Rainchain

GlennT · Jul 11, 2001

Can anyone provide advice on a rainchain? We had gutters and downspouts installed on our house and they are constantly filling up with leaves, small sticks and dirt from the tree limbs overhanging the roof. I put screens at the tops of the downspouts and that didn't help; the screens became clogged. I took off the downspouts and put 90 degree elbows under the drainholes in the gutters and that works fine; the gutters purge themselves nicely. However, the water falls too far from each elbow and is eroding the lawn. My wife and I spent some time in Mexico and in Costa Rica and there they use rainchains. I tried hanging a heavy towchain under the drainhole in one of our gutters and it didn't work at all. When I search the Internet I find expensive ($200-$300) decorative rainchains from Japan. I don't want anything fancy for our Texas ranchhouse; I simply want something that works! How large do the links have to be? How should the chain be attached to the gutter? What can be placed under the rainchain to break the fall of the water and keep the lawn from eroding? Any advice would be appreciated.

TWINKLE_TOES · Jul 11, 2001

Glenn,

This isn't an answer to your questions but may help. I have a rain chain in place of one downspout. I had actually planned on adding them to all downspouts but bailed after the completion of the first. The chain is an old log boom chain with links 3 1/2 by 2 inches. It is worn so bad that it probably weighs about half of its new weight. I call this "Rustic" which means it not good for anthing else. The chain is heavy and attached to the facia board with a bolt long enough to hang in the center of the gutter. I cut the gutter to allow a link to lay inside, to allow the water to start down the chain. After a bit of tinkering (adjustment of the chain routing) it works pretty well. Not so sure how it would be in a Texas rain, but up here (WA.) its OK. Maybe someday I'll do the other downspots.

Al

GlennT · Jul 12, 2001

Twinkle toes: Thanks for the information. My chain is heavy duty, but the links are about half the size of yours. Also, your method of hanging the chain is interesting. I hung my chain in the downspout opening but it rested along one side of the opening and the water didn't follow it. I think I'm going to see if I can buy some of that big white decorative plastic chain that is used for ornamental fences. It's so light that I will have to fasten the bottom to something or the wind will blow it around. Maybe I can find some at Home Depot or perhaps at a big nursery. Anyway, thanks for the information; you've provided direction.

Bird · Jul 12, 2001

Aaaah, learn something every day here. I never heard of such things before. I've just got plain old downspouts./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

GlennT · Jul 13, 2001

Bird: You'd be fascinated by how well they work when properly constructed. Even during a torrential downpour the water follows that chain down to the ground; it looks like a cylinder of water. Also, you don't get a great deal of splashing at ground level. You do need a "dish" for the lower end of the chain to rest on or be attached to and some way to funnel the water away from the house. Some places have a circle or square of river-washed stones under the end of the chain and that works well and looks good.

Knight9 · Jul 13, 2001

I had never heard of rainchains or seen them until about 2 or 3 months ago. My wife and I took our kids to "Fort Edmonton" which is the historic park here in Alberta that has an actual replica of the "Fort" that was here in the days of the trappers and has a number of other period homes and buildings. The old cabins and homes had rainchains on them. I actually thought it seemed like a real good idea....but didn't realize they were still in use! Very neat idea and would really fit in to the ranch style.

Kevin

RPM · Jul 13, 2001

I have a friend of mine that built his log cabin home up in the Cascades in Western WA - he used rain-chains. That was the first time I saw them. They worked great, but he did have issues with splashing at the bottom that he was tinkering around with.

TWINKLE_TOES · Jul 13, 2001

RPM,

Western Washington is a great place to find rain chain material. Mine are "boom chains" used to hold log booms together. Big ring on one end and a T fitting on the other. The T loops thru the end of the boom logs and hooks in the ring. You see a lot of landscapes done with the ends of the boom logs.

Al