A few years ago, hairline cracks developed in the main bowl.
I used epoxy to seal them which seemed to do the trick for a year or two. At the end of last season I noticed some slight dripping again from the base. When I opened the fountain in June, naturally it was still leaking but I kept an eye on the level and added water as needed.
Time is at a premium around here and I was anxious to have all aspects of the patio up and running for the height of garden season. In retrospect it was the wrong decision. Once the fountain was drained, close inspection revealed numerous additional hairline cracks.
The fountain is the focal point of my patio. Although still imposing even when empty, I have no desire to turn it into a large succulent planter.
Or an elaborate bed for the resident feline flea bag who has apparently already decided otherwise.
I want a fountain. Water is soothing. Even a gurgle somehow manages to block out background noise and rinse the burdens of a stressful day away.
So what do I do? Patching what I can see with epoxy seems like another temporary fix. Should I call in a concrete contractor? What if I just painted the whole lower bowl with a concrete sealer like Thompson's Water Seal? Any and all advice is welcome.
Sue~
Sue, forget the Thompsons option, that stuff is not robust enough for your problem. I would go find an elastomeric pond sealer and coat the whole bottom bowl.
ReplyDeleteI googled elasteromeric and only got confused by all the various options. It seems more heavy duty than I need too. Maybe if I ask some of the pond vendors at the CT Flower Show in April they'll be able to recommend something.
DeleteYou could try forcing topping mix into all of the cracks. Topping mix is available at the box stores and is sand and Portland cement. instead of using water, you can use the concrete reinforcement stuff that they sell in the concrete products area. It looks like thin Elmer's glue but it really helps. You might also see if they have a mix especially made for filling cracks. Silone (like what they use to put aquariums together) is reliable for creating a seal that will be underwater. There is also a black sticky tar-like substance made for leaky roof repair that is sold at the box stores as well. I've used this to seal lots of things and it works like a charm to seal leaky concrete basins. The only problem is that it's black and you'd want to coat the entire bottom of your fountain so that it would be consistently black. Not a big issue as a gallon of the goop isn't that costly but don't know if it would ruin the look of your fountain for you. Pond suppliers sell a foam that is used to fill holes between rocks in ponds but it expands a lot. You might check with a pool supply place as they sell a variety of things to repair pools and would probably have some great suggestions. The concrete sealers are great but I don't know if they will fill in the hairline cracks.
ReplyDeleteOne of my friends suggested an infomercial product that goes on like spray paint but works as a sealer. Supposedly it comes in clear. So far that seems to be my best bet. I'm a bit skeptical about products sold on infomercials but if they work...
DeleteI think that lazy white cat in your fountain is perfect! But if you want water, he'll have to go. You are getting lots of advice in the comments above, and I have none to add, other than replacing the fountain with a new one. I'm sure that would be costly, but since you have so many tiny cracks and not just one spot to repair, it might not be salvageable. Here's hoping there is a solution for the key focal point in your garden.
ReplyDeleteThat lazy white cat is a conniving flea bag :). If I can't fix the fountain I won't be pleased. It was expensive and has been covered every winter although the cover has leaked the past couple of winters (from the cat climbing and sleeping on it). This winter I plan to wrap it in blue plastic tarps and seal with rope and bungee cords.
DeleteI'm not handy, but I do know something about cat-design. I say you have a winning artistic installation: Reclining Flea Bag. You'd still have a focal point – form without function, which would allow you to add doodads whenever you felt the spirit. You could get another, smaller fountain, say, a small electric-powered tsukubai, for that beautiful sound of running water.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of installations, I love Sculpted Feet, Ringed Toes too.
Cat design is totally random and as you know cats are fickle creatures so the minute I dedicated the fountain to his highness he would switch to something else. Sculpted feet and ringed toes, like the fountain, are about to be covered for the season.
DeleteYour fountain is so beautiful. Done in good taste, unlike some of the gaudy ones you see. It is certainly worth keeping as a fountain. I don't have a clue about how to stop the leaks. I would probably check with concrete contractors. The freezing and thawing is probably hard on outdoor fixtures. I hope it is repairable because it looks just right where you have it!
ReplyDeleteYes, I am not happy about the possibility of replacement here. Winter weather surely plays a factor but I do empty and cover the fountain for the winter.
DeleteI think you'll have to just get another fountain. It seems the Ultimate Form Of Life On The Planet has claimed that one, and is quite comfortable indeed...
ReplyDeleteThe Ultimate Form of Life has claimed many objects around here but he will not claim the fountain. As the ruler I will prevail.
DeleteI share your pain but can't offer any suggestions as I've no experience with fountain repairs. I'm actually concerned that our own concrete fountain has some fine cracks too as it needs more frequent filling since we last cleaned it. There's got to be a solution to your dilemma - perhaps you could consult a retailer that sells a lot of fountains? Let us know what you do (for future reference!). In the meantime, at least the cat's happy.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to the infomercial product a friend recommended when I posted my dilemma on Facebook. I found it on Amazon but haven't purchased it yet.
Deletehttp://www.amazon.com/Flex-Seal-Clear-Set-Cans/dp/B00EPJ5RXC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380975705&sr=8-2&keywords=flex+seal+clear
Just read some of the reviews and they were not encouraging.
DeleteWhat a bummer Sue, My pond is again leaking like a sieve too. I'll have to drain it to figure out what's going on and I don't see that happening this fall. Do love the frisky feline providing comic relief
ReplyDeleteOver time it seems just about everything starts to leak.
DeleteI think your resident fleabag has given you the answer. Time to get a new fountain and leave the old one to him.
ReplyDeleteFortunately he's flexible. He used to sleep in a hanging basket until the screws gave way and the whole thing came crashing down. When you're a cat, potential sleeping spots appear to unlimited.
DeleteTwerp's new home! For something that's such a big part of your summer garden, I'd pass on the DIY troubleshoooting and call in a pro. Isn't the winter freezing and thawing going to make the cracks worse? In the meantime, there's room for a friend for Twerp in the top tier ;)
ReplyDeleteI'd Google 'how to fix cracked concrete' or get a new one. I have no experience in this. Can you just spread more concrete over the cracks? A bag of concrete is really cheap. But it would make an amazing planter and you now have an excellent excuse to buy a new fountain.
ReplyDeleteBuy a granite fountain, they are indestructible with freeze/thaw issues. Check out our website page for more info: http://carvedstonecreations.com/blog/why-you-should-install-a-granite-fountain.html
ReplyDelete