With custom-integration options, you can seamlessly include gutters into any building’s design to prevent water damage. As you plan your architectural projects, consider what type of gutters will work best with your designs.
Beyond the decorative features, gutters are essential elements to include in your architectural designs and projects. But you should also have a sense of two of the most popular types of gutters: rain chains vs downspouts.
Here’s a quick overview of the differences between the rain chains vs downspouts, as well as a discussion of how to determine which option will best meet the requirements of your architectural project.
What Are Downspouts?
A downspout is a pipe for channeling rainwater. It captures the rain with the rain gutter at the lower edge of a building and carries the water to the ground level as part of your architectural projects. Downspouts are just one type of gutter.
What Are Rain Chains?
You can use a rain chain as an alternative to the downspout. Rain chains were first used for hundreds of years in Japan. Rain chains are now prevalent in the United States as an architectural option, but you should know why rain chains differ from downspouts so you can include the one that’s most appropriate for your project.
What’s the Difference Between Rain Chains vs. Downspouts?
Rain chains hold less water compared with regular downspouts. It may not be a big issue when the area typically has small rain showers, but it could become an issue during heavy rains. With rain chains, the gutter system could get overwhelmed and overflow. It’s not designed to handle the onslaught of massive amounts of water, so funneling the moisture away will probably not be as effective.
Downspouts are typically designed to be stronger and sturdier than rain chains. So, they can more easily handle the massive amounts of water from heavy rain showers. That also means that downspouts are more effective and efficient for carrying the rainwater away from the building to prevent damage and erosion.
Why Are Gutters Important?
A gutter is an essential part of your roof’s drainage system. Gutters allow you to trap particles and debris outside of a building. So, you can prevent and mitigate the effects of long-term damage to insulation over time. Here are the essential benefits.
Prevent erosion
Heavy rains can cause heavy runoff, especially when it rains a lot. Leaving this runoff unattended can lead to problems with the foundation, including soil erosion. From collecting on the roof and falling from the roof, large streams of water gain mass and momentum ground. If they hit the bare ground, they will loosen the soil relatively quickly and thus erode it. The lack of gutters causes well-defined holes on the basis around houses.
Prevent flooding
The basement flooding can be a problem when your house is on a downward slope, as water from uphill tends to collect around the foundation. As a result, the situation becomes even more exacerbated since runoff from the roof also contributes to the water problem.
Protect the foundation
Rainwater can pool around the house, making it challenging when you’re looking to protect your foundation. If you have sloping landscape around the building, it can be particularly problematic. In addition, a wet and dump foundation will get weak with time until it can no longer carry the weight of the building. The building can then sink or crumble and fall.
Protect the landscape
In case the roof rainwater falls directly onto the ground, it’ll dig holes with time. In addition, the ground will begin to erode. If the house is on a steep slope, it can cause small valleys to grow into larger ones if not addressed. Having this around the house can be pretty unsightly.
Protect the paint and prevent staining
Rainwater flowing down short overhangs will leave stripes of dirt similar to tiger stripes on gutters outside houses with short overhangs. Whatever your wall finish is, you may have difficulty removing this. Water flowing on wooden walls is worse since it rots the wood away.
Prevent mold and mildew
Gutters also keep mold and mildew from growing around or even on the house, according to experts at Gutter Supply. Mold and mildew grow when there is moisture. So, uncontrolled rainwater can encourage growth.
How to Select the Right Option for Architectural Projects
The option you select for your architectural design will depend on the project and even where the building will be located in the country. When you’re ready to decide which option is best for the project, you can see what the experts at Gutter Supply suggest.