My neighbor just had an entirely new roof put on and was showing me that all around the edges, in the morning, the roof is leaking what appears to me to look like more of a brown water. She said it was doing it when they just had the paper up there and that the roofer said it would stop. Now that the shingles are all on, it's continuing to do this still. It's all over the house, not just one place.

She called the roofer to come out again to show him that this is still happening, and how it's dripping down on here newly painted house as well. He thinks it may be from some new shingle they are using (this is a flat 3 tab shingle) and that after a good rain this substance on the shingle will wash off.

Just curious if anyone has ever heard of this happening and what it may be from. Being layman we never know if a roofer is telling us the truth or some story.

It has not passed final inspection with the county, and of course, she hasn't cut the final check. We wonder how long this is going to last. As the sun comes out it does dry up and stop dripping, but next day, it starts again.

Thanks for any insight!

 

I've got a leaky roof as well, but mine is leaking through a flat spot, which never crosses any shingles, and it is also brown. I'd guess it is getting its color from soaking through insulation, but thats just a guess.

 

Most likely it's "tobacco juicing".

ASPHALT ROOFING MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION
6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 201
Rockville MD 20852-3803
Tel: (301) 231-9050
Fax: (301)881-6572

The formation of a "tobacco-juice" residue, so named for its color, is the normal result of the weathering of all asphalt-based products (i.e. roof coatings, base and cap sheets and shingles-to name a few), regardless of their manufacturer. A certain chain of exposure conditions - intense sunlight, sizable accumulations of moisture/dew, and a prolonged lack of rain - cause the formation of this residue. Once the residue has been washed away in the first rainy season, it is not likely to reoccur.

The residue will not affect the performance of the roof and should not be considered a performance problem. If any accumulation of this liquid residue occurs prior to coating, the proper bonding of coatings to the roof surface may be adversely affected. Finished roof surfaces which are continuously subjected to tobacco-juicing should be hosed off regularly, as tobacco-juicing residue may cause the peeling of acrylic and aluminum coatings. Preparation of the roof for coating should conform to the recommendations of the Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA) and the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Associations (ARMA) to help ensure proper adhesion.

Though it may not be possible to control environmental elements that cause the formation of the residue, the following recommendations can be utilized by the specifier, contractor, or owner to minimize the aesthetic conditions associated with "tobacco-juicing".

Require coping metal on parapet walls where the tops slope outward, are rounded, or have no lip on the outside edge.

Hose down the roof at regular intervals during long, dry periods of the first summer after installation.

Using a solvent-type fibered aluminum coating, or acrylic coating, coat the field membrane. Coat all asphalt emulsions after they are thoroughly dried. Coat plastic cements and other solvent vehicle asphalts after they have cured for at least thirty days.

The problems associated with asphalt residue can be minimized if the necessary steps are taken by the specifier, contractor, or owner.