How to Choose a Decorative Gutter Chain

Installing gutter rain chains on your home is a terrific way to add a little curb appeal to your property and take advantage of Mother Nature. Think of rain chains as a trickling water fountain that turns on and off automatically when it rains with no electricity required! Replace those ugly downspouts with the ancient, architectural detail and function of Japanese gutter rain chains. Follow these steps to choose the right gutter chains to meet your needs.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Basic knowledge of gutters and downspouts

1. Determine your budget and how many decorative gutter rain chains you need to purchase. Perhaps you just want to add some curb appeal and replace only the front gutters, or maybe you want to make a really big splash and have gutter chains grace every corner of your house.

2. Decide which material you like best. The majority of rain chains are made of copper or brass because these materials weather well in different climates. Each material will weather differently so decide if you like the weathered, green patina of copper or the darkened look of weathered brass.

3. Determine the length of gutter chains that you need. Remember that the purpose of gutter rain chains is to direct rain water from the gutters of your roof down to the ground. It's best to get gutter chains that come as close to the ground as possible, but it's okay to have the chain two or so feet above the ground for a dramatic effect. Links can be added or taken off for desired length.

4. Consider the style you like best. There are the actual chain-link gutter chains which help direct rain water straight down to the ground and tend to create more spash, but are less costly than the more decorative cup-style gutter chains. Cup-style gutter chains do a better job of directing the rain downward, have a more dramatic sound as the water flows, but are more expensive and weighty than the chain-link style.

5. Decide if you want to include a rain basin beneath the gutter chain. Rain basins collect the rainwater and also serve to keep the rain from pooling directly underneath the chain.

6. Understand the ease of installation. Gutter rain chains are very easy to install regardless of the style you choose and require very little work to replace existing downspouts.

Tips & Warnings

• Japanese gutter connections for attaching rain chains as used in Japan won't fit most U.S. rain gutters, but the rain chains can easily be installed through the gutter drain holes.