Fiberglass and Resin are both common materials when it comes to water fixtures both inside and outside the home. However, you may be struggling to find out exactly which one to use. With an element like water, it can be hard to find something that’s durable, long-lasting, and aesthetically pleasing, all within a good budget. So what’s going to work for you?
Fiberglass is the way to go. Fiberglass and resin are both lightweight, stylish, and cheaper than stone fountains, however, fiberglass is the better material between the two. Fiberglass lasts longer, and is often cheaper, and often more durable.
Whilst fiberglass may be better in the long run, there are items of work that resin accomplishes better than fiberglass. It all depends on what’s important to you! So in order to better capture your dream fountain, whether inside or out, here are a few things to consider when deciding the two.
Resin v. Fiberglass
Cement fountains are often the most popular of all fountains, but you can run into a number of issues with cement. It’s heavy, expensive, and you might not get the design you want. This is why materials like resin, or fiberglass, are better than standard cement fountains.
Resin and fiberglass are similar materials, and work in (almost) the same way, however, there are lots of major differences between the two that may affect which one you decide to go with!
Fiberglass
What Is Fiberglass?: Fiberglass is a reinforced type of plastic. It is most often used in bathtubs, boats, or other applications. It’s hard to break, and easy to shape which makes it perfect for things like faux-stone fountains. The fiberglass is shaped into the type of fountain you want, and then painted with a stone-like look without the money or difficulty of actual stone!
Design: Because of its material, fiberglass can be somewhat hard to shape or mold. However, if it is much more lasting. It’s incredibly light, in fact, it’s the lightest of all possible fountain-making-material. This makes it easy to manage and assemble. It’s also a great material if you’re looking for a more detailed fountain! The only downside to fiberglass is it’s so light, it could fall over or even blow away.
Weather: Fiberglass is much stronger than resin. It can withstand heavy weather much better and is harder to chip or damage. It’s great for both indoor fixtures, and outdoor environments where you may face different weather patterns. The only con fiberglass faces is windy climates. Due to fiberglass being so light, it can be picked up quite easily.
This is a complex issue in flat areas where the wind is more common, and it could potentially fall over. However, to the other elements, it’s long-lasting and strong.
Price: Fiberglass is incredibly cheap, not cheaper than resin, but cheap nonetheless. So no matter how elaborate your fountain design, it’ll be cheaper than a stone or resin fountain. The average fiberglass fountain, at a medium-size, runs between $100-$300 dollars respectfully.
Pros: There are multiple benefits to having fiberglass over resin. Fiberglass, for one, is incredibly easy to clean and keep up with. If you don’t want to have to keep up with consistently cleaning your fountain, fiberglass is the way to go. Hard water deposits don’t stick to fiberglass, and most rust-removal or other mineral products will not stain your fountain!
Another great benefit of fiberglass relates to its weight. Due to it being incredibly light, it requires fewer people to install it, less money to ship, and less hassle when attempting to move it. If you’re someone who likes to rearrange regularly, this is definitely the better of the two!
Cons: The negatives of fiberglass are reflected in its lack of material changes. Resin can reflect a number of materials, and textures. Fiberglass is less versatile. So if you want a particular look to your fountain, it may be harder in fiberglass. It also can be hazardous when it comes to its weight as it can easily blow away, fall down, and cause damage to the rest of its area and to itself.
Resin
What Is Resin?: Resin is a special type of plastic. It’s created through a composite blend, which is rotationally molded into strong and pliable products that can mimic the look of stone and metal materials at a more affordable cost and a fraction of the weight. Resin fountains often referred to as poly-stone, is a mix between plastic and artificial stone.
It’s heavier than fiberglass, a little bit weaker, and has a “stone-like” feel to it. This is different than fiberglass which is complete plastic that’s displayed to look like stone, whereas resin mimics stone in texture as well as display.
Weather: In terms of weather, Resin degrades faster than fiberglass. It’s a weak material and is easily chipped, and worn away by weather. The chips become hard to fix, and it slowly erodes down the product. If it’s colored the coloring can be difficult to seal, and the color can fade as well. Whilst this all does sound rather negative, it does last for a number of years before absolutely falling apart.
Price: Resin is the cheaper of the two. Of course, if you’re looking for a larger fountain or fixture, then it may cost more. However, resin as a whole tends to be pretty cheap. Whilst this is a positive in terms of creating a fountain as there are other expenses, it is important to note its’ degradation time.
It can degrade faster than fiberglass which means although it may be cheaper, you may need to replace it sooner or more frequently than fiberglass.
Design: Resin, or poly-stone, can mimic basically any material. This includes, but is not limited to, concrete, rock, wood, or ceramic. It’s incredibly appealing because of this. Not only can it look like stone, but it can also feel like it. It’s light, but not as light as fiberglass is. This can make it harder to move around if you’re interested in redesigning.
Pros: There are great benefits to resin, the biggest being its versatility. You can have your fountain in any imaginable material (for the most part!) This allows you to get a stone texture and look, at half the price. Resin is also great as an indoor fountain material if you’re more interested in a water feature within your home.
Cons: The cons of resin is its wearability. It may be cheaper but it’s a price you may have to pay more than once. It can chip and scratch easily which makes it also difficult to clean at times as stains can latch on rather easily. Whilst it may be better for, inside the home, it can be a struggle to keep as an outside water fixture.
For More Information On These Two Materials:
This video shows you how to repair either a resin fountain or statue, as well as giving you more information on the material itself.
Our Consensus
Overall when considering every factor between resin and fiberglass, fiberglass is the winner.
It has a much stronger resistance against weather, with it’s only potential hazard being the weight. Along with this it’s easier to clean, so even if there is a situation where your fountain happens to face some heavy weather or mineral content, you can easily make it brand new.
It may not be as cheap as resin, however, it is better to spend a little extra money on something that’s going to last longer as opposed to having to spend money more often on something cheap. So whilst it may be pricier, it’s certainly worth a bit more than its price in comparison.
It’s durability, and price, make it better in the long run compared to resin. While you may not get as great of a design, you are going to get something much more long-lasting, and much more worth your money.
