We are considering using rain chains, rather than gutter downspouts on our house. Does anyone have any experience with them or heard any pros or cons? I've found them on line, but am trying to locate a source in the Dallas area to actually go see some. Any help/info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Rain chains Dallas area ??
I saw rain chains in a catalog last year and ordered some. My husband still needs to get the new gutters up but I was able to hang one chain, which started out very shiny and is now a darker, more pateened (?) shade. I love sitting on the porch during rain showers and I get a little fascinated watching the rain pour down the chain. I've always liked a different look as opposed to the "normal" one! I can't remember the name of the catalog but it might have been Wind and Weather. I know I located them online and I like them!
I had forgotten all about rain chains(I've seen them in TN). Down here no one has gutters. Do you need gutters for rain chains to work?
I think the idea is that rain chains replace the gutter downspouts, so they are used in conjunction with gutters.
I have't seen any, but heard some people in Austin talking about them, saying they liked them. Of course, they will hang straight down, so you'll still need to divert the water away from the house once it reaches the ground (just like with downspouts.)
I am going now to search rain chains. :-)
Thanks for your messages. I've seen rain chains online, but I'd was trying to find a store here in Dallas area to see them in person. Online ordering has return postage and 15% restocking fee if you don't like them! They do hang down from the gutter and can either go into a pot, or order them about 1 foot longer and coil them on the ground. We've already had underground drains placed where the coils will land to take the water away. Glad to know they darken a little, they seem so shiny online. I'll Google some more for rain chains.
Unfortunately, lots of times the responses you get for item searches on the internet only show who sells them on the internet. I was looking for barley straw not long ago, found all kinds of places that sell them online, but nothing for brick & mortar stores. I finally just started looking up pond places in the greater Houston area, called around, and found one. They have a website, but don't say anything on the website about the barley straw, so it never showed up on searches!
If you can identify a manufacturer, maybe you can find their webpage and contact them (or maybe it will be on their website) for local retailers.
Has anyone ever seen/tried this type of gutter system?
http://www.seamlesssolution.com/catalog/item/1627584/1070250.htm#image_1
I know it's not the same as rain chains, but it's the same topic! I hate the way gutters look, and living in a historic district they are very picky about what you can put up. They of course approve the Guttermax gutters, but the estimate I got was $7K! For gutters?! NO WAY! I don't need to divert water since we lucked out and don't have any flooding or "bad" areas where rain water needs to be diverted. But it does create deep grooves in my beds where the water runs off the roof and hits the ground so I wanted to try these. $16 per foot installed seems pretty expensive, but I saw an ad elsewhere that said you could order them direct and install them yourself. I don't remember the DIY cost. Anyway, does anyone have these?
I have been very interested in these, too. I first saw them at Home Depot, but they don't have one part that I really need, and inside corner deflector. I don't remember the price, but every time i think about my water problem at the front of my house, I think that these would be the best solution for me. I don't know if HD carries them any more, can't find them on their website.