A rain chain is an ornamental alternative to traditional gutter downspouts. These water drainage features bring beauty, charm, and much more visual interest and curb appeal than a regular old downspout.
Rain chains originated in Japan, where they are commonly found on temples, shrines, and other buildings with traditional Japanese architecture. However, rain chains are now available in designs suitable for any house style.
5 Benefits of Rain Chains
Lower Maintenance
Rain chains are less work than downspouts since they usually don’t get clogged up with fallen leaves, twigs, dirt, and other debris.
Plus, you don’t have to maintain a pump.
Functional Year-Round Beauty
Rain chains add beauty to your home throughout spring, summer, fall, and winter.
The sight of water cascading down a rain chain is incredibly soothing. Rain chains turn spring, summer, and fall rains into a relaxing experience.
And rain chains don’t need to be put away for water. The water simply freezes over them, turning these downspout alternatives into a decorative ice feature.
Soothing Sounds
Tired of the sound of dripping downspouts? With rain chains, all you hear is gently falling water. It’s a calming auditory and visual feature.
Different and Unusual
Want an outdoor element that will set you apart from your neighbors? Installing a rain chain is the perfect way to do that. Adding some of these distinctive drainage elements is a sure way to stun onlookers.
Rain Chains Age Well
Unlike downspouts, rain chains are built to become more attractive as they age. Aluminum rain chains are quite sturdy and copper-based rain chains develop a gorgeous patina with continued exposure.
Affordable
A rain chain’s upscale looks don’t come with a matching elevated price tag. These features are surprisingly affordable. Take a look at the options at popular home stores and Amazon.
Ornamental Drainage Options
A rain chain’s drainage can also be ornamental and functional. These can drain into water fountains, gardens, pools, large water collection vases, and other options.
How do Rain Chains Work?
Rain chains are installed along the gutters, hanging down where downspouts would otherwise be.
Water from rain and melting winter precipitation is guided down the hanging rain chain to the ground.
Some rain chains hang down freely and have a gentle swing. Others are tethered or hooked to the ground. And many rain chains end with an additional decorative feature that collects and redirects the runoff.
The ones that swing freely or are secured to the ground are usually placed over a drain.
Types of Rain Chains
Rain chains come in two main types: cups and chains.
Cup-style rain chains feature a series of linked cups or other objects with an open bottom. The objects are linked together by a chain going through the center hole. The cups are usually spaced out every 6 inches to 1 foot apart. As water leaves the gutters, it flows down the chain and cups. The cups add more decorative elements and allow the chain to transport more water.
Chain-style or link and loop-style rain chains simply use some form of a linked chain. This style might not have additional decorative cups, but the links themselves can be very ornamental.
What’s the Best Rain Chain for Me?
There’s a rain chain for every aesthetic. Copper is the more traditional material, but these features can be found in black and bronze aluminum, galvanized iron, and other metals.
You can find a variety of cup shapes, like fruit, leaves, flowers, the sun, the moon, fish, butterflies, other animals, Buddha heads, and various geometric shapes.
There are sturdy robust link chains, delicate double-ring chains, and minimalistic single-ring chains.
That’s why these drainage mechanisms can be found on everything from temples to Brutalist buildings.
How to Add a Rain Chain
Most rain chains are manufactured to hook right into a downspout outlet. This makes them super simple to install.
You can remove an old downspout and attach a rain chain or you can create new downspout outlets where you’d like the rain chains to be.
But before that, you will need to find or create a place for the rain chain to drain into.
Tools, Equipment, and Supplies:
- Tin Snips
- Shovel
- Masonry Drill
- Gutter Bar Hanger
- Hook
- Large Pot
- ¾” Stones or Gravel
- Larger Stones
- Industrial Wire
- Safety Gloves
Steps:
- Use tin snips to cut an opening for the rain chain in the gutters.
- Insert a hanging bar into the hole.
- Prepare a drainage site directly underneath the opening. If there is an in-ground drain, you can leave the rain chain as is or attach the rain chain to the drain with industrial wire.
- Take the pot and drill some holes into the bottom. The water will drain out of this, so make sure to drill a few.
- Dig a hole in the ground directly underneath the opening. Make it at least half a foot deep and a little wider than the pot.
- Fill the hole with stones or gravel.
- Put the pot on top of the stone-filled hole.
- Hook the rain chain onto the hanging bar.
- Place the end of the rain chain into the pot, then fill the pot halfway to three-quarters in with stones.
- Fill the rest of the pot with larger, heavier stones.
Get a Professional Rain Chain or Gutter Installation
Ready to stream ordinary runoff water through a gorgeous decorative feature? Reach out to us at AGR Roofing & Construction.
Our gutter installation team will remove your old downspouts and replace them with the rain chains of your choice.
