One of our customers created his own solution to this problem that not only looks great but also works well. Unfortunately, we do not sell the pots or buckets, but I have seen them at local hardware stores such as Home Depot or Lowe's.

Another question we get regularly is regarding homes in the Southwest which have canales, which usually have a closed end. These canales come in many forms, but most of them usually force the water to go horizontally instead of vertically; which is what rain chains need to work efficiently. I have customers who have successfully drilled a hole in the canale which enabled them to hang a rain chain successfully. The bucket system mentioned above has also been used by several satisfied customers. There are many different ingenious ideas for rain chains, and they do not all have to include a traditional gutter system.

When rain chains are used in cold, icy climates, do they have to be removed because of ice buildup? This is another popular question that is asked frequently. Many people choose to take them down and put them back up in the spring. But many also choose to leave them up and watch the beautiful ice sculptures that form on and around the chain. While you do take a chance when there is a heavy buildup, that the chain may break; we have gotten very few complaints regarding this. Please go back to our testimonial link to see the beautiful ice sculptures that several of our customers have shared with us. One lucky lady even won our Mother's Day Contest with her interesting picture of ice surrounding her rain chain.