This spring we’ve been getting a lot of rain in the Edmonton region. That’s great for our lawns and gardens, but not always our foundations!

Having good quality eavestroughs and downspouts are important for making sure that all this extra water isn’t pooling up against the foundations of our homes. But, if you’re like us, you’ll agree that sometimes they can start to look a little bland. Your new home probably had standard aluminum downspouts installed around the exterior, and those are great for getting the

job done. But owning a home that you love is about a lot more than just having a home that works. It’s about having a home that screams with your personality.

So, today we’re offering three fun ways to re-imagine your water spouts.

Rain Barrels

Rain barrels are fun and utilitarian. For our typically dry summers, having a rain barrel that collects excess water during the spring can really help to lower your annual water consumption.

According to the City of Edmonton’s website, using collected rainwater for all your outdoor waterings could save you around $100 a year. Which is just about as much as your average rain barrel costs! www.edmonton.ca

Don’t be fooled into thinking that you have settle for a basic green barrel, either. A quick search on sites like Wayfair or Home Depot will show you that there are all kind of options. Whether you like Terra Cotta, a barrel with a planter in the bottom, or one that looks like it’s made of stone, there are great options available.

EPCOR provides a useful article on how to set up your rain barrel, here.

Rain Chains

Rain Chains are beautiful, can make lovely music when the rain starts to come down, and can easily become a centre piece for a garden area around your house.

They’re widely used in Japan, and are an attractive alternative to a downspout. They just take some forethought into how and where to set them up.

While rain chains are often constructed a series of metal cups, chained together with holes in the bottom, these days you can find all kinds of creative iterations. Some look like a series

of fish with their mouths open, while others are as simple as a decorative chain that the water can stream down.

Rain chains will often have a bowl or pot underneath them, to prevent erosion around the area where the water strikes the earth, but this is just another opportunity to personalize your new water feature.

This Old House has a good article on how to install a rain chain, as well as a video that takes you through the process. www.thisoldhouse.com

Underground Downspout

For you, the coolest thing you could think to do with your downspouts is get them out of site and out of mind. Then installing an underground downspout is for you.

This will ensure no one ever trips over long downspouts stretched out along the side of your house. Plus, you’ll never have to run out in the rain to frantically lower all your downspouts before all the run off seeps in next to your foundation.

Installing an underground downspout is a little bit of work up front, but it’s relatively inexpensive and provides a no hassle solution to your run-off problems.

A product like this Underground Downspout Extension Kit will allow you to diver the rainwater to your lawn or garden. It’s a great solution for those who don’t want to worry about any additional clutter along the sides of their homes. www.waterproof.com

Other Options

There are plenty of other options out there for doing cool and interesting things with your downspouts. Vertical gardens, intricate and ornate piping, or building a dry creek bed into your lawn to facilitate run off are all examples of projects homeowners have undertaken to make their home a better representation of who they are.