It’s Rainwater Harvest Season
October 27, 2023 | By Mike Gonet | Filed under: Blog
It’s easy to maximize your home’s precious water resources with a quality metal roof
No matter where you live, water is a precious commodity. While places like the West Coast, Southwest, and Midwest are well-known for water shortages and annual droughts, homeowners everywhere are concerned about the increasingly limited supply of freshwater availability.
With the rainy fall and season now upon us, it’s time to consider steps you can take right at home to collect rainwater. The good news is, it’s relatively easy to do.
Rainwater harvesting means collecting run-off from a roof via gutters designed to channel water into a storage vessel. Storage can be as small and simple as rain barrels that keep a few gallons of non-potable water handy for watering plants and other minor household needs, or they can be as elaborate as large cisterns that supply an entire household’s potable needs (when properly filtered, disinfected, and tested).
Even rainfall harvesting on a smaller scale can make a big difference: One inch of rainfall on 1,000 square feet yields an incredible 623 gallons of water!
So, what should you consider when it comes to rain harvesting? It starts right at the top: Quality metal roofs are often recommended by experts. Metal roofs are durable and strong enough to withstand the intensity of heavy rain and the weight of snow and ice, and well-built metal roofing systems with properly designed gutters and downspouts provide an easy and efficient path for water to travel, even for low-sloped roofs.
While many roof types can be used for rainwater collecting, some experts caution that older shingled (asphalt) roofs made before 1980 may contain asbestos which is hazardous if disturbed. Even if your shingles are new, not all varieties are safe for water collection and can leach contaminants, and toxins from adhesives and large chunks of grit. But the real concern is how best to reduce the potential contaminants that grow on the roofing material itself.
Compared to other materials, metal roofs have much lower concentrations of potentially harmful organic material and other bacteria. That’s because metal roofs with anti-microbial paint systems and smooth surfaces shed larger organic matter more quickly. Galvanized and Galvalume metal roofs are ideal as they are coated with a layer of zinc which seals the material, preventing rust and lowering levels of iron in the water.
Remember that rainwater harvested from any type of roof, including metal, should always be filtered, and decontaminated before use. This is essential for any harvested water used inside the home for consumption.
Install a rainwater collection system and during the next downpour this fall and winter, you can feel good knowing your metal roof is hard at work helping supply your future water needs, while you stay warm, cozy, and protected all season long. For more information or a free NO PRESSURE consultation about the performance, styles, and advantages of today’s metal roofs give us a call at (866) 660-6668 or contact us here.
