Can I Damage my Wall with a Waterfall Fountain?

When decorating your house, you may ask yourself, should I get a fountain? Will that look cool? Will I be able to find one that goes with my decor? Will a wall waterfall damage the wall behind it?

The others you will have to answer for yourself, but the answer to the last question is no. A wall waterfall or other household fountain is designed with carefully sealed, water-resistant hardware, and reservoirs large enough to catch any stray drips and splashes that jostling or bumping the fountains may produce. There is a small risk of damaging the entire room if a excessively large fountain is kept in a small and unventilated space, causing an excess buildup of moisture in the air, which can damage wood finishes or even lead to rot and mildew. However, a properly installed and appropriately located wall waterfall is not at risk of causing this situation; most fountains are clearly labeled with the size of the indoor area, if any, they are appropriate to occupy. Fountains intended to be used only outdoors will also indicate this clearly.

The risk of overhydrating a small space is a real one, but it is basically the only risk for small wall waterfalls and other similarly sized fountains. When the wall mount is used properly (when the fountain is hung level by securely-fastened mounts set in studs or on a wooden or metal wall) there is very little risk of falling or breakage, and the sealing of the wall waterfall prevents it from damaging the surface behind it.

Note also that many wall-mount fountains are equipped with a short power cord that can be connected to an outlet installed directly behind the fountain unit. You can take this as an indication that the manufacturers deem this safe usage practice. It would not be if the fountains in question were at all leaky, since water should never mix with electrical outlets. Fountains are meticulously sealed to minimize the risk of electrical mishaps.

Any lingering concerns you may have regarding the safety of your wall can be assuaged with a small amount of mounting tape. The thick, padded tape will allow you to affix the hanging corners of your wall fountain in place unobtrusively, while separating it slightly from the wall to allow ventilation. This way you can even protect the wall from scrapes resulting from jostling of the fountain.

Polly Godwin has been an expert on waterfall fountains since 1998 and is the owner of DesignerFountains.com, a company specializing in the highest quality water features. Visit DesignerFountains.com today for expert advice and quality water fountains.