Rain chains direct rainwater out of your gutters and away from your home's foundation.
You can easily adapt the traditional Japanese rain chain to suit any home or structure on your property. A rain chain replaces the downspout, guiding the water that drains from your gutters into a splashboard, urn, basin or rain barrel. Rain chains provide the calming sight and sound of gently falling water. The chains are environmentally smart, too, as they offer a way to capture rainwater and direct it either to a natural watercourse or into a receptacle for recycling. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Push up slightly on a downspout that's close to a corner of your home or other structure. Twist it toward the side to loosen it from the molded neck spout that connects the downspout to the gutter. Pull the downspout away and store it.
2. Clean out any leaves or debris that may have lodged in the opening that connected the downspout to the gutter. Flush the length of gutter with water from a hose or watering can to be sure water runs unimpeded along the gutter and exits through the downspout opening.
3. Install a thin, sturdy stainless steel or other rust-resistant metal rod horizontally over the open hole in the gutter. The rod should extend about 3 inches past the opening on both sides.
4. Attach two S-hooks to the rod. Allow the hooks to hang down through the hole opening. Attach each hook firmly to the rod with flexible plastic-coated wire.
5. Slip the end link of two 6-foot lengths of copper chain into the end of each S-hook. The chains should dangle down toward the ground, but not touch the ground.
6. Twist or wrap the two lengths of chain around each other. Leave about 6 inches unwrapped at the bottom. Tie the chains together with plastic-coated flexible wire at the bottom.
7. Install a splashboard at the base of the rain chain. The splash board must slope away from the structure's foundation.
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