The further and continuing adventures of the girl who sat in the back of your homeroom, reading and daydreaming.
Monday, May 02, 2011
Rain Braid?
Owing to the lack of a downspout at the lowest corner of the north eaves here at Roseholme Cottage (Don't ask -- or do: I'm pretty sure the present gutters are a lowest-bid special and it's not merely the wrong-way-if-any slope) and the imminent arrival of lotsa-lotsa rain, I drilled a couple holes in the gutter and went to hang a rain-chain instead. I planned to use some plumbers chain that was....let's see...um, it's around here somewhere...maybe?
Only not. And the rain was imminently imminent. Ooooo noes! That left nylon string, which I keep in stock in multiple colors. I did a quick and ugly braid from the gutter down -- and it works! Falling water bulks up the string to about twice actual diameter, spiraling around it as it falls. That's Tam with the throat-clearing, by the way. Still plenty of pollen.
I knew about rain chains. It never occurred that you could use rain ropes.
Next thought - use one more to route water to plants in the flower garden. The garden at one end of my house is covered by long eves that keep it pretty dry. This could be a way to get water to thirsty shrubs.
I suspect they don't hold up as well, but if you don't mind yearly replacement, it would do.
The holes are 1/2", just barely big enough to keep from blocking (too frequently) and here they are in the side of the gutter. I used a couple of pre-existing small holes to start from; it would work better if they were on the the underside and better still, probably, with a little stub of a downspout: you really, really don't want water running back to the soffit or whatever one calls the vertical eavesboard.
Nice fix. You can still get plastic or stamped tin downspount stubs, which rivet or glue in. harder to find for the old style gutters than new, but not impossible.
My drs office has a rain chain made of thin tin bells. They make the most amazing sound with rain running down them, I bet you could do the same with large jingle bells.
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That left nylon string, which I keep in stock in multiple colors. I did a quick and ugly braid from the gutter down -- and it works!
8 comments:
I knew about rain chains. It never occurred that you could use rain ropes.
Next thought - use one more to route water to plants in the flower garden. The garden at one end of my house is covered by long eves that keep it pretty dry. This could be a way to get water to thirsty shrubs.
I suspect they don't hold up as well, but if you don't mind yearly replacement, it would do.
The holes are 1/2", just barely big enough to keep from blocking (too frequently) and here they are in the side of the gutter. I used a couple of pre-existing small holes to start from; it would work better if they were on the the underside and better still, probably, with a little stub of a downspout: you really, really don't want water running back to the soffit or whatever one calls the vertical eavesboard.
It's magical!
That makes a handy ninja fix for a dripping faucet, too.
Jim
Nice fix. You can still get plastic or stamped tin downspount stubs, which rivet or glue in. harder to find for the old style gutters than new, but not impossible.
My drs office has a rain chain made of thin tin bells. They make the most amazing sound with rain running down them, I bet you could do the same with large jingle bells.
They look pretty awesome frozen over in winter, too.
First I've heard of rain chains. Nifty.
Old Boy Scouts and GI trick. 550 cord works well to keep rain from running all the way down a tent or antenna guy line.
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