Casa Bonita





Cast-Stone Winter Care

Fiore Stone, Inc., The manufacturer of Al’s Garden Art, wants to make sure that your purchase will last and remain the accent of your landscape for many generations to come. To make this possible some consideration and preparation should be taken into account.

One of the characteristics of cured concrete is that it absorbs moisture. Water expands under freezing conditions and it is at this state that concrete is at its weakest when facing extreme cold weather elements. Please take the following precautionary suggestions to prevent damage to your decorative concrete purchase.

Frost disintegration occurs when water absorbed in concrete, freezes. Snow and ice accumulate inside basins, bowls and other cavities of your Al’s Garden Art product and during the day melts to absorb into the concrete. Although our concrete mix is designed to have cold weather flexibility, in many cases the rock aggregate near the surface does not. And so, by night when temperatures drop, there could be a potential for cured concrete to chip, pit and in some cases even crack.

Fiore Stone NEVER suggests Anti-freeze as a preventive measure to the frost disintegration. Anti-freeze is a harmful product to humans, animals and wild life. PLEASE DO NOT USE ANTI-FREEZE in your fountain. It is recommended that any decorative cast-stone item is protected from frost disintegration. Any cast-stone items that can be brought indoors should be stored indoors. Some products are too heavy to be moved and we suggest that they are covered with a moisture barrier. In doing so, we recommend that on the outer edges and lower portions moisture absorbent materials - such as blankets or towels are placed to absorb any condensation that may occur during the transition from day to night.

Concrete that is dry will not be harmed (in any way) by any natural temperature change no matter how drastic.

Basins, pumps, pedestals, shells, pots, planters, urns, birdbaths other concrete components left outside and properly covered and prepared will survive any winter season as long as they do not stand in water. Pump removal is not recommended unless the plug or pipe that allows the power cords to move through components is the only available drain for water or condensation to escape the properly covered item(s). 

Please note that the pump purchased with your fountain may not have been supplied by Fiore Stone, Inc. Fiore Stone, Inc. offers pumps as an option and dealers may purchase pump from other manufacturers.

FOUNTAIN CARE

Do keep fountain bowls filled to proper levels to maintain proper operation. It is not recommended that fountains are left running during the night or when not at home as the water level cannot be monitored.

NEVER LET THE FOUNTAIN RUN DRY!!! Lack of water will burn out the submersible pump.

CHANGE WATER FREQUENTLY- Depending on the temperature and evaporation you may see a buildup ofwhite residue on fountain surface from common minerals in water. Fountains may also experience effervescence as well as mineral deposits due to the natural occurrence of alkali content in cement. Do not use any abrasive that can damage the applied finish. Mineral buildup is difficult to prevent and we recommend using AG-55 Scale Remover periodically

DO USE AN ALGAECIDE – Fountain Block offers a throw-and-forget solution independent from water levels and when fresh water is added. Algae can damage the fountain surface and clog the pump causing it to overheat and burn out.  

NEVER USE CARBONATION, CHLORIDES, SULFATES AND/OR DISTILLED WATER as an algaecide or cleaner. Products like Bleach, Chlorine and/or Hydrogen Peroxide can dissolve Limestone/Calcium Carbonate an ingredient of cement critical for binding concrete.

 FOUNTAIN PLACEMENT - All fountains can have some amount of splash. Consider, shade, falling debris from nearby trees and possible plant damage due to an excess of water caused by splash. Placement of any fountain is the sole responsibility and liability of the purchaser.

PLEASE REFER TO THE ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED WITH THE FITTINGS FOR EACH FOUNTAIN REGARDING PREPATION AND FOUNTAIN ASSEMBLY

Assembly Instructions are online at alsgardenart.com > support > installation

CAUTION: Excessive weight or pressure on any of the fountain bowls or other sections may cause it to fall.

Most fountains have no interlocking parts and are held together by gravity only. Gluing or cementing parts

together is not recommended as you may want to dismantle the parts to service your fountain or move it.

*** PLEASE KEEP PETS, CHILDREN OR ANYONE FROM SITTING, LEANING OR CLIMBING ON ANY

OF THE FOUNTAIN COMPONENTS ***