Welcome to Rain Chains Direct™Rain chains are a functional yet elegant replacement for conventional gutter downspouts. We offer high quality copper and aluminum styles as well as rain chain accessories, all at extremely competitive prices. Looking for a great reason to buy? And yes, we ship outside the US! If you are outside the US please contact us for a quote. |
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A Bit About Our Products:Our copper rain chains are 100% solid copper--not the copper coated varieties you will find at some competing sellers. Moreover, they are made of heavy gauge copper - a quality you simply won't find at chains selling at our prices. Our products are asked for by name by many builders and designers. We aim to provide the discriminating customer with a choice selection of high quality, contemporary styled rain chains - all at very reasonable prices. Our products have been featured in Architectural Digest, HGTV, Fine Gardening Magazine, The New York Times, and Better Homes and Gardens. We focus on a smaller number of high-quality contemporary and classic designs to complement almost any architecture. All of our chains come in a standard length of 8.5 feet including a top hook to hang from any gutter. Although our chains come in standard lengths, all of our styles can be extended or shortened as needed (please contact us for details, as the method varies by style).
Easy InstallationRain chains are easy to install. In most cases it can be done without any tools, save for taking down your old downspout. Each of our styles comes with it's own hanging hook to hang into virtually any gutter system. We also carry a Gutter Installer (sold separately) which allows for a more robust installation in terms of looks and function. Either way, most styles can be installed on a standard gutter within 5 minutes! If you are looking for a longer length than the standard 8.5' we sell, then extending (or shortening) all of our rain chains is relatively easy. For a basic tutorial on how to do this, please see our guide: How To Lengthen and Shorten Rain Chains. We also have a growing network of contractors who install our chains around the United States, so if you feel you need assistance with your rain chain installation then drop us a line (email or call us) and we will try to find a contractor in your area to help you out. And if you have any questions at all about either installing your chain or a unique situation you are not sure about, please let us know, as we love solving problems for our customers.
Rain Chain Origins and Current UsageRain chains originated in Japan, where they have been in use on houses and temples for hundreds of years. In Japanese they are referred to as "kusari doi" 鎖樋, which literally means "chain gutter." Although they have been used and adapted as downspout alternatives in various ways in the United States for years, it is only the last decade that has seen trend in use rise sharply. A rain chain is a popular substitute for a downspout because it adds a pleasing visual element above and beyond simple functionality. Today rain chains are being used on all types of architecture. The dual aesthetic and function of the chains allow for them to be placed where needed for runoff evacuation without having to hide the structures, which is a common problem with conventional downspouts. In addition, with a copper rain chain, the material will also gain a beautiful patina over time. Rain Chains are a “new classic” and offer a distinct and contemporary accent to virtually any home. They look infinitely better than a conventional downspout and offer a unique accent to virtually any architecture. |
Rain Chains are an Environmentally Friendly ChoiceIn addition to being a fantastic looking alternative to conventional downspouts, a rain chain also has the added benefit of being an environmentally smart choice. Copper is the worlds most reusable resource and because of it’s reusable nature, copper’s recycling rate is higher than that of any other engineering material. In fact, in the United States, each year nearly as much copper is recovered from recycled material as is derived from newly mined ore. Furthermore, using a rain chain encourages rainwater collection. They can be incorporated into rainwater harvesting systems with rain barrels, or other catchment containers. Another popular way to reuse rainwater is to direct it to a rain garden which can help mitigate the effects of urban runoff. A rain chain can help turn such an environmentally helpful setup into an attractive water feature. So if using chains in lieu of conventional downspouts were not incentive enough, now you can feel good about having made a choice that can also support environmentally sustainable building practices. We encourage sustainable building practices and if you have any questions about obtaining a rain barrel or building a rain garden please consult our information section or else drop us a line and we will be happy to help any way we can. If you have any questions about any of our products, please do not hesitate to contact us. We love to answer questions. Also please be sure to check out our Frequently Asked Questions section of the website.
What's NewWe've had a lot of requests for a video of a rain chain installation, so we've posted one! Here you can see a rain chain installation on a typical gutter downspout (although most installations will not be this involved, as this one includes installing a whole new gutter as well). Here is the video. See one of our latest articles in our Home Series: Choosing Great Garden Accessories. Also, check out our Today's Deals section to see our latest discounts on some of our most popular styles. Rain Chains Direct is a member of the Better Business Bureau. We are serious when it comes to offering the best and most useful products at great prices. We are here to help - put us to the test! |