Cup versus link, and why cup wins on a working roof
Rain chains come in two families. Link chains are open rings or loops. Water clings to them, but in a hard rain much of it sprays off sideways. Cup chains are a stack of small cones or bowls, each with a hole in the bottom. Every cup catches what the one above it spills, so the flow stays centered on the chain even at monsoon rates. That is why nearly every chain we hang on a real roof section is a cup style. Link and ring chains are for accent spots: a small patio cover, a casita eave, a place where the roof section above is tiny and the look is the point.
Copper, aluminum, or stainless
The three materials behave differently in Arizona sun and wind.
- Copper starts bright and patinas over time toward a deep brown-bronze. It pairs with stone veneer, tile roofs, and bronze gutters, and it is the heaviest of the three, which helps in wind.
- Brushed aluminum stays bright, weighs the least, and costs the least. It suits white and gray stucco and modern elevations. Because it is light, we anchor the bottom on exposed corners.
- Stainless keeps a silver finish long term and has the most strength for tall drops, like a two-story eave or a chain that has to span a deep patio.
Sizing a rain chain for a monsoon cell
One inch of rain on a 2,000 square foot roof is about 1,246 gallons, and a monsoon cell can deliver that in under an hour. A single rain chain does not carry a whole roof. What it carries is one roof section, and the section has to be modest: a front entry, a courtyard side, a patio cover, a garage return. We size by looking at how much roof drains to that outlet. If a valley dumps into the run, or the section is long, we put a downspout there and hang the chain somewhere with less load. We also hang chains from 6-inch seamless gutters wherever we can, because a trough that overflows at the outlet during a burst is what causes trouble, and the chain gets blamed for it.
Basins, gravel, and where the water ends up
The bottom of the chain is where most installations go wrong. Water leaving a chain hits the ground with force, and if it lands on bare dirt next to the slab it does the same damage as no gutter at all. Every chain we hang ends in something: a decorative basin, a splash pot, a gravel bed a couple of feet across, or a catch basin tied into a buried drain line that carries the water past the foundation. Where the chain lands near pavers, the basin keeps the water from washing out the sand base. We also anchor the bottom of the chain on exposed corners so monsoon wind does not swing it into the stucco.
What you get
- Cup-style chains on every working roof section, because they hold the flow at monsoon rates
- Copper, brushed aluminum, and stainless, matched to the gutter color and the house
- Sized by the roof area draining to the outlet, with downspouts kept where the load is high
- Every chain lands in a basin, gravel bed, or drain that carries water past the slab
- Bottom anchors on exposed corners so wind cannot swing the chain into the wall
- Fits an existing gutter or goes in with new 6-inch seamless gutters on the same visit
How it goes
- 01
Pick the spot and check the load
We look at which roof sections drain where and confirm the outlet you want is one a chain can handle.
- 02
Cut the outlet and set the hanger
A bracket sits inside the gutter at the outlet and the chain hangs plumb from it. On new gutters this is part of the install.
- 03
Build the landing
Basin, gravel bed, or catch basin and drain line, sized to the drop and placed to move water past the foundation.
- 04
Hang, level, and anchor
The chain is hung to length, leveled, anchored at the bottom where wind exposure calls for it, then tested with a hose.
Google reviews
From the Google reviews
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“Highly recommend Grant and his team at Blueberry Gutters for all your gutter work. They are very knowledgeable, do great work, and communicate very well throughout the project! Thank you!”
Teemu R. · Google review
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“Blueberry Gutters helped me choose the perfect solution for my home. Then delivered everything on time. Top rate service!”
Joel P. · Google review
Questions we get asked
Do rain chains work during monsoon storms?
Yes, on the right roof section. A cup-style chain hung from a 6-inch gutter handles a normal entry or patio section through a monsoon burst. It does not handle a long run or a valley, so we keep standard downspouts on those and put the chain where the load is lighter and the view is better.
Do rain chains work as well as downspouts?
For moving water, a 3x4 downspout wins. It is enclosed and sized for volume. A cup chain moves less but cannot pack with debris the way an enclosed elbow does, and it rinses clean in seconds. The practical answer is to use both: downspouts on the heavy runs, a chain at the entry or courtyard.
Does a rain chain need a basin underneath?
It needs something. Without a landing point the water hits bare dirt at the slab and you have the exact problem gutters exist to solve. A basin, a splash pot, a gravel bed, or a catch basin on a buried drain line all work. We build the landing as part of every rain chain install.
Can you add a rain chain to my existing gutters?
Usually, yes. We cut an outlet, mount the hanger bracket inside the gutter, hang the chain, and build the landing below. If the section that outlet drains is too large for a chain, we will say so and suggest a spot that works, or quote a 6-inch upgrade on that run.
Copper or aluminum for a rain chain in Arizona?
Copper if you want it to age. It darkens toward bronze over the years and suits stone and tile. Brushed aluminum if you want it to stay bright and cost less. It suits white and gray stucco. Stainless splits the difference on looks and is the strongest choice for long two-story drops.
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Where we do this work
Rain Chains across Phoenix and the North Valley: North Phoenix, Cave Creek, Scottsdale, Anthem, New River, Glendale, Desert Hills, Peoria, Surprise, Deer Valley, Mesa, Gilbert, and the neighborhoods between them. See the full service area.
