A Beginner’s Guide to Shingle Granule Loss

All homeowners with an asphalt shingle roof should be aware of a certain thing called granule loss. Understanding what granule loss is will go a long way in getting the most value from your roof. Here’s a closer look at granule loss as described by one of the top roof replacement contractors in the area, Lankford Roofing & Construction LLC.

What Is Granule Loss?

Granule loss refers to the removal of asphalt granules embedded in the top surface of the asphalt shingles. Originally, these granules serve as the main form of weather protection for the entire shingle. These granules also give shingles their rough texture. However, strong winds and water flowing over the surface, combined with temperature changes and exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, weaken the granules’ bond to the rest of the shingle, ultimately eroding them.

How Does Granule Loss Affect Your Roof?

Granule loss is far from the worst problem your roof will encounter, but you still need to call for professional roof replacement services if you see signs of it. If your roof’s shingles have already lost a significant amount of granules, it means the roof is no longer as resistant to the elements, making them more likely to suffer from other types of damage.

Granule Loss: A Good Thing?

Granule loss may be considered a roofing issue, but it’s not entirely a bad thing. In fact, some experts say that granule loss is an early warning system that you need to replace your shingles or even the entire roof. This means keeping an eye out for granule loss can spare your roof and the rest of your home from other problems that may cost more to fix.

Letting the Pros Handle Repairs

Like window replacement, replacing shingles suffering from granule loss requires a bit of technical expertise. This is why experts recommend having repairs or replacements performed only by certified roofing experts like us. This way, you will know that your new shingles can perform as intended.

Can you repair granule loss on shingles?

Not in a lasting way. Granules are pressed into the asphalt when the shingle is made, and nothing brushed or sprayed on later bonds the same way.

• Leave it. A sprinkle of granules in the gutters during the first rains on a new roof is normal, because surplus granules wash off. Light, even shedding on an older roof is ordinary aging.
• Replace the worst shingles. Bald patches in one spot, such as where a downspout empties onto a lower roof or where a limb rubs, can be fixed by swapping those shingles.
• Plan a replacement. When bare patches show across whole slopes, the asphalt is exposed to the sun and the roof is near the end of its life.

Before deciding, have the roof checked for hail, since that can matter to an insurance claim. See our roof repair page.

Call us if you see signs of shingle granule loss on your roofing. Lankford Roofing & Construction LLC is the most trusted roofing contractor in Sherman and Denison, TX. Fill out this contact form to request an estimate and get started.