rain water off asphelt shingles

[cosmiccowboy]

will that fk my plants up?

 

[JackTheGrower]

will that fk my plants up?

Dono.. I assume it won't but if they are pet plants I would go with better water if I could.

 

[roots]

there are resins and oils that get washed out from your shingles over time. i do not think 'organic' shingles are that much better....

 

[roots]

a 5 gallon bucket and an upside-down umbrella with a hole at the tip makes a great rain water catcher.

 

[Fred el Gato]

/

 

[cosmiccowboy]

a 5 gallon bucket and an upside-down umbrella with a hole at the tip makes a great rain water catcher.

roots,that just gave me an idea.probably will involve some plastic and 2x4's..

 

[cosmiccowboy]

I've collected water off our roof past 2 grows with no adverse affects. Ph is usually 6.4-6.8. I try to wait a half hour or so before putting buckets out hoping that washes most the grime and stuff off.

thanks fred.trouble is.i have'nt grown enough to detect a minor flaw in my grow..i have grown one crop with water off my roof,and it was pretty good stuff...did you notice that the wAter is sometimes yellowish hue?..i chalked that up to pollen,but i'm beginnin to wonder.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Occupational-OSHA-Environmental-1417/Cisterns-water-purity

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Occupational-OSHA-Environmental-1417/Cisterns-water-purity

Nearly all types of roofs have been - and are being - used for rainwater collection, but some are better than others.
The best roofing material for rainwater catchment is uncoated stainless steel or factory-enameled galvanized steel with a baked-enamel, certified lead-free finish. With any metal coating, ask the manufacturer whether the coating contains heavy metals (red paint used on metal often contained lead in the past). Any existing metal roof being used for a potable water catchment system should be tested for lead.
Wood shakes, concrete or clay tiles, and asphalt shingles are more likely than other materials to support the growth of mold, algae, bacteria and moss, which can potentially contaminate water supplies. Treated wood shingles may leach toxic preservatives, and asphalt shingles may leach small amounts of petroleum compounds. In addition to the health concerns, a porous or rough roof surface holds back some of the water that would otherwise make it into the cistern. Asphalt roofing has a "collection efficiency" of about 85 percent while enameled steel has a collection efficiency of more than 95 percent. With asphalt roofing, more of the rainwater stays on the roof in a typical rainstorm (i.e., the roof stays wet), though the actual percentage will depend on the duration of the storm.
(note the entire URL - http....=2050 needs to be on one line).
http://www.motherearthnews.com/index.php?page=rec&rid=diy&id=2050

Painted roofs, certain wood shingles and certain asphalt shingles may impart objectionable taste or odor.
http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/ageng/sw12.pdf

If an old roof is used as the catchment area, if it is under tree branches, if the building relies on wood heat, or if the air is too polluted, you need to be wary of elevated contaminant or toxin levels. Roofs with wood shakes, concrete or clay tiles, or asphalt shingles can support unwanted biological growth, such as mold or bacteria, that will require adequate treatment. Some materials, such as terne coating, lead solder, or treated wood, can leach unwanted toxins. (again, the entire url needs to be copied into the browser)
http://www.toolbase.org/tertiaryT.asp?TrackID=&CategoryID=1402&DocumentID=2129

Any roofing material is acceptable for collecting water for non-potable uses. Water to be used for drinking should not be collected from roofs covered with asphalt shingles, and lead flashing should not be used in these systems.
http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/pubs/mt9707.html
http://www27.brinkster.com/pcasebere/wholecircle.doc

Virginia no longer has cistern guidelines in the state health code, but the old guidelines could be referenced if needed. These guidelines encourage smooth material for the cistern, require constant disinfection, discourage asphalt shingles, etc.
http://www.avenue.org/tjswcd/programsandprojects/rooftopguidelines.html

Asphalt shingles can contribute grit to the system and need a pre-filter for the water before it enters the cistern.
http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/RainwaterGuide3.html

Site has a table for calculating the water collection potential using roof size and annual rainfall.
http://www.climatesolutions.org/pubs/pdfs/rainharvest.pdf

The home has a rainwater collection system that channels water from the roof, which was treated with an elastomeric polymer so that the water would not pick up pollutants from the asphalt shingles.
http://hem.dis.anl.gov/eehem/96/960310.html

Smart Roof: A waterbased (non-petroleum) roofing membrane that can be installed by the homeowner was used as a retrofit (painted) over the existing asphalt shingles to ensure cleaner water for the cistern, to avoid being leached by hydrocarbons.
http://www.edcmag.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/coverstory/BNPCoverStoryItem/0,4118...

My great grandmother used the shakes for over fifty years and then switched to asphalt shingles and continued to use the cistern until she was 97. I guess it was the asphalt shingles that got her!
http://csf.colorado.edu/forums/essa/oct98/0317.html

http://csf.colorado.edu/forums/essa/oct98/0317.html

 

[Guest 88950]

DiscoBiscuit, thanks for the info. saved my some time. k+

i too have wondered about collecting h2o from my asphalt shingle roof. i havent been able to bring myself do it b/c i stress my girls enough already.

look into a kids plastic pool. it works great for me but im in fla, the land of sun & rain.