The Rain in Spain

In the process of adding onto my house, the builders had to take off my gutter downspouts. The addition or renovation of a home is the perfect time to consider alternatives to traditional (read: boring) aluminum downspouts.

Rain chains have been used in Japan for over 100 years and are slowly but surely becoming popular in America, especially with the go green set. These decorative copper accents are not only a more aesthetically attractive option, they can provide more utilitarian benefits than aluminum downspouts.

By guiding the water from your gutters into a rain collection bin or decorative container, the rain chain acts as a path for the water. It also serves as a decorative water feature, providing soft water-esque noises during a rain storm. Why pay for a sound machine at Brookstone when you can have your very own fountain outside your window? The chains look like a fountain, especially if you choose a beautiful copper basin to collect the water as it comes down.

Unfortunately, rain chains are not sufficient to use as your primary downspouts all around your home. It is recommended that they only be responsible for 30 feet of gutter. However, give it a try for at least one section of your home and be the cool kid in the neighborhood. They come in all sort of different shapes and styles, but traditionally come in a standard length of 8 1/2 feet. Don't forget to also get a basin of some sort... all that water has to go somewhere!