Saw a local news segment yesterday about homeowners noticing their roof shingles losing those little gritty bits (granules, I guess they're called?). Apparently, it's happening more often lately, and some folks are blaming weather extremes or lower-quality materials. Got me thinking about my own roof... noticed some granules in the gutters last time I cleaned them out. Um, should I be worried or is this just normal wear and tear? Curious if anyone else has noticed this happening more lately.
"Apparently, it's happening more often lately, and some folks are blaming weather extremes or lower-quality materials."
Hmm, not sure about the lower-quality materials thing... I mean, granule loss is pretty common over time. When we bought our place a couple years back, the inspector said seeing some in the gutters is pretty normal—just part of aging shingles. Unless you're finding huge piles regularly or seeing bare patches on your roof, I'd probably hold off on worrying too much. Weather extremes might speed things up a bit, but shingles shedding granules isn't exactly new...
Yeah, granule loss is pretty typical, especially after a few years. Have you noticed if it's worse after heavy rain or storms? I remember inspecting a house last spring where the homeowner was worried about the same thing—turns out it was mostly seasonal. They'd see more granules in gutters after winter storms or heavy rains, but overall the shingles were still in decent shape. Are your shingles fairly new, or have they been up there a while? If they're older, some shedding is expected...but if they're relatively new and you're seeing lots of granules regularly, that might be worth looking into. Either way, probably not something to panic about right away.
"They'd see more granules in gutters after winter storms or heavy rains, but overall the shingles were still in decent shape."
That's exactly what I've noticed during inspections too. I once had a homeowner convinced their roof was failing because of all the gritty residue after storms. Turned out the shingles were only about 5 years old and structurally fine—just typical shedding from weather exposure. Unless you're seeing bald spots or significant curling, it's usually just normal wear and tear. Still, checking periodically doesn't hurt... better safe than sorry.
Yeah, granule loss can definitely look worse than it actually is. I've seen roofs shedding quite a bit after heavy rains or hailstorms, and homeowners naturally get concerned. But like others mentioned, if your shingles still have good coverage and you're not noticing bald patches or curling edges, it's typically not a huge issue—just normal aging and weathering.
One thing to keep an eye on though: if you start noticing granules consistently piling up or the shingles looking patchy from ground-level, then it might be time to have someone take a closer look. I helped replace a roof last summer that looked decent at first glance, but once we were up there, the granule loss had actually exposed parts of the asphalt underneath. That roof was about 15 years old though, so age played a big factor.
Bottom line, some granule shedding is normal, especially after storms, but just keep tabs on it—especially if your roof's getting up there in years.
