People the world over have a natural attraction to water, and it is not only because drinking water is essential to our survival; nor because it is very important for cleanliness. Water has a fascination that causes millions of people to visit, or want to live by, the sea, waterfalls, lakes and large ponds.
Both moving and still water are not just attractive to the human eye, but seem to have a therapeutic value. Moving water in particular is said to give off negative ions, which help to negate all the positive ions generated by modern living and can be harmful to our well being. Whatever the reasons, though, the fact is that people love water in nature. Closer to home, they like to bring those effects into their own gardens with water gardens, waterfalls, ponds and fountains.
What about within the home itself? Many of us bring nature and gardens into our home with plants, and decorative plant pots. It is therefore only one small step to bring in water features too. Water can, and does, play a very useful role in home decor; not on the grand scale in the average home, although it can do in a country mansion or more palatial home, but in miniature and in imaginative and decorative ways.
There are three main ways to use water features as home decor:
Indoor Waterfalls
By having an indoor waterfall in the home, you can bring to your home the sound of running water, which has such a relaxing effect. However, an indoor waterfall can do far more for your home. There are so many varied designs now, using quite a variety of materials, that you should be able to find a feature waterfall for the home that suits your decor, whether modern, traditional, or olde worlde.
There are basically two types of indoor waterfall: wall hanging, and free (or floor) standing. So, as far as the placing of the waterfalls is concerned, you have plenty of choice to fit in with your interior design. They come in many sizes, too, from very small right up to a very grand size of 6 feet plus in height and width. For the larger wall hanging waterfalls, you do need a substantially built wall on which to fix them. However, they can and do look very impressive; and the larger the size, the more potential you have for the sounds of flowing water.
The materials and finishes used can be chosen to fit in with either a modern or more traditional decor. Some of the most popular frames are stainless steel and copper, with a range of finishes to give either a shiny modern look, or an antique look with an aged finish. As in natural waterfalls, natural stone is often a feature of the indoor equivalent, as are pebbles. Slate, in many colours, is especially effective in indoor waterfalls.
Indoor Fountains
Indoor fountains are much like the waterfalls in terms of materials used. In fact, the names waterfall and fountain are often interchangeable when it comes to home decor. However, what you probably imagine as a water fountain can be found, and are often available in table top size. These can be very small, but still a delightful use of flowing water in the home, whether used on a table as a centrepiece, or as an ornamental feature on a sideboard.
Designs of the table top fountains can be quite delicate, and utilize decorative materials, such as jade and bamboo, in some unique ways. These table top fountains can go well in even a small modern home.
Fish Aquarium
While many people keep an aquarium because they like fish, and do so as a hobby, there is also a lot of potential to use an aquarium as a home decor feature. The sound of the water comes from the bubbling of the filter, while much additional movement and colour comes from the fish themselves. When you add some attractive lighting to the tank, you can create a very soothing water feature for the home.
As with fountains and waterfalls, an aquarium can be in a very wide range of sizes, free standing or built into a wall. The maintenance, of course, is much higher than for that of a waterfall or fountain, but you may well consider that worthwhile for all the pleasure the fish may bring.
If you have space, there is no reason why you should not combine all three of these types of water features. They are all attractive in their own way, and can complement each other in a larger home.
On one hand we absolutely must have water in the house. On the other hand, the last thing we want is water in the house. It is a catch twenty two situation in some cases. There is good water and then there is bad water. The good water would be that which runs through our plumbing that provides us with water to drink, bath, cook, and clean in the home. Bad water is when it suddenly comes flooding in from somewhere such as broken plumbing or from a natural disaster.
Either one of these bearers of bad water is something that a home owner is never really prepared for. About the only thing you can do to reduce the risk of plumbing disasters is to conduct regular inspections and maintenance. Being prepared for the wrath of Mother Nature is a different story entirely. Sometimes no matter how much warning you might have beforehand about a risk of flooding, once it has begun there is usually nothing that can be done to stop it.
When and if your home does sustain damage from flooding, depending on which kind you get will determine how the situation should be handled. If you have flooding due to a break in plumbing, a water damage expert might have an easier less complicated ordeal when it comes to clean up and repair. This is because the water that caused the flooding is more likely to be clean and this means there could be less sanitizing involved when repairing the home. When water is clean and floods the home, it is usually not filled with contamination from sewage and chemicals.
When floods are caused from rivers, torrential rainfalls, and the like, the water that comes into the home is usually polluted and must be cleaned up first then the home sanitized thoroughly anywhere the water was. Mold is always a potential threat in either kind of home flooding. It is more expected from a natural disaster flood because it can take days or longer for the water to recede before clean up can begin. This gives mold the opportunity it needs to take hold and spread.
Mold is still a threat even from plumbing break flooding if the water is not dried out thoroughly and quickly. This is why having a water damage expert might be necessary even for this type of small flood. If your home is not dried completely, mold could develop. Water damage experts will have the proper equipment necessary to reduce the risk of mold development significantly.
Never underestimate the damage that can result even from small floods. If your insurance policy covers damage from both natural disaster flooding and from plumbing breaks, use a water damage specialists to make sure your home is cleaned and repaired as well as it should be to make repairs correctly and as quickly as possible..
Both Roy Thomsitt & Rachel Yoshida are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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