3 Things To Know About Rain Chains For Your Home
You need to make sure that you have some way of handling all the water that comes off your roof and directing it into your drainage system. The most typical way to collect the water coming off your home is with a downspout. However, that is not your only option for handling the water. You can also use a rain chain. Here are a few things that you need to know about rain chains.
Rain Chains Work in Place of Downspouts
Rain chains are typically used in place of downspouts, although they can be used together with a downspout as well. A rain chain has a hook on it so that it can hang off your gutter, directing water downward. A rain chain does not have to be attached to your gutter though. A rain chain can also just be attached to a part of your home where rain typically flows downward. Water travels down the chain like it would a downspout.
Rain Chains Work Best in Low-Rain Climates
Rain chains work best in areas that don't get a lot of rain. If you get high amounts of rain during the fall and winter, a rain chain may not be the best choice. If you live somewhere that is really windy, a rain chain may not be the smartest choice either. Too much rain all at once can overwhelm the chain, causing rain to go where you don't want it to go. High winds can disrupt the chain, causing it to blow around and causing water to go where it shouldn't go. Areas that don't have high winds are good locations for copper rain chains.
Rain Chains Need to Be Connected to Overall Drainage System
Rain chains only direct water off of your roof. You have to have a drainage system set up under the rain chains to handle overall drainage of the water as it comes down your roof. It is common to have a buried drain or a French drain under your rain chains to direct the water. You could also have a more natural system, such as a dry creek bed, that channels the water down a slope away from your home. If you don't have anything set-up, the water will just accumulate at the base of the rain chains, causing a pool of water to develop. Water pooling around the base of your home is not an ideal solution. Water pooling at the base of your home can damage your home's foundation. You want the water to drain into the proper channels.
Rain chains can work in place of downspouts in areas that don't frequently get high winds and torrential downfalls of water. Rain chains need to be connected to your overall drainage system in order to be effective.