallet, boxes, packaging, etc.

In many, many cases a fountain (and even a lot of bird baths) are shipped in individually wrapped, multiple component pieces, making placement more manageable. .

Yes. It's best to start with a natural concrete product that has not been treated, painted, or sealed after coming out of the mold.

When ordering a Massarelli's, Giannini, or Campania product this way, select "Natural" from the palette. The item will be white/gray in appearance.

Review the two processes below. The Natural Aging Method will provide ongoing fascination as you get to observe nature do its thing over a long period of time.

Natural Aging Method

• Encourage the growth of moss by wetting the piece thoroughly and brushing it with either plain yogurt that contains active cultures, beer, buttermilk, or sour milk.
• If possible, place the item in a shady place.
• You may need to repeat this process.
• Click to see example of an aged natural fountain.

Painted Aging Method

• Using a diluted, water-based paint, brush the piece with the paint and wife off the excess with a rag or sponge.
• Use a dark green shade to obtain a mossy look or a dark brown to obtain an old stone look. (or combine colors depending on the look you want to achieve!)

Do you notice what appear to be tiny divots on the surface? This is normal and indicative of the old-world process of concrete water feature building.

The divots are in fact air pockets, and are a testament to the presence of sand and stone in the cast stone concrete. They provide stability and durability; without them, the material would more closely resemble a weaker form of cement.

The pockets receive the waterproofing seal like the rest of the surface.

This is NOT recommended. Use a gentle garden hose with Dawn dish soap and a fountain additive, such as one of these eco-friendly options.

Not at all.

For example: a Giannini fountain priced under $1,000 is made with the same material and individualized hands-on approach as a Giannini fountain priced higher.

Size is a primary factor of price, as larger fountains require more raw materials, labor, hardware, and a more powerful pump (included with the fountain).

For cast stone concrete products with hairline cracks up to 1/2" wide, we recommend using Quikrete (available from home improvement stores and Amazon). Many design studios/manufacturers also make touch up paint available. Contact us if you'd like to order some!

For cracks larger than 1/2" wide, send us a photo and we'll get repair guidance from the design team.

In most cases, yes! Many of the design studios and manufacturers we represent can mold, stain, and ship a single component piece.

Email a photo of your water feature to us at sales@fountainful.com and include the model name + palette color if known. Give us a day or two to determine the price from the design team.

Products designated as Made-to-Order are not returnable. Within days of order placement, materials have been commissioned and multiple teams have begun work on various elements of the build.

Products designated as Ready-to-Ship must be clean, unused, and in their original packaging to receive return approval. You are responsible for return shipping costs.

View our Refund Policy for complete requirements

For larger or heavy models, customers without an existing landscape contractor will often use Homeadvisor.com and search using it's Water Feature Contractor locator tool.

Other options include checking with local nurseries that offer install services or with landscape design companies.

Also note that the tiers and pedestals are individually packaged for shipment, meaning the weight of certain individual components will be more manageable for relocation.

Yes! When water starts having little white caps and bubbles, you know that more air is being churned. It is probably time to add water. 

We do NOT recommend using chlorine or other pool chemicals in a fountain. Chlorine will damage the pump and discolor the fountain material, whether cast stone concrete, Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete, or natural stone.

Additionally, for the safety of wildlife that may drink the water, we do not recommend chlorination. To combat algae and calcium buildups with environmentally-friendly cleansers, we recommend FounTec and ProTec from our Cleaning Supplies selection.

Not to worry! We highly recommend Protec Scale & Stain Remove as an environmentally friendly option.

Additionally, you can purchase any good quality "Spa Filter Hose Attachment" on Amazon to reduce Sediment, Chlorine, and Heavy Metals from your hose water.

Yes! This is a common best practice as it improves landscaping aesthetics.

Frequency

Clean a pump every 1-3 months as determined by the amount of insects and falling leaves & debris. If you live in a heavily wooded area, you may want to clean the pump more frequently.

Things you don't visibly notice often, like tiny snails and dead flies, can quickly clog a pump filter.

Pro Tip: place your pump inside of a pump sock to help keep debris from clogging the filter.

Accessibility

Most fountain pumps are easily accessible as they are "hidden" in a concrete pump box right there in the basin or tier, and stained to match the color of the rest of the fountain so as not to be seen if standing right up on the water feature.

You'll simply remove the pump and follow the filter cleaning instructions provided, which only takes a few minutes.

Learn more on our Cleaning & Care page.

After receiving the order, review the specs of the pump and check online for viable third-party alternatives.

The key is to find a pump with the same output (i.e., the gallons-per-hour) for best performance) and with the same connection plug (usually a standard 3-prong) for best electrical security).

A standard 120v outlet (3-pronged) outlet, the most common household outlet, is all you need.

Because pumps are physically interchangeable with another pump of the same connection size, you could potentially research solar options after getting things set up and taking proper measurements.

Things to consider with a solar-powered pump: 1) You need space for the solar panels, and must be prepared to have them placed in your landscape near the fountain. 2) A quality solar pump costs in the $70+ range. 3) A solar pump will not operate on cloudy or overcast days, or at night. 4) The water flow is not as consistently strong as an electric pump and may limit the fountain from functioning at its full capacity. 5) You may require 6-8 hours of steady sunlight daily to achieve desired results.

A fountain is built and shipped according to the stated time frame for that product, regardless of if a payment plan selected.

In other words, you won't have to complete the payment plan before receiving the fountain – it will be delivered in the same time frame as paying in full at checkout.

See our Financing page for other common questions, and note the "Financing a Made-to-Order Item" disclosure at the bottom of made-to-order product pages. We've stated it here for quick reference: If you choose to finance your purchase with Affirm, your first payment is due approximately 2 weeks after your purchase is finalized. Please note that due to extended delivery times of hand built water features and accents, your loan payment(s) may be due before you receive your purchase.

Yes! The installment plans offered by Shop Pay will be calculated using your actual purchase price.

No, there are no late fees if you miss a scheduled payment. However, partial payments or late payments might impact your credit score, or your eligibility to use Shop Pay Installments in the future. If you have questions about a missed installment payment, please contact Affirm support for assistance.

Yes, $17,500 USD is the order value limit that applies to purchases using Shop Pay Installments, including discounts, shipping, and taxes. 

The pump warranty is void with any modification to its cord. Cords will be 16-feet or more in length (check product description) with a standard 3-prong plug. Ideally it is NOT direct wired.

More often than not, a sluggish pump is the result of the intake component being clogged by leaves, rocks, frogs, snails, or mulch.

For help, open the Blue Thumb Pump Troubleshooting Guide.

No, we generally do not split up a complete kit on these fountains.

Please contact us to discuss options.

Do not operate the fountain in winter/freezing environments. Bring the water pump indoors for the winter months. The stone itself can remain where it is outside. Read more guidance here.

Check out this video from Massarelli's covering all kinds of maintenance topics including pump cleaning!

These petite fountains have a typical water capacity of 1.5 - 2 gallons. They're often placed by customers in their favorite nook or corner to enjoy while reading or having a snack!

Only fountains designated as "lighted" can properly feature the LED ring light included with its purchase. Tranquility series fountains are not molded for lighting integration into the sphere; however, you can always utilize submersible LED lights in the tiers to illuminate the feature that way!

The LED ring lights have a separate power cord from the pump and will activate when plugged in. While there is no on/off switch, the could be plugged into a timer if desired. 

We recommend using an adhesive-backed memorial plaque. Tools used for engraving – and plaques that require screws to affix them – carry the risk of causing surface damage to the bench.

Our plaque supplier of choice is AllStar Bronze.

Most benches do NOT require tools for setup.

Here are some general tips:

• IF you want to go a step beyond letting gravity hold the bench together (the materials are very heavy and sturdy) you can use a masonry glue/construction adhesive to affix the seat to the legs.
• Use a shovel and/or hand tamper to level the ground where the legs will go.
• Throw down gravel or pea stones for the legs to nestle into for even more stability.

While birdbath capacities aren't formally measured like they are with fountains, Campania birdbaths have a general capacity range of 1-3 gallons. Larger birdbaths will hold 2-3 gallons of water and smaller birdbaths will hold 1-2 gallons.

Campania includes a sealant in all of its cast stone stain finishes. This helps with mold prevention and makes cleaning a bit easier.

Yes. Here are various methods for taking the surface back down to the raw metal:

Any acetone-based thinning product will remove the sealant/finish and take the surface back down to the raw copper for an exponentially faster tarnershing & patina process.

Here are three methods. The "Professional Method" will likely be quickest.

Before beginning any method, wear gloves to protect your hands.

Homemade Method #1:

• Mix 1 part ammonia with 3-5 parts acetone.
  
• Using a clean cloth, rub the copper with the solution until lacquer is removed.
• Rinse the piece thoroughly with hot water and soap.
• Wipe off the excess water with a soft cloth.
• Buff again with a dry cloth using circular motions.

Homemade Method #2:

• Obtain an acetone-based nail polish remover.
• Using a clean cloth, rub the copper with the solution until lacquer is removed.
  
• After using, rinse the piece thoroughly with hot water and soap.
  
• Wipe off the excess water with a soft cloth.
• Buff again with a dry cloth using circular motions.

Professional Method:

Use commercial lacquer thinner. It is similar to nail polish remover, but more potent.

• Read and follow the instructions as mentioned on the commercial lacquer thinner box.

• Apply thinner to copper using a clean cloth.

• Rinse the piece thoroughly with hot water and soap.

• Wipe off the excess water with a soft cloth.

• Buff again with a dry cloth using circular motions.

Once you have removed the lacquer, your copper item will more quickly begin tarnishing and turning different shades of color. 

Yes! There is a dimmer switch on the light bar. 

Very easy. You will simply contact the pump manufacturer directly and show the receipt for your water feature purchase. Warranty instructions are provided in the box with the pump.

Plan on 1 daily refill if running the fountain 24-hours each day. 

Not at this time. There ARE options to customize it into a shorter dimension, but not taller due to structural considerations. 

Most pumps on these features do not have a flow knob, and the engineer team recommends a clamp to slow the water flow. However, most customers find the flow of the water to be just right!

Yes! Within a day or two of receiving your order, we'll provide you with photos of 2-3 current slabs so you can choose the one with the shading you desire.