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This article explains the identification and diagnosis of black roof stains caused by soot or creosote washing off of building chimneys and we discuss possible safety and fire hazards associated with this condition. This series of articles tells readers how to identify & explain the most-common causes of black, brown, red, gray, green, or white stains appearing on roof shingles and on other building surfaces. Roof shingle stains are often caused by black algae, bleed-through or extractive bleeding of asphalt, dirt, soot, or organic debris.

See Causes of Roof Stains and  Catalog of All Roof Stains for the causes and types of stains that occur on building roofs. There are other sources of roof staining, from cosmetic to harmful to the roof. For the diagnosis and cure of other building stains, see STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS and STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS.

© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website.

SOOT STAINING - Black Soot Stains on Roof Shingles Around Chimneys

Soot from fireplace flues washing down onto the roof - characterized by staining appearing below and in line with the chimney Similarly, soot from oil-fired heating flues washing down onto the roof, characterized by the same pattern of staining around and below the chimney; also probably an indicator of an operating problem with the heating system. That was clearly the case in the photograph shown at page top. At left our photo shows soot stains running down a masonry chimney and onto the roof surface. Incidentally, this chimney needed to be re-lined but evidence of that is not presented in this photo. Gas Flue Safety Warning: If this same sooting appears on and around a gas-fired appliance flue, there is a very unsafe condition present and risk of fatal carbon monoxide production inside the building. Immediate action is be needed. [Photograph of a soot-stained roof top at page top was courtesy of Roger Hankey a Minnesota home inspector.

The Location of Roof Stains Can Help Diagnose Their Cause

Unlike other roof shingle stain patterns shown in this article series on roof stain diagnosis, black stains caused by soot staining from a chimney or brown stains from a rusting chimney or chimney flashing, or sometimes a combination of the two will be prominent in a wide swath along the sides and below the chimney and will be little in evidence elsewhere on the roof.

Our photo of brown roof stains below and around a metal-enclosed chimney (left) was taken in Wappingers Falls, NY. The stains on this roof are around and below a metal enclosure that in turn surrounds a metal chimney. A closer look at the chimney top shows black sooting - the heating system in this home has not been operating properly, and we pose that the roof and chimney stains are probably a combination of rust and soot wash-down from the sooty flue gases as well.

Watch out: we often see that the top of metal box frames around older metal chimneys has rusted through, but may not be noticeable from the ground. Sending water down the chimney risks costly damage to the heating furnace or boiler. Look for water leak stains on the flue and chimney base inside the building and inspect the chimney top carefully from outside.

For a detailed guide to chimney inspection, diagnosis, and repairs, see CHIMNEY INSPECTION & REPAIR GUIDE

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ASPHALT ROOF SHINGLES

BEST ROOFING PRACTICES
BUILDING SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE
BUILT UP ROOFS

CEMWOOD ROOFING
CERTIFICATIONS for ROOFING CONTRACTORS

CHIMNEY INSPECTION & REPAIRS
Chimney Flashing Mistakes & Leaks

CHOOSING A ROOFING CONTRACTOR

CLAY TILE ROOFING
CLAY, CONCRETE, FIBER CEMENT ROOF TILES
COOLING LOAD REDUCTION by ROOF VENTS
CORRUGATED ROOFING
COPPER ROOFING

DEBRIS STAINING on ROOFS

DECKS, ROOFTOP CONSTRUCTION
DEFINITIONS of ENGINEERED WOOD OSB LVL etc
DISASTERS: BUILDING INSPECTION & REPAIR SAFEY

EARLY ROOF FAILURE DIAGNOSTIC QUESTIONS
ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings
EPDM ROOFS
EXTRACTIVE BLEEDING on SHINGLES

FELT UNDERLAYMENT REQUIREMENTS

FIBER CEMENT & FIBERBOARD ROOFING

FIRE RATINGS for ROOF SURFACES
FIRE RETARDANT PLYWOOD

FLASHING, ASPHALT SHINGLE VALLEYS
FLASHING, CLAY TILE ROOFS
FLASHING MEMBRANES PEEL & STICK
FLASHING for METAL ROOFS
FLASHING ROOF WALL DETAILS
FLASHING ROOF-WALL SNAFU
FLASHING SIDING DETAILS
FLASHING WALL DETAILS
FLASHING WOOD ROOF DETAILS

FLAT ROOF MOISTURE & CONDENSATION

GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION
Green House or Solarium Roof Leaks
GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS

HAIL DAMAGED SHINGLES
HEAT TAPES & CABLES on Roofs for Ice Dams
HOT ROOF DESIGNS: Un-Vented Roof Solutions
HOUSEWRAP INSTALLATION DETAILS
HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET

ICE DAM PREVENTION
INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE
INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT

LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE
LEAKY ROOF DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR
LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION
LOW SLOPE ROOFING
MEMBRANE ROOFS
METAL ROOFING
MODIFIED BITUMEN ROOFING

NOISE CONTROL for ROOFS

NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE

PLASTIC ROOFING TYPES

ROLL ROOFING, ASPHALT
ROOF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES - PHOTO GUIDE
ROOF CLEANING RECOMMENDATIONS
ROOF DORMER TYPES - PHOTO GUIDE
ROOF INSPECTION SAFETY & LIMITS
ROOF SLOPE DEFINITIONS

ROOF VENTILATION SPECIFICATIONS
ROOF VENTING ENERGY SAVING DETAILS

ROOFING FELT UNDERLAYMENT REQUIREMENTS
ROOFING MATERIALS, Age, Types

ROOF NOISE TRANSMISSION
ROOFING TILE SHAPES & PROFILES

ROOFING UNDERLAYMENT BEST PRACTICES

SADDLE CONSTRUCTION at CHIMNEYS
SLATE ROOF INSPECTION & REPAIR
SNOW GUARDS on SLATE & METAL ROOFS
SOD ROOFING

STAIN & BIODETERIORATION AGENT CATALOG
STAINS on buildings - QUICK GUIDE
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on ROOFS
  Causes of Roof Stains
  Catalog of All Roof Stains
  ALGAE, FUNGUS, LICHENS, MOSS on SHINGLES
  ALGAE STAIN TEST METHODS
  ALGAE STAINS ON ASPHALT ROOF SHINGLES
  Catalog of Black Roof Stains
  Black or Green Algae
  Black Stain Removal & Prevention
  Bleed-Through
  Chimney-Caused Roof Stains
  Debris Staining on Roofs
  EXTRACTIVE BLEEDING on SHINGLES
  Lichens on Roofs
  Moss on Roofs
  Power Washing Roofs
  Rust Stains on Shingles
  Soot Staining on Roofs
STAINS on INDOOR SURFACES: PHOTO GUIDE
STAIN DIAGNOSIS on STONE

STANDARDS for ROOFING
STONE CLEANING METHODS

• Roger Hankey is principal of Hankey and Brown home inspectors, Eden Prairie, MN. Mr. Hankey is a past chairman of the ASHI Standards Committee. Mr. Hankey has served in other ASHI professional and leadership roles. Contact Roger Hankey at: 952 829-0044 - rhankey@hankeyandbrown.com. Mr. Hankey is a frequent contributor to InspectAPedia.com.

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

• Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
• Decks and Porches, the JLC Guide to, Best Practices for Outdoor Spaces, Steve Bliss (Editor), The Journal of Light Construction, Williston VT, 2010 ISBN 10: 1-928580-42-4, ISBN 13: 978-1-928580-42-3, available from Amazon.com
• The Journal of Light Construction has generously given reprint permission to InspectAPedia.com for this article. All rights and contents are ©Journal of Light Construction and may not be reproduced in any form.
• Architectural elements: the technological revolution: Galvanized iron roof plates and corrugated sheets; cast iron facades, columns, door and window caps, ... (American historical catalog collection), Diana S Waite, available used out of Amazon.
• Asphalt Roofing Residential Manual,
• Building Pathology, Deterioration, Diagnostics, and Intervention, Samuel Y. Harris, P.E., AIA, Esq., ISBN 0-471-33172-4, John Wiley & Sons, 2001 [General building science-DF] ISBN-10: 0471331724 ISBN-13: 978-0471331728
• Building Pathology: Principles and Practice, David Watt, Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition (March 7, 2008) ISBN-10: 1405161035 ISBN-13: 978-1405161039
• Built-Up Roof Systems, Manual, C.W. Griffin, Mcgraw-Hill (Tx); 2nd edition (July 1982), ISBN-10: 0070247838, ISBN-13: 978-0070247833
• Concrete Folded Plate Roofs, C. Wilby PhD BSc CEng FICE FIStructE (Author), Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998, ISBN-10: 0340662662, ISBN-13: 978-0340662663
• Concrete Shell Roofs, C. Wilby PhD BSc CEng FICE FIStructE (Author),
• Concrete Dome Roofs (Longman Concrete Design and Construction Series),
• Concrete Roofing Tile, History of the, Batsford, 1959, AISN B000HLLOUC (availble used)
• Copper Roofing, by CDA
• Copper Roofing, Master specifications for copper roofing and sheet metal work in building construction: Institutional, commercial, industrial, I.E. Anderson, 1961 (hard to find)
• Corrugated Iron, Building on the Frontier, Simon Holloway
• Green Roof Plants: A Resource and Planting Guide, Edmund C. Snodgrass, Lucie L. Snodgrass, Timber Press, Incorporated, 2006, ISBN-10: 0881927872, ISBN-13: 978-0881927870. The text covers moisture needs, heat tolerance, hardiness, bloom color, foliage characteristics, and height of 350 species and cultivars.
• Green Roof Construction and Maintenance, Kelley Luckett, McGraw-Hill Professional, 2009, ISBN-10: 007160880X, ISBN-13: 978-0071608800, quoting: Key questions to ask at each stage of the green building process Tested tips and techniques for successful structural design Construction methods for new and existing buildings Information on insulation, drainage, detailing, irrigation, and plant selection Details on optimal soil formulation Illustrations featuring various stages of construction Best practices for green roof maintenance A survey of environmental benefits, including evapo-transpiration, storm-water management, habitat restoration, and improvement of air quality Tips on the LEED design and certification process Considerations for assessing return on investment Color photographs of successfully installed green roofs Useful checklists, tables, and charts
• Handbook of Building Crafts in Conservation, Jack Bower, Ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, NY 1981 ISBN 0-442-2135-3 Library of Congress Catalog Card Nr. 81-50643.
• Historic Preservation Technology: A Primer, Robert A. Young, Wiley (March 21, 2008) ISBN-10: 0471788368 ISBN-13: 978-0471788362
• Historic Slate Roofs : With How-to Info and Specifications, Tina Skinner (Ed), Schiffer Publishing, 2008, ISBN-10: 0764330012 , ISBN-13: 978-0764330018
• Low Slope Roofing, Manual of, 4th Ed., C.W. Griffin, Richard Fricklas, McGraw-Hill Professional; 4 edition, 2006, ISBN-10: 007145828X, ISBN-13: 978-0071458283
  • Roof failure causes in depth (and specific methods for avoiding them)
  • Roof design fundamentals and flourishes, based on voluminous industry research and experience
  • New technologies and materials -- using them safely and correctly
  • Comprehensive coverage of all major roofing systems pecifications, inspection, and maintenance tools for roofing work
• Metal Roofing, an Illustrated Guide, R.A. Knowlton , [metal shingle roofs],
• Patio Roofs, how to build, Sunset Books
• Problems in Roofing Design, B. Harrison McCampbell, Butterworth Heineman, 1991 ISBN 0-7506-9162-X (available used)
• Roofing The Right Way, Steven Bolt, McGraw-Hill Professional; 3rd Ed (1996), ISBN-10: 0070066507, ISBN-13: 978-0070066502
• Slate Roofs, National Slate Association, 1926, reprinted 1977 by Vermont Structural Slate Co., Inc., Fair Haven, VT 05743, 802-265-4933/34. (We recommend this book if you can find it. It has gone in and out of print on occasion.)
• Roof Tiling & Slating, a Practical Guide, Kevin Taylor, Crowood Press (2008), ISBN 978-1847970237,
  If you have never fixed a roof tile or slate before but have wondered how to go about repairing or replacing them, then this is the book for you. Many of the technical books about roof tiling and slating are rather vague and conveniently ignore some of the trickier problems and how they can be resolved. In Roof Tiling and Slating, the author rejects this cautious approach. Kevin Taylor uses both his extensive knowledge of the trade and his ability to explain the subject in easily understandable terms, to demonstrate how to carry out the work safely to a high standard, using tried and tested methods. 
  This clay roof tile guide considers the various types of tiles, slates, and roofing materials on the market as well as their uses, how to estimate the required quantities, and where to buy them. It also discusses how to check and assess a roof and how to identify and rectify problems; describes how to efficiently "set out" roofs from small, simple jobs to larger and more complicated projects, thus making the work quicker, simpler, and neater; examines the correct and the incorrect ways of installing background materials such as underlay, battens, and valley liners; explains how to install interlocking tiles, plain tiles, and artificial and natural slates; covers both modern and traditional methods and skills, including cutting materials by hand without the assistance of power tools; and provides invaluable guidance on repairs and maintenance issues, and highlights common mistakes and how they can be avoided. The author, Kevin Taylor, works for the National Federation of Roofing Contractors as a technical manager presenting technical advice and providing education and training for young roofers.
• The Slate Roof Bible, Joseph Jenkins, www.jenkinsslate.com, 143 Forest Lane, PO Box 607, Grove City, PA 16127 - 866-641-7141 (We recommend this book).
• Slate Roofing in Canada (Studi4es in archaeology, architecture, and history),
• Smart Guide: Roofing: Step-by-Step Projects, Creative Homeowner (Ed), 2004, ISBN-10: 1580111491, ISBN-13: 978-1580111492
• Solar heating, radiative cooling and thermal movement: Their effects on built-up roofing (United States. National Bureau of Standards. Technical note), William C Cullen, Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govt. Print. Off (1963), ASIN: B0007FTV2Q
• Tile Roofs of Alfred: A Clay Tradition in Alfred NY
• "Weather-Resistive Barriers [copy on file as /interiors/Weather_Resistant_Barriers_DOE.pdf ] - ", how to select and install housewrap and other types of weather resistive barriers, U.S. DOE
• Wood Shingle Roofs, Care and Maintenance of wood shingle and shake roofs (EC), Stanley S. Niemiec (out of print)
• ...