Metal outdoor fountains: Corten steel or aluminum

Before you pick a metal, decide how the water should show itself. Our five models fall into two groups, and that difference shapes the whole installation.

• Alban, Elio and Nereida are self-contained fountains: the water wells up in the center of the cube or the cylinder, spreads across the top, slides down the sides and returns to a hidden reservoir. Nereida carries it from a first basin down to a second one. You set them in place, fill them and plug them in.
• Célestin and Léandre are water walls: a continuous sheet of water falls from a panel across its full width. Célestin mounts high on an existing wall; Léandre is a vertical panel from 1200 to 1600 mm (47 to 63 in) tall. Both come with their pump and LED lighting but without a receiving basin: the water lands in a reflecting pool, a water basin or, in aluminum, a swimming pool.

We took from our product pages the sizes offered in both materials. For Alban, the size reads side × height; for Elio, diameter × height; for Nereida, width × height; for the water walls, width × depth × height. Dimensions are in millimeters with the inch equivalent rounded to the nearest inch. Weights are the empty weights shown on each product page, and prices are US prices in the base finish of each metal: our signature patina for Corten steel, the base color for aluminum, which costs the same as its seven other colors.

Across the 23 sizes offered in both metals, the aluminum fountain weighs 1.5 to 2.6 times less than its Corten steel twin, most often about half as much. A Nereida cascade drops from 514 lb to 249 lb, and an Elio at Ø 1200 × 700 mm (47 × 28 in) from 262 lb to 100 lb.

On price, the gap stays modest in our US prices: aluminum costs 5% to 31% more than Corten steel, depending on the model and the size. It is smallest on Elio, where aluminum costs 5% to 13% more, and on Léandre (8% to 26%). Alban and Nereida sit at about 15% more. The widest gap is on the largest water walls: the 3000 mm (118 in) Célestin costs $9,050 in aluminum against $6,890 in Corten steel.

The real difference is the range. We offer our Corten steel fountains in far more sizes:

• Alban: 20 sizes in Corten steel, from the 600 mm (24 in) cube to linear fountains with 2 to 6 jets up to 6000 mm (236 in) long, the cubes also in 3 mm steel; one size in aluminum, 600 × 700 mm (24 × 28 in).
• Elio: 10 sizes in Corten steel, from Ø 500 to Ø 1500 mm (20 to 59 in), in 2 or 3 mm steel; 3 in aluminum, at Ø 1000 and Ø 1200 mm (39 and 47 in).
• Nereida: the same 2200 × 1300 mm (87 × 51 in) size in both materials (see Nereida in aluminum).
• Célestin and Léandre: the same 8 and 10 sizes in both metals, from 1000 to 3000 mm (39 to 118 in) wide (see Célestin in aluminum and Léandre in aluminum).

Salt and chlorine keep the Corten steel patina from stabilizing. If the fountain will take in pool water, or if the yard catches ocean spray, we steer you toward powder-coated aluminum, which does not rust. It is also the obvious choice for a water wall that pours straight into a swimming pool: our product pages reserve that use for the aluminum Célestin and Léandre. Our guide to Corten steel near the sea goes through these situations.

On a wood deck or a rooftop, weight matters too. An aluminum Alban weighs 50 lb empty, half as much as in Corten steel; once filled, the load climbs noticeably, since the water adds to the metal. Have a structural engineer or contractor check the load the structure can carry before any raised installation.

Corten steel arrives with the signature Cortenys patina applied in the workshop, in shades of earth, amber and deep rust. Under running water it takes on shifting highlights and blends with flower beds, ornamental grasses and natural stone.

In aluminum, every fountain comes in eight colors at the same price, with a 30% gloss: White RAL 9016, Gray RAL 7016, Black RAL 9005, Blue RAL 5001, Yellow RAL 1005, Green RAL 6018, Red RAL 3020 and Orange RAL 2004. Black gives a water wall real depth, white or gray works with light stucco, and a bright color turns the fountain into the focal point of a courtyard.

Corten steel can leave rust runoff on light pavers or a pool coping, especially in its first months. The protective varnish we offer as an option on our Corten fountains greatly reduces it without ruling it out: even varnished, a Corten steel fountain can still stain the ground. Set it on a gravel bed or on shims, and read our guide to Corten steel care and rust stains. Powder-coated aluminum will not mark the ground.

Both metals install the same way. The pump and lighting plug into a weatherproof outdoor outlet with GFCI protection, installed or checked by an electrician; plan the cable run before you lay any paving. The fountain must sit perfectly level for the water to flow evenly, and the pump must never run dry: top up the water in summer.

Before the first freeze, empty the fountain, take out the pump and store it somewhere frost-free until spring; the empty fountain stays outside. Our guide on how to install a Corten steel fountain covers each step, and our Corten steel water basins are sized to catch the water.

Start with the spot, then with the movement of water you want to see and hear.

• In the middle of a flower bed or a lawn, a bubbling source: Alban or Elio, in Corten steel for the widest choice of sizes.
• A cascade that anchors a patio or a garden path: Nereida, in either metal.
• A wall to bring to life without touching the ground: Célestin, mounted high, with a basin to catch the water.
• A vertical sheet of water at the end of a view or beside a reflecting pool: Léandre.
• Pool deck, coastline, rooftop terrace, a color to match your window frames: aluminum.
• A material that weathers over time and the lowest price: Corten steel, from $3,610 with Elio; aluminum costs 5% to 31% more size for size.