Thread: Rust stains on asphalt shingle roof.

I searched previous threads for this and found one very similar, but there was no consensus what caused it. Some of the previous thoughts were nails, trees, industrial plants nearby,birds, houses nearby with similar staining. None of these things apply here. I cant go with the nail theory, due to the fact that the ridge cap has the same rust stains. On some of the circular stained areas, it looks like there was a small piece of metal that rusted, kind of like the iron in fertilizer when it gets on a concrete driveway, and leaves a rust stain when it gets wet. Any ideas?? The space shuttle flew over a few weeks ago, maybe chinese drywall?? I am thinking defective shingles???

Similar Threads:

• Stains on the interior walls?
• End Shingle Cut
• Low voltage/rust
• Asphalt comp shingles
• rust on gas meter

Originally Posted by Paul Kondzich

I searched previous threads for this and found one very similar, but there was no consensus what caused it. Some of the previous thoughts were nails, trees, industrial plants nearby,birds, houses nearby with similar staining. None of these things apply here. I cant go with the nail theory, due to the fact that the ridge cap has the same rust stains. On some of the circular stained areas, it looks like there was a small piece of metal that rusted, kind of like the iron in fertilizer when it gets on a concrete driveway, and leaves a rust stain when it gets wet. Any ideas?? The space shuttle flew over a few weeks ago, maybe chinese drywall?? I am thinking defective shingles???

Paul,

I bet there is iron or iron oxide in the aggregate. If you need to know specifically, you could send a sample to a lab. Not sure what that would tell you. Did you see anything amiss? Cracked shingles, excessive wear? If you know the manufacturer, you could email them with some pics and ask.

If not, then I would just note the condition and move on.

No Gunnar, the roof was completely fine otherwise.

Copper treated composition roofing installed with hot dipped or galv roofing nails instead of Stainless. Add to that humidity, rain (marine or acid making worse), sun, and humid environment, nail heads fully corroding, pushing up and staining the light colored roof. Notice no visible signs of the "blue green" algae (the black staining).

Another possiblity compo not copper treated, had algae, was cleaned with regular laundry bleach (that's chlorine & sodium hydroxide - lye) or similar product(s), overly saturated surface and not rinsed well - now zinc coating failed roofing nails rusting heads. Humid environment excellerating - marine/acid rain, hot roof etc.

Would need to lift a shingle and expose a nail head where rust staining seen to check my theory/guess that the roofing nails are rusting from the heads.

Originally Posted by H.G. Watson, Sr.

Copper treated composition roofing installed with hot dipped or galv roofing nails instead of Stainless. surface and not rinsed well - now zinc coating failed roofing nails rusting heads. Humid environment excellerating - marine/acid rain, hot roof etc.

Would need to lift a shingle and expose a nail head where rust staining seen to check my theory/guess that the roofing nails are rusting from the heads.

Why would that much H2O be running over the nailheads? My vote''s wid Gunnar the ' troll.

Originally Posted by John Kogel

My vote''s wid Gunnar the ' troll.

Hey, I stopped Trolling a while ago.

Originally Posted by Gunnar Alquist

Paul,

I bet there is iron or iron oxide in the aggregate.

I vote for Gunnar too. Good guess!

The more I think about it, that sounds like the only explanation that makes sense. Seems to me thats a defective product. Anyone ever heard of anything like this in the roofing world?

Originally Posted by Gunnar Alquist

Hey, I stopped Trolling a while ago.

.
Once a Pickle Never a Cucumber Again.
.

I'll go way out on a limb and say the house is very near a marina that does extensive refinishing to steel hulled ships and the airbourne particulates are iron laden. Hows that for imagination?

Originally Posted by David Bell

I'll go way out on a limb and say the house is very near a marina that does extensive refinishing to steel hulled ships and the airbourne particulates are iron laden. Hows that for imagination?

Where you at Woodstock? Did you follow the Grateful Dead around?

I would think that all of the houses in the area would have the same staining if this were the case.

Off-topic: Is that sheathing installed on the correct strength bias?

Originally Posted by chris mcintyre

Where you at Woodstock? Did you follow the Grateful Dead around?

I would think that all of the houses in the area would have the same staining if this were the case.

No on Woodstock (a bit young for that) But I did see a few Dead shows in the late 70s, early 80s.

Originally Posted by chris mcintyre

Where you at Woodstock? Did you follow the Grateful Dead around?

I would think that all of the houses in the area would have the same staining if this were the case.

Obviously, this particular house has been magnetized by a close encounter with an alien spacecraft, thereby attracting the airborne iron of which David speaks. Think outside the box, man! Far out!

I think that's a rooster in the third photo. Nice shadow animal.

On a serious note, you said that the other houses in the area didn't have the same condition. I was thinking it could be from areal spraying (mosquitos, other pesticides, etc.) but those other houses would most likely be affected as well.

Gonna have to find a manufacturer and make some inquiries with them (after looking for fastener rust).

For what it's worth, I found this with a web search:

Roofing: Elk Shingles w/rust spots, definition shingles, resistant shingles

"Question
I have a 5 year old roof with the Elk Prestique High Definition shingles. In inspecting for hail damage, we found rust spots all over the roof. For the warranty, we removed 2 shingles and sent them to GAF. They wrote back stating that it is a naturally occuring condition caused when pyrites in the granular are exposed to oxygen."

Mitchell, did you notice on the roosters third "appendage" it is perfectly lined up with a rust stain? What are the odds.

Have you guys ever heard of the contrails conspiracy??

Chemtrail conspiracy theory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well Gunnar must be right on this one. These pics are from another house. Maybe its something to do with the shingle color. This house 8 years old, first was 6 years. Same exact color. Houses about 5 miles apart, but I dont think its location, gotta go with iron in the aggregate. This one is not uniform staining like the first. Maybe in 10 places on roof, instead of the whole roof on first house.

I have seen these stains. The roofs in question seem to be of the same color. Not a defect in the shingle, just a manufacturer trying to achieve a certain look by producing a roof that rusts. Go figure.