Rainhandler?

[tvgordon]

Does anyone have any experience with the Rainhandler gutter system?

For those who don't know, this is the gutters that look like window shades (don't know how else to describe it). It is suppose to disperse the water coming off the roof rather than channel it like a traditional gutter.  So the water would fall like rain drops several feet from the house instead of a lot of water pouring from a downspout.

I looked at their website and they've been in business for 25 years, but I've never seen one on a house.  I need to replace my gutters either this or next year and was thinking this was something I could do myself and save some money.  Plus they are clog free so I won't have to climb two stories to clean the leaves from my neighbor's tree out of my gutters.

Thanks,
Tom.

 

[James Metcalf]

I have no experience with the Rainhandler system,but Lee Valley has something like and over size brush, that you push in the gutter. If it needs cleaning you remove one at a time and bump them. I have Chicago type gutters and this is the only thing that has ever worked for me. The leaves just blow off. I got them in early spring when the  oaks had the worm type things and again they just blew down . A first for mehttp://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=58799&cat=2,42194,33169

 

[John D]

I put them on a kitchen bump out that didn't have any gutters.  They do work as advertised, rain used to cut a trench in the flower bed below the bump out.  Since I put the rainhandler on  this hasn't been an issue.  However, this was only for a very small area.  For my house I wouldn't want them all the way around because I'd rather have control over where the rain water goes with a regular down spout to prevent drainage problems in the basement.  If you don''t have any drainage issues they might work for you.  You also really wouldn't want to lean a ladder up against them if that is how you normally get on the roof. 

I would recommend buying a piece or two to see if they are really what you want before buying enough for your entire place. 

John

 

[tvgordon]

Thanks for the tip on the brushes James, I've never even heard of those.

John, my basement does tend to leak during a heavy rain even with gutters.  So I'm not sure if the Rainhandler gutters would make the problem worse or not.  Right now I have vinyl gutters that I installed about 18 years ago.  I don't usually place the ladder against them because I'm not sure if they would break.  After all those years one of the corner pieces broke and they don't manufacture that style anymore, that's why I need to replace them.

Tom.

 

[joraft]

Does anyone have any experience with the Rainhandler gutter system?

I live in Southern California, we don't need rain gutters. 

John

 

[semenza]

I have no experience with the Rainhandler system,but Lee Valley has something like and over size brush, that you push in the gutter. If it needs cleaning you remove one at a time and bump them. I have Chicago type gutters and this is the only thing that has ever worked for me. The leaves just blow off. I got them in early spring when the  oaks had the worm type things and again they just blew down . A first for mehttp://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=58799&cat=2,42194,33169

Hi,

  These brushes look pretty slick. Do you actually need to clean them once a year? Also are they dense enough to keep out small, slender leaves from a willow tree?

Seth

 

[James Metcalf]

Seth
I do not see a need to clean the brushes once a year and they are dense enough to keep out small, slender leaves from a willow tree. The brushes are very dense. Some small debris does catch on the brushes, but very little. It does not impede water flow and the wind blows the leaves off when they dry out. I installed mine early in the spring of this year and have had no problem. I have one oak that is about six feet in diameter(1.8 m) over part of the roof. In the spring it has masses of string or worm type things and these were what I thought might be a big problem. They just blew off. We have many squirrel's and whatever I tried in the past they would remove to hunt for acorns. So far so good. We will see this fall. If the squirrel's are a problem with the brushes ,we may be adding squirrel to our diet.

 

[fidelfs]

I have rainhandler installed in my home Houston, TX.  They work different than regular gutters, they disperse the water.  If you don't have good grade around your house you could see standing water.  I have to install french drains (not because the rain handler) and I don't any water standing in my back yard.  I had the problem with water standing even before the rain handler.

It won't erode the land and they work as they claimed it works.  The only problem I have is after 8 years is I have to paint them, because they look nasty (dirt) and it is easier to paint regular gutters than rainhandler.  A good pro is I have not cleaned them in 8 years and no problem. ;D

Installation is a breeze, you don't have to create a grade to make the water run to the other side.  You just install them level.

My advise is install a few and see if you like the result.  They work but it would change your gutter point of view.

Regards,

 

[tvgordon]

Thanks fidelfs,

I like the low maintenance and that I can install them myself.

You're way down south, do you think it is strong enough to hold snow that slides off the roof?

My wife and I would like to move out of the city sometime and since I haven't seen this type of gutters around here, I wonder if it would affect the sale of this house?

Tom.

 

[fidelfs]

Yes, I think they are strong enough.  I don't remember well but you have install supports every 6 - 8 feet or something like that.  I remember when I was installing them I lost my balance and grab one and kept my balance.  I am not saying I was hanging from the rainhandler but I was able to grab it and hold my weight between the ladder and the rainhandler.

Somepeople won't understand what are they so I don't know if this will help or create and issue when you try to sale your house, but the rainhandler went up easy they go down easy as well.  So I don't see this as major issue.

I remember I bought them in Homedepot, I don't know if they still carry them anymore or not but if they do you have 90 days to try.

Good Luck!

 

[tvgordon]

I had no idea that Home Depot might sell them, I thought they had to be ordered from the manufacturer.  I'll have to go and see if they still sell them at HD.

Tom.

 

[Norm St.Onge]

I just looked at a rot job on a house with Rainhandlers. Owner replaced gutters about 3-4 years ago when he had the house painted. He was tired of cleaning gutters in the fall and getting ice dams in the winter. This side of the house gets little/no direct sun. The Rainhandlers dispersed the water as advertised but this particular old house had a very short roof overhang on one side, the water was not kicked out far enough and was typically blown back onto the house in a rain storm. The skirt boards and bottom 1-2 rows of clapboard are now spongey and rotted. I won't know about sill damage until we pop it open.

Just something to think about.

-Norm

 

[tvgordon]

Thanks Norm,

I still haven't decided if I'm going to go with them or a traditional gutter.

Tom.

 

[dirtydeeds]

we use ballons in england for stopping leaves getting into the down pipes
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/68030/Plumbing/Ogee-Gutter-Rainwater/Balloon-Leaf-Guard-Black

one in the top of each down pipe, so you dont need more than 3 or 4 for a small house

they are quid each, no doubt in america they would be 99 cents

you still need to clear the gutters occasionally as you would with this rain handler system

 

[dirtydeeds]

this is another system that can be used, it works because we have standard size gutters, 5 inch gutters are unusual here

it does a similar job to the rainhandler
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/12515/Plumbing/Round-R-water-Syst-Black/FloGuard-100mm;jsessionid=0DY033TL1RD3ECSTHZOSFFI?ts=54680

at 5 and a half quid for 5 metres (15 feet) it isnt bad, no doubt the price would be half that in america

 

[Bob Swenson]

DD,

Love it, You brits have trolleys, we have carts.

I think we have some trolleys in San Francisco.

Bob

 

[dirtydeeds]

this is an english beer advert from the 90s, it explains another type of trolley

the georgous bit of tottie is a manchester lass called melanie sykes



here is another of her boddingtons beer adverts

as you can see from these adverts, the english cant take adverts seriously unless there is a joke

 

[Beankounter]

We put Rainhandlers on our house when we built it 12 years ago.  We love them.  We have not had to replace any gutters or fascia boards or drain pipes.  Never had any leaves caught in them either.

I officed with a civil engineering firm that did slab designs for homes.  They said you want uniform moisture around your slab and gutters with drain pipes tend to concentrate the moisture where they empty out.  Rainhandlers let the rain fall all around the house. 

It's a two story house and the rain does not cut trenches in the flower beds.

I would do it again if I ever built another house.

 

[tvgordon]

We put Rainhandlers on our house when we built it 12 years ago.  We love them.  We have not had to replace any gutters or fascia boards or drain pipes.  Never had any leaves caught in them either.

I officed with a civil engineering firm that did slab designs for homes.  They said you want uniform moisture around your slab and gutters with drain pipes tend to concentrate the moisture where they empty out.  Rainhandlers let the rain fall all around the house. 

It's a two story house and the rain does not cut trenches in the flower beds.

I would do it again if I ever built another house.

Thanks for your reply.  Does the rainhandler system work well in areas that get snow?  Did you install it yourself?  Did you do anything special for the porches?  I'm waiting until spring to replace the gutters but still have not seen the rainhandler gutters installed on any houses in my area.   

Tom.

 

[esr]

  [cool] I have had "Rainhandler" on the rear of my garage for 10 years. Last year we had 58" of snow with freeze melt cycles typical of central VA. No problems at all. Good water spread and NO trenching. I just did the rest of the garage and the whole house this summer because of gutter clogging. So far my only complaints are 1. Under windy  conditions, house base and low sill windows may get spattered (I have a ranch) and 2. Dripping over doors after a snow, along with freeze/thaw conditions cause ice issues on entrance ways.  I am going to install their "Doorbrella's" Over entrance ways and am sure problem will be cleared. I have a standard pitched roof, and all is well. If you have a steep or very low pitched roof, check with a local contractor or "Rainhandler" for advice as to the effective use of this product. Ice damming will not occur with "Rainhandler" as the drop from the eave is 4-5". Another thing to watch is this product will not support a ladder. Side wall projection supports need to be used for all ladder use! Because of the spattering, 2 story houses may experience more window spotting on the first floor.