What Is a Rain Chain? A Guide to the Downspout Alternative
If you’ve spotted this outdoor feature, you might have mistaken it for a wind chime or decorative accent. But rain chains offer more than just curb appeal.
Water is one of your home's biggest threats. Gutters and drains along the roof are vital to home care maintenance. It's essential to have a mechanism to guide water down to the ground and prevent it from damaging your home's roof, attic, or interior. Most U.S. homes use a metal downspout, but an ornate feature known as a rain chain with roots in Asia is becoming more popular. A rain chain is a downspout alternative that's both attractive and effective.
Related: 15 Essential Home Maintenance Tasks Every Homeowner Should Know How to Do
What Is a Rain Chain?
Originally called kusari-doi, rain chains originated in Japan, where they're still used to keep water runoff away from roofs and foundations of homes. Beautiful and highly functional, rain chains attach to gutters and guide rainwater to the ground or a water-harvesting receptacle. They're used for houses, garden pagodas, temples, and other iconic settings in Japan.
The popularity of rain chains has soared in the United States in recent years, and it's not surprising. Rain chains can be fun DIY projects that the entire family can enjoy. Even when store-bought, rain chains add unique charm that downspouts don't offer. They also come in multiple colors and styles, though most are made of copper or other metallic finish.
What Is the Purpose of a Rain Chain?
If you’re wondering what a rain chain is used for, they have two primary purposes. The first, like in Japan, is to guide rainwater from the roof’s gutter and drains down to the ground, where it can be absorbed into the lawn, run along the pavement to curbside drains, or be captured in a rain-harvesting bucket. The second is to decorate the home’s exterior.
While most people are conservative with exterior home colors and designs, others want their homes to stand out from their neighbors. This outdoor feature has the right balance of function and whimsy.
Do I Have to Replace the Downspout to Use a Rain Chain?
Some people remove the existing downspout from the gutter channel to replace it with a rain chain. If your home has an elaborate downspout pipe with an elbow and extensions, removing the existing draining system might be your biggest challenge.
Before removing the downspout, clean the gutters thoroughly. Be careful not to damage the gutter or the exterior walls as you unscrew the downspout and its elbows. Hold on to splash blocks, as you'll use them with the rain chain. Most gutters already have an opening to place a downspout, so you can use a V-shaped hook or a rain chain adapter set inside that opening to attach the rain chain neatly.
How to Install a Rain Chain
If you add a rain chain along the gutter channel or the eaves without removing the existing downspout, you can use tin snips to open a small hole where the rain chain can be hung. Think carefully about where to place the rain chain for best performance and visual appeal. People who collect rainwater may want to put the rain chain in the rear of the home to capture some water in a bucket or barrel. Others use a rain chain to guide water to a visible rock garden, garden planter, or picturesque fountain. There are many options, but make sure that water drains away from the house and doesn’t seep into the foundation.
If your home doesn’t have gutters, you’ll want to identify where water accumulates most on your sloping roof. Usually, there’s a corner or crevice where rain creates small canals that channel water down to the ground. That’s where a rain chain is most beneficial. Use S hooks to attach a copper bucket to that corner, then pierce the bottom and hang the rain chain from the bucket.
Related: How to Make a Rain Barrel from a Garbage Can in 5 Easy Steps
Should I Switch to a Rain Chain?
During heavy rains, downspouts can make loud noises. Rain chains can create a waterfall-like sound effect as water drains through each level of the chain. Many people find this to be a calming, soothing sound, especially for children and pets that are easily startled.
If you need to replace your drain system, now is a good time to test a switch. Because rain chains age well, they may be a natural replacement for a broken, cracked, or leaking gutter or downspout. In the United States, most rain chains are made of metal, so they age beautifully and complement brick, siding, and wood facades.
Landscaping and painting are costlier endeavors. A rain chain is an inexpensive and easy outdoor upgrade that leaves a positive impression.
Remember, you might need more than one. Rain chains can be attached to garages, homes, and carport overhangs.
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