How Rain Chains Add Beauty And Tranquility To Your Home

While downspouts are fully functional in directing the water from your rain gutters away from your home, sometimes it's nice to transcend functionality with aesthetic appeal. Rain chains provide the efficiency of  plastic or aluminum downspouts with the visual and auditory sensations of wind chimes.

However, you should be selective in the materials of which your rain chains are composed, and of the possible modifications necessary to connect them to your gutters and to direct rainwater away from your home's foundation.

What Are Rain Chains?

A rain chain is an alternative to a downspout, consisting of an actual chain of metallic links or a series of funneling cups that direct water from your gutters. Instead of rainwater rushing through an enclosed gutter, a rain chain produces a visible and audible flow of water following a prescribed path to the ground.

The metallic composition of the rain chain produces a similar sound to wind blowing through wind chimes, with the additional sounds of water splashing and cascading along each link or cup in the chain.

How Are Rain Chains Installed?

Copper rain chains are installed using the same opening in the gutters that accommodate downspouts. An adapter may be required to ensure that the entire opening is closed off to ensure that water doesn't flow beyond the path of the chain.

Modifications will also be needed at the ground level to direct the water as it reaches the end of the chain. Rain barrels are a perfect choice for this purpose, preventing soil erosion while conserving water for gardening or other purposes.

How Do Snow and Ice Affect Rain Chains and Your Gutters?

Snow and ice produce only additional aesthetic appeal as they form along the length of a rain chain. The additional weight produced by the accumulation of ice and snow is negligible, and will not affect gutters that are in sound condition.

What Are the Best Types of Materials for Rain Chains?

Metals that don't rust, such as aluminum and copper, are superior to steel because of their natural extended longevity when exposed to water over an extended period. Copper rain chains, in particular, are more durable that other materials.

While copper loses its luster over time, it compensates by developing a warm patina that adds to its romantic charm and aesthetic appeal.

A single rain chain may be inadequate to replace a downspout in areas with normally heavy rainfall, but it's very simple to add additional openings for more rain chains if this is becomes an issue.

Rain chains are simple, elegant, and fully capable of performing their job. You can't ask for more than that.