Now that the fox has invaded the hen house, and previous understandings have been scattered like so many fleeing chickens, its come down to one unstated fact thats crept into the process. Todays asphalt shingles are treated to kill mold and algae. This savory bit of information is of no concern to most folks, but to those of us who gather these waters for personal consumption, the toxicity of a given roof material has important implications. Another interesting part of the story is the complete lack of disclosure from the manufacturers, they wont tell us whats in the shingles because they dont have to. If they were making a food product there would be a list of ingredients, and even the percentage of fat would be revealed, but the manufacturers of a building material have no such obligation. Nation wide there arent many folks who gather rain water for their own use, so I suppose whatever monsanto horror they use would only effect a tiny handful of us, and is therefore insignificant. It might be a relevant question to ask how this toxic runoff might effect ground water, and the soil around your house. You know, that area we call the yard, the one where our children play. Apparently, theres another factor going on in shingle manufacturing. EPA regulations have caused them to change the ingredients of a standard asphalt shingle, and they dont have a proven track record. In other words, they dont know if these new shingles will last the number of years they advertise. Theres some irony in this, the shingle itself cant be made of unapproved ingredients, but it can be treated with toxins. I dont know about you, but this information doesnt elicit much confidence in the safety and integrity of this product. These new understandings on our part, stack the deck in favor of nontoxic steel. Well, thats a fine kettle of fish, and Ill have a lot to think about as I head over to neighbor Mikes this morning to join his crew for the roof project. Actually Im glad to have this diversion, Ill be working with a fine bunch of friends and well focused on the task at hand. The world will narrow to its essence, and hopefully a new carport roof will be the result. The weather has been a matter of concern, and the forecast has been all over the place. I just looked at the radar, and it looks like the storms are moving to the north of us. Rain is one thing, but high winds are another, you dont want to wave a truss in the air and watch it sail off into oblivion. Being the optimist that I am, the truck is packed and ready to go. Ive got a handful of things to do before I head over, and Ill leave you with one thought. How is it a ubiquitous product like roofing shingles can undergo so much change, and become a environmental concern without public discussion? I suppose this has to do with education, and maybe its time for some public discourse.
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 12:16:55 +0000
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