Winter Care
Before winter, all basins need to be drained. Several of our fountains have a drain hole. Pull the plug that you pump electrical cord feeds through so the water can drain. Clean out any remaining debris from the drain holes. It is always good to check before a hard freeze to make sure the drain hole is clear. If your fountain does not have a drain hole, you can flip the bowl over and leave it leaning against the pedestal or drill a small hole with a masonry bit for drainage. The most important thing is not to let water freeze in your bowls. DO NOT use antifreeze it is harmful to wildlife!
It is very important to find the perfect spot to place your concrete statuary. You don't want it to be where road salt or a chemical deicer will get on your concrete statuary. The salt will cause your concrete statuary and finish to deteriorate over time.
Broken Ear/Tail
With so many fragile pieces on our statues today it can be easy for an ear, tail or other fragile piece to get knocked off. There are two ways to fix this:
For a clean break you can use 5 min. Epoxy for concrete. You can get this at your local hardware stores. This works well for many smaller pieces and has a fairly strong bond.
For a break that might need a little filler or to be a little stronger use automotive bondo. This is also available at hardware stores. This makes a very strong bond but will not match your concrete color exactly so it would need to be painted.
Fountain Care
First and most importantly winterizing fountains and birdbaths is EXTREMELY important. (See Above)
Hard Water - particularly in our area you can get hard water stains. They tend to show up worse on our dark colored finishes. A white scale control product can be found at any pool/pond supply store. Use this before you start to deter these stains
Algae - use an algaecide/clarifier can be in block or liquid form.
Flower Pot Care
Before you plant flowers, you should put some rocks in the bottom of your flower pot so the excess water can drain. Also, make sure that your soil is level with the top of the flower pot to keep water from standing and freezing. When water stands and freezes it expands the concrete and can cause it to crack over time.