This project started in mid 2018, when Carved Stone Creations was called down to Kentucky to inspect a fountain at a large estate - for possible replacement with a different stone that would last much longer than the antiqued marble fountain they currently had installed. That quite large and ornately carved Sea Life Inspired fountain only lasted 12 years, before parts started cracking & falling off and landing in the pool below. The existing fountain was an impressive 20' diameter x 20' tall, and was quite beautiful before freeze / thaw damage from that Zone 7a climate (where Winter nights get as cold as 0°F to 5°F) started to take its toll on the porous stone fountain parts. So, after meeting with the client, and confirming their vision, it was decided (after about a year) that this time around they would like to proceed with a much more contemporary looking fountain. And this design, which would not only include fire bowls and long chutes of water with frothy nozzles in them (giving the appearance of continuing under their driveway), but also a complicated cascading effect, as the 225' long fountain design proceeded down the small hill in front of their house towards the access road. We quoted this several different ways during the design process, but in the end the clients went with two various sized medallion shaped pools and a round pool, with Firebowl urns that were 8' diameter, 6' diameter and 4' diameter, and then long chutes of pools that connected all three larger pools. Also part of this project was the addition of granite pavers and steps to match the fountain, so that viewers could easily walk all the way down the hill towards the road to see the whole thing.

 
Since the client's original fountain had failed, we spent some time explaining the benefits of granite fountains, and why they will last GENERATIONS vs the much shorter lifespan of other more porous options (like marble, limestone, travertine, cantera or concrete) in a freeze/thaw climate. One of the big reasons is that there is never a need to cover or seal a granite fountain prior to Winter. This can become a huge plus when you are dealing with large fountains, as no one wants a huge tent in front of their large estate home for six months of the year! (Which is what's required with a porous fountain - in an attempt to get it to last a bit longer - along with sealing it every year or two as well....)
And not only is granite very long lasting, but because of its non-porous nature - it's amazingly easy to maintain and keep clean as well. For example, if you get chalky/whitish calcium scale on the stone, you would just spray on a 50/50 solution of muriatic acid/water or for orangey / reddish iron stains instead you would use a 50/50 solution of ferrous acid / water, and it will melt the stain away like magic. It doesn't matter how long you go between cleanings either (even if it's 12 years), as it just requires more acid to clean it and make it look brand new again! Versus with a porous stone fountain instead, you must use much gentler cleaning products, a lot more elbow grease, and consistent maintenance procedures. So, to match the Indiana limestone trim on his home, the client decided to use our Golden Cypress Granite for this fountain.
The last part that complicated this project (over and above the cascading effect and making sure all of the various nozzles / cascades / autofills all worked appropriately in each pool with the grade changes) was the large (86x78x67") underground pump vault that all the pools were connected to (and accessed with a ladder.) This allowed the caretakers only 1 place to access all (9) large pumps required for this fountain - but required some "know how" to determine how large of a pump would be required to run those long distances to each water feature.
After special ordering all of those stone parts and importing (4) 38,000 lb shipping containers full of stone for this job, it was installed in April 2021 (just before the Kentucky Derby later that month - since the customer was having a huge party after the race and wanted all of his friends to see it.) It was a long, complicated project, but in the end it's one we are very proud of as well. For more information or to have us start on a fountain design for you, please contact us at: 866-759-1920 or sales@carvedstonecreations.com