Do Rain Chains Work Without Gutters

Rain chains are a popular japanese alternative to gutters or downspouts.

Do rain chains work without gutters.

Use rain chains effectively. The water flows from the gutter through the hole where the downspout used to be and onto the chain. Most sloping roofs can accommodate a rain chain even without a gutter. Study your roof and how it expels rain water before you install your gutterless rain chain.

Installing rain chains is as simple as removing the downspouts from your gutter system then using a simple strap to hang the chain from the end of the gutter. The chain will then hang down to the ground and from here you can choose whether to collect the water or allow it to flow out into the yard away from your home. Eventually the water will make its way from the roof to the ground without flooding your home. Then it runs down the chain and into whatever you are using to collect or redirect the water.

At the functional level rain chains are a replacement for the downspout from your gutters. Aesthetically pleasing as a rain chain might be however there are some things you should know about them before you. Rain chain downspouts are an ornamental beautiful addition to gutter systems. Do i need gutters to hang a rain chain.

They function well moreover add a pleasant waterfall sound as the rainwater travels downward from cup to cup or link to link. Ask this old house landscape contractor roger cook installs a decorative and functional alternative to a downspout. If you live in a high wind area you may not be able to use rain chains. Subscribe to this old house.

The rain chain would have to positioned or hung beneath the flow to act efficiently and catch the rain water. Your home also needs to have an overhang of at least three feet to allow rain chains to work most effectively and remember that you will need a drainage system below the chain whether it s a buried drain a french drain a water feature or a. So the answer is no you don t necessarily need a gutter to enjoy a. Rain chains are a unique addition to a home s rain gutter system.

But all situations are different and for a rain chain to work without a gutter the water would have to come down from the roof in a vertical manner to a point such as a corner or valley of a house. When the rain travels down the chains and into the cups or bells that are spread across it then you get a pleasing sound that s a lot like a wind chime which makes them appeal to many people. Though rain chains do. A pleasant white noise sound is heard when just a chain is used without the cups.

Since roof slopes will vary from home to home so will the trajectory of the water that streams from a roof through a crevice or crease during a storm. However some people without gutters have come up with some creative ways to hang a rain chain.