Available Styles

Rain Chains are a beautiful and functional alternative to traditional closed metal or plastic downspouts. They break the fall of the water, guiding it visibly downward to the ground, into a basin or even a rain barrel for storage. Rain chains come in many different styles and sound great!

Our Rain Chain products are made of the highest-quality, thick copper, brass, aluminum and iron materials. All cup styles have open bottoms for efficient waterflow even in heavy rainfall.

History

Rain chains ('kusari doi' in Japanese) in concept are not a new idea. For hundreds of years, the Japanese have used the roof of their homes to collect water, transporting it downward with chains and finally depositing the rain water into large barrels for household water usage. Japanese temples often incorporate quite ornate and large rain chains into their design. Rain chains have been spotted in South America, where chain is easier to obtain that machined downspouts.

Link designs are the closest to the original form. They tend to splash more than cup styles, and this may be important when they are considered for areas that are near doors, windows or walkways. From plain link chain to more fancy combinations of shapes, link chains offer the most open, airy look and clean lines. They are often used with modern architectural designs, but also look appropriate in rustic settings like cabins and log homes. The Zen Loops and Double Loops chains have the strongest Asian design influence.

Cup designs are an improvement over links chains in performance and efficiency. With open bottoms, they act as funnels, focusing the water from one cup down into the next one. Even in heavy rainfall, cup styles splash very little, so they can be placed anywhere.

At the bottom of the chain

The Japanese often put a ceramic or stoneware pot beneath the chain which fills with water, so that when it rains, the water drips from the chain into the pot, creating a beautiful display.

You can make a square out of redwood or cedar beneath the chains and fill it with small pebbles. If it is damp regularly, moss will grow between the pebbles. You can also place a single paver tile or a few medium size stones under the chain to break the fall of the water.

Your local nursery may have a ceramic bowl or saucer that will make a good catch basin. We offer hand-hammered copper dishes and bowls in three sizes.