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Tips for Buying Garden Water Feautures Online

As Good As Grass editor:
Shopping for water features is now easier for garden designers. An online collection of water fountains is available at garden-fountains.com and they have provided tips for buying the ideal fountain. Information relating to style, price and material is all included in the newly developed website for the enthusiastic gardener. Consider your options before splashing out the cash with this guide to garden water features.

Researching and purchasing large water features online helps consumers find the exact water feature they are looking for, according to Kyle Widner, owner of Garden-Fountains.com. Because it can be a daunting task, Widner says, Garden-Fountains.com is offering consumers tips for buying water fountains online.

The Internet allows consumers to easily compare, research, and choose from hundreds of models and styles of fountains, says Widner, who has been selling water features and garden fountains online since 2001. A local garden centre or even a big box home improvement retailer has limited square footage to dedicate to the fountain category. Online, consumers can see the complete offerings of several manufacturers, compare hundreds of styles, see detailed specifications and schematics, and learn about colour choices and methods of construction.

For shoppers in rural or inner city areas, locating a broad selection of water features in a brick and mortar retail location can be a daunting task. Even the largest fountain manufacturers have limited retail saturation, making the internet the obvious source of information regarding water features.

Tips for shopping for water fountains online:

• Don't be tempted by price alone. Be sure to add in shipping and any other costs before evaluating the total purchase price.
• Verify the fountain is a re-circulating fountain, which means it is self-contained and requires no external plumbing.
• Determine if liftgate service is included in the shipping cost. Without liftgate service, you could be responsible for moving a pallet full of concrete fountain parts from the back of a truck onto your property.
• If exact colour is important, check the photo of the product on two different computers. Video cards, monitors, and even lighting in a room can affect how colours appear on a computer screen.
• Make sure a fountain pump is included, and that it is U.L. listed.
• Evaluate the return policy. Reputable online vendors offer a full money back guarantee on all items, except for custom or special orders.
• When browsing online, bookmark the features that catch your attention. This makes it easy to go back later and select from your initial choices.

Judging the Sound of a Water Fountain
An obvious limitation of buying a large water fountain online is the inability to hear the sound a fountain makes, often an important factor in selecting a water feature. "We've tried recording the fountains", said Widner, "however, the representations are not very accurate. There are many factors that enter into the sound a fountain makes, including where it is placed". Here is a guide to helping determine the sound a water feature will emit:

Sounds from a water fountain come from three sources; First, the distance water is falling, secondly, what the water is falling onto (rocks, fountain surface, or water), and lastly, how many levels the water falls. A single stream of water falling a short distance onto a surface, or water creeping down the side of an urn will produce little sound. A six foot tall, four tier fountain, with water cascading onto the water in the basin below, on four levels all the way around the fountain will produce an impressive volume!

Additional factors to be considered:

• Water speed: Most fountains come with variable speed pumps. Increasing the speed and volume of the water can increase the sound.
• Sound "reflection": A fountain, in a corner of a walled backyard will reflect more sound into the garden than a water fountain standing alone in the middle of a garden.
• Water levels in the basin: Low levels of water in the basin means the falling water falls farther, and thus more sound. A high level of water in the basin reduces the distance the water falls, and thus lowers the level of sound.

Water fountains are can enhance any garden design and the relaxing environment created by running water is unique. Also keep in mind that garden water features are highly suitable for use on a synthetic lawn due to the superior drainage qualities of artificial grass.