# Problem with water collection off asphalt roof!



## MGP Roofing

We just got a complaint from a client of ours today. We roofed their multimillion dollar house with Certainteed Landmark 30 around 18 months ago. They collect their household water supply off the roof, however, the water has a yellow tinge (only visible in a significant depth of water like in the bath) and has stained the bathroom fixtures! 
2 other homes in the same development have the same issue, both have had to install $5,000 water filter systems that struggle to remove whatever it is. Each was built around 1 year apart, the staining does lessen as the roof ages.We asked owners of 3 other homes in the street, none have this issue. 1 has Certainteed shingles, another Owens Corning & one has clay tile. So this rules out causes such as pollen, so my only guess is that something is leaching out of the shingles as they age.
Has anyone else heard of this/know the cause & solution?
We are meeting on site with the supplier rep next week. I will try to get pics then.


----------



## apkole

Might this be the algae inhibitor feature of the shingle? In the Certainteed Landmark it's a ceramic coated copper oxide granule that leaches out with the water run off.


----------



## MGP Roofing

These are not the algae resistant shingles, though the ridge caps are AR treated. At the same time we built this, another new house was built nearby with Elk shingles. I'm sure that those are AR treated, I will try to catch up with the owner of that one next week to see if he experiences the same issue? No one was home in that house when we got the complaint.


----------



## O'Donnell Roofing & Solar

Are these homes down-wind from a smokestack ?. like a trash to steam plant?

Can't wait to read the answer, hope it comes easy.


----------



## Grumpy

Never heard of anyone collecting water for indoor use. Seems silly that it wasn;t first treated and processed in some way. What bumbling engineer thought it would be a good idea to collect and use untreated rain water. Could be a number of things from pollution, to dust, to normal asphalt weathering. it could be acid rain and have nothing to do with the roof. 

Personally something like this wouldn't be covered by my warranty and I would reer to the local manufacturer rep. 

Rich people are weirdos.


----------



## byoung

Hello MGP Roofing. I haven't heard of such problem but I would like to know more about the issue. What had caused the water to have a yellow tinge? I think a $5000 water filter is too expensive. Are there any other ways or alternatives to get rid of those yellow tinge? I would really like to hear answers fro you so that I would know what to do just in case I encounter a problem like this. Thank you.

Byoung


----------



## 1985gt

asphalt leaching out of the shingles. I also have never heard of anyone using run off water of indoor use its normally for landscaping. Could also be any iron (think rust). also could their be another problem with their plumbing, IE water heater or piping? I would guess that they have a shut off some place for the collection water and are still hooked up to city or well water. Lots of possibilities and it may or may not even be the roof.


----------



## Grumpy

I heard of a phenonoma (I know I spent it wrong but haven't had coffee yet) called tobacco staining which is common in the south due to enviromentals.


----------



## 1985gt

Could be any number of things. A water company should be able to test the water and find out what is in it, or a lab for that matter. might narrow down the search. A $5,000 water filter doesnt seem like that would be enough to take run off water and turn it in to something I would bath in. I dont know for sure but a house water filter would run about that much and they are made for cleaning up well or city water, not run off water. I think they should have stuck to watering the flower with it. Your right the rich are odd.....


----------



## Grumpy

It's like camping at home. Every day you take a shower you are taking a bath in the river or pond 


The rich are odd, but the architect of these homes was an idiot! WTF was he thinking? from the original post, it seems like all the houses in the area were designed the same way. I bet the designer/architect/engineer is the kind of person who eats tofu and doesn't wash his/her hair.


----------



## MGP Roofing

Many rural homes in NZ use the roof runoff water, there's no piped supply & often the groundwater quality is far worse. My parents house uses the roof water, the groundwater there is laden with iron which quickly stains any surface it is in contact with a rusty brown; it ruins water heaters in just a few months. Whereas 25 years of roof water use later, the original water heater is still in good order & there is no staining on bathroom fixtures that is not dealt to by normal cleaning.
They have a stone coated steel tile roof.


----------



## MGP Roofing

Grumpy said:


> I heard of a phenonoma (I know I spent it wrong but haven't had coffee yet) called tobacco staining which is common in the south due to enviromentals.


Your south = our north; this home is in the north of our country so is subject to the heat/humidity you'd expect, so that could be the issue? I would like to know more about this. Causes; some shingle brands worse than others, etc? 

All 3 homes are new builds, gas water heating & pex? plastic plumbing. Rural area, 15km approx. to edge of city, airforce base approx.20km away; no coal fired power plants etc for hundreds of km. i'm sure that if any of these were to blame then all homes in area would have this problem rather than just these 3. 

I'm currently doing another home in this development, all exterior materials/details the same EXCEPT it has a clay tile roof. So that will either confirm or rule out the shingles as the cause!


----------



## 1985gt

Have the water tested. Might be a good place to start. but on shingle roofs it is probably asphalt leaching out. A stone coated metal roof or tile wont have that problem.


----------



## Grumpy

MGP Roofing said:


> Many rural homes in NZ use the roof runoff water, there's no piped supply & often the groundwater quality is far worse. My parents house uses the roof water, the groundwater there is laden with iron which quickly stains any surface it is in contact with a rusty brown; it ruins water heaters in just a few months. Whereas 25 years of roof water use later, the original water heater is still in good order & there is no staining on bathroom fixtures that is not dealt to by normal cleaning.
> They have a stone coated steel tile roof.


 No complaints about using rain water. i am all for it, if I ever build a cottage on some land I have I intend to do the same. The difference is the use of rain water without some kind of filtration device, just seems insane to me.


----------



## MGP Roofing

Grumpy said:


> No complaints about using rain water. i am all for it, if I ever build a cottage on some land I have I intend to do the same. The difference is the use of rain water without some kind of filtration device, just seems insane to me.


We usually use a system like this: http://www.marley.co.nz/afawcs0119271/CATID=1/SUBID=70/Rainwater/Rain-Harvesting.html
In most cases this is all that is needed aside from keeping trees etc clear of the house, so 4 legged animals like rats and opossums can't access the roof. Expensive carbon filters aren't usually necessary.
Asphalt shingles have only become popular in the last 10 - 15 years or so in this country, with removal of import taxes on them and the recent rises in steel prices that have made it cheaper to install a roof that comes from the US than it is to install one that is made an hour's drive away!


----------



## johnmeto

I haven't knew about such issue yet I might want to know more about the issue. What had brought about the water to have a yellow tinge? I think a $5000 water channel is excessively costly. Are there whatever other ways or options.


----------

