Published: August 02, 2011
This week we have 3 great new articles in our Home Project Series. Check them out!
Making your own Rain Barrel
A rain barrel is a creative way to capture rainwater runoff from your roof to reuse for watering your lawn and garden. Making one is not as difficult as you might think! Read all about making your own rain barrel.
Fundamentals of Composting
Composting is a powerful tool for encouraging a healthy and beautiful garden. Learning to compost is easy and will help to promote the consistency of your soil to support healthy plants. Learn the fundamentals of composting here.
Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping is a great way to strategically plan your garden with water conserving plant varieties to minimize the water required to keep your garden healthy. With these techniques you can reduce your gardens water consumptions by up to 75%! Learn the techniques of xeriscaping here.
Published: July 15, 2011
I'd like to introduce our home project series. Going forward we will be regularly posting topical pieces on projects you can undertake around the home to both beautify and economize your space outdoors. Below are our first two installations. We hope you enjoy!
How to drought-proof your home
Beautify using recycled materials
Published: June 15, 2011
If you have a website or a blog where you would like to refer potential rain chain customers to our website, you can earn money with that referral. Our new Affiliate Program automatically tracks visitors that come from your site or blog and if that visitor places an order, you then can earn a percentage of that sale. It's very easy!
People love rain chains and they are a hot item in the home and garden sector. If you have a blog or website related to home and garden or architecture, then you have access to the prime buying audience. Join in the fun and make some extra cash in the process!
To find out how to sign up, we have created a detailed instruction page right here. If you have any questions on this process, please reach out to us at info@rainchainsdirect.com
Published: May 17, 2011
In our never-ending effort to unleash rain chains into the publics general awareness, we are looking for content creators, website owners, tweeters, bloggers, and all around genuine home and garden enthusiasts to help us spread the word about rain chains. Depending on the size of your channel, we can sponsor giveaways and/or provide content and features. We also have a new affiliate program which allows a site owner to receive part of the sale, when a visitor that was referred from that site results in a sale! If you have any questions about this or would like to discuss it with us, please drop us a line at info@rainchainsdirect.com
Published: May 04, 2011
In order to help spread the word about rain chains, we have initiated a Giveaway on our Rain Chains Facebook Page! In order to be eligible, all you have to do is "like" our Facebook page - and if you already have, then don't worry, you are automatically eligible to win
We will be giving away two copper rain chains (there will be two winners who will get one rain chain each). In addition to the rain chains, if you tell your facebook friends to "like" our page and then one of them win, you get a $40 referral fee! So easy. So "like" our page and tell everyone you know to do the same!
Published: April 29, 2011
Due to periodic requests that we show a video of a rain chain being installed, we've located one from HGTV and posted it here. This particular video shows an entire gutter being installed, which is irrelevant for most installations, however the rain chain installation portion should be of some value. Enjoy!
Published: March 25, 2011
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Simply put, the most important function of rain gutters is to protect your home from the harmful effects of water.
If you have gutters that are old, damaged, or missing parts then you are risking damage to your home. It can prevent the gutter from doing what it is meant to do which is to keep water away from the edge of your home - and a wet and saturated ground can produce a whole host of problems.
If the ground around the foundation of your home is too wet, then it can be a breeding ground for mold and mildew. This can eventually lead to structural problems which in turn can cause cracking and leaking, especially in the cold season when the moist ground can freeze and in turn expand. This can lead to serious damage to the structure of a home - and something that can be easily be prevented with the presence of a quality gutter system. A properly installed gutter will manage water runoff properly and guide it down through the downspouts to appropriate areas.
The basic principle here is that an "ounce of prevention" can be a worth a "ton of cure" when it comes to properly managing water runoff around the house.
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Published: March 04, 2011
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Often the question arises: should a rain chain be hung with the hanging hook or the gutter installation piece (a.k.a. "gutter reducer"). The answer depends on the situation.
First of all, it should be noted that all of our chains come with a stock hanging hook included in the price of the chain, however the gutter installation piece is sold separately. With that said, some gutters already have a leader which protrudes out through the bottom of the gutter hole, which can serve to focus the water stream to the top of the chain for maximum conveyance. If the leader looks good, then there may not be a need for a gutter installation piece. The exception to this is if you are connecting additional length to the chain that will add substantial weight to the entire assemblage - in this case, the extra strength that the bolt in the gutter installation piece provides may be more desirable.
If however the gutter does not have a leader, or one that looks good, then the gutter installation piece will probably be the way to go. What's more is that the piece is made of copper and is styled to match the chains, so this can add to the overall visual appeal of the installation.
The important thing to keep in mind when installing a rain chain (apart from cost considerations) is what will optimize both the functionality and the overall look of the installation.
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Published: October 11, 2010
Here are some more common questions asked of us at Rain Chains Direct:
How difficult is it to install a rain chain/do they come with their own installation hardware?
All of our rain chains are super simple to install. All you need is a standard gutter with a gutter hole. Each of our rain chains comes with its own hanging hook and no separate hardware is required. However, we do sell installation kits. These are recommended when you are hanging a rain chain that is longer than the standard 8.5 feet, and/or you live in an environment where there is heavy ice buildup on the chains in the winter. The presence of the installation kit (or "gutter reducer") serves to strengthen the hanging point and provides a more secure connection in situations where there will be added weight on the chain. Some also like the look of the gutter reducer instead of the hanging hook.
Do I need to worry about rain chains freezing in the winter?
Rain chains can freeze over in the winter. Normally this does not cause any problems and can be quite beautiful. However, some attention must be paid to both the amount of ice that is gathering on the chain and the length of the chain. As both lengths and amount of ice increases, so does the weight on the chain. With enough weight the rain chain can overpower the strength of the hanging hook and it can fall down. One way to take precautions against this is to use a gutter reducer {link}. A gutter reducer is stronger than the hook that comes with the rain chain and therefore can withstand more weight. Apart from this solution, you can also simple knock off any excess ice formation.
Where should a rain chain drain?
Rain chains function much like regular downspouts. Apart from aesthetic appeal, their function is simply to guide the water down to the ground. Anywhere that a regular downspout would drain--a basin, a rock, a channel, the lawn, a rain barrel, a rain garden--so can a rain chain.
Will my copper rain chain react with my gutter?
Since copper is high on the galvanic scale, a copper rain chain will not be affected by any metal gutters. Aluminum gutters are low on the galvanic scale so may be affected over time at the contact point by copper, however this can be mitigated by using a clear coat lacquer or clear primer on the surfaces that come into contact.
Do I need gutters to hang a rain chain?
The most common way to install a rain chain is as a replacement for a gutter downspout. However, some people without gutters have come up with some creative ways to hang a rain chain. One such way can be seen at the bottom of this page. So the answer is no, you don't necessarily need a gutter to enjoy a rain chain, but you may need to get creative!
Published: August 04, 2010
Many rain chain owners have chosen to incorporate their rain chains into water reclamation schemes - this practice is also known as "rainwater harvesting." These systems make rain chains much more valuable than just being simple decorative downspouts. Two popular ways of harvesting rainwater are rain barrels and rain gardens.
Rain barrels are a great way to store rainwater for later use around the house and garden. Rainwater is superior for plants and flowers compared to water from the tap, so it is popularly used amongst garderners who know. Since a rain barrel can draw a lot of attention to itself, it's also more aesthetically pleasing to have a rain chain feeding the barrel than a conventional gutter downspout.
In addition to the reasons already mentioned, rainwater harvesting is also an important way that we can all reduce storwater runoff. Stormwater runoff is a big problem in regards to pollution in urban settings. This type of pollution occurs because there is a high prevalence of impervious surfaces which make it so that rainwater doesn't soak into the ground where it falls. Instead it flows along these surfaces until it is channeled into drains. Along the way, the stormwater can pick up debris, chemicals, and many types of other pollutants where they ultimately get carried into lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and coastal waters. This can be harmful to the local waterbodies we use for fishing, swimming, and drinking water.
When water is saved for use in the yard (such as in a rain barrel) or funneled into a rain garden, then water can soak back into the ground in a natural way, where it can be filtered by ground soil and vegetation. This allows these harmful toxins to be filtered out by the time they make their way back to inland and coastal water-bodies. Although the impact of one household reducing runoff can seem small, this is exactly where it must begin. And as a critical mass of people in an area engage in these types of practices, there can be a real impact on the improvement of water quality.
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