When Does Granule Loss Indicate A Roof Replacement
Normal wear and tear aside, there are instances where shingle granule loss IS something that requires action. You might want to call your reliable roof replacement company if the reason for granule loss is:
- Blistering: This happens when moisture gets under the shingles and expands when the material is exposed to the suns heat. See the small, pimple-like protrusions on the surface of asphalt shingles? Those are blisters, and they wear away the mineral granules when they develop, exposing the substrate of the shingles underneath.
- Severe hail damage: Hailstones damage your shingles upon impact, not only leaving small cracks and dents, but knocking off their mineral granules as well. This leaves the roofing material more susceptible to water infiltration.
When blistering or hail damage covers a significant portion of your shingle roofing system, the likelihood of roof replacement increases. But the only way to know that a new roof is surely in order is to have it checked by a trusted local roofing expert like Jack the Roofer.
The Usual Culprits Behind Granule Loss On Asphalt Shingles
September 4, 2020 by Bill Laut
Should you be worried about your asphalt shingles losing granules? You shouldnt worry too much if your roof is new and only a few granules have been shed. Some degree of granule loss is expected over the course of an asphalt shingle roofs lifespan, especially with a new roof.
Given that these granules protect your roof from ultraviolet rays, does granule loss make your shingle roof more vulnerable to UV damage? Asphalt shingles lose more granules as they age, so in a sense, yes. However, manufacturers have already taken the initial granule loss into account by embedding up to 40% more granules in asphalt shingles. As such, minimal granule loss isnt likely to affect the durability of your asphalt shingle roof in the short term.
Under what circumstances then is granule loss a cause for concern? When granule loss becomes so severe that you start to notice bald patches on your roof or granules start to accumulate in your gutter system, you should be concerned.
Mastering Roof Inspections: Asphalt Composition Shingles Part 34
The purpose of the series Mastering Roof Inspections is to teach home inspectors, as well as insurance and roofing professionals, how to recognize proper and improper conditions while inspecting steep-slope, residential roofs. This series covers roof framing, roofing materials, the attic, and the conditions that affect the roofing materials and components, including wind and hail.ASPHALT SHINGLE LIFESPAN, Part 5
GRANULE LOSS
Another result of weathering is granule loss. Granules may be lost for a number of reasons. In determining the cause, it will help to look at the roof from both near and far. Look at it from the ground to check for overall patterns of loss. Examine its surface closely to see details.
New Roofs
When shingles are manufactured, in addition to granules embedded in the asphalt, some granules interlock with embedded granules but are not embedded themselves.
You can see here that not all granules are embedded in the asphalt.
Many of these granules come loose during packaging, shipping and installation, but many are still attached after installation is complete.
These will likely be removed by runoff during storms and deposited into the gutters. Its common to see an accumulation of granules in the gutters of fairly new roofs.
The sediment in this gutter is made up of granules mixed with dirt. If you see granules this deep in the gutters, look carefully at the shingles to see if theyre losing granules prematurely.
Uniform Granule Loss
Slope Orientation
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When To Call A Professional
Excessive black streaks Since granules discourage algae growth, lots of algae on your roof could be a sign of granule loss.
After any hailstorm Hail is probably the number one enemy of your roofing granules, striking with force and usually followed by hard wind and rain. Hail damage can be difficult to see from the ground, and a fast, professional assessment protects you if you have need to make an insurance claim to get the roof repaired.
Loose shingles Sometimes a storm wont cause damage to your entire roof, but the wind may catch a few shingles and pull them loose. This is the kind of repair that can save your roof and the decking and attic underneath it. Water that gets in under loose shingles can flow into more areas of your roof and home and cause significant general damage. Also, if you are tempted to staple loose shingles down, know that this is no longer allowed in new construction because staples come loose more easily in the wind.
Bald spots If you can visibly see that your shingles are going bald, this is an urgent situation. This is the kind of damage that shows on older roofs that have had years of wear and usually means its time to replace your shingles. Bald is not normal.
Why Does My Roof Have Granules
Roof shingles have tiny granules that are made from crushed stone and minerals. Theyre meant to provide a layer of protection from the elements. Particularly from sun exposure, which can create extensive wear in hot Mid-Missouri summers. Together, millions of granules on your roof shingles are an army of protection from the elements.
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Is It Normal For A New Roof To Lose Granules
May 4, 2020 by Infinite Roofing
Whether they are installed on a residential roof or a flat commercial roof, an asphalt shingle is usually composed of three layers: the backing material, asphalt and an outer layer of granules. These granules give asphalt shingles several distinct properties, such as their color and their energy-efficient, reflective properties. Your trusted, local roofing contractor, Infinite Roofing takes a look at this essential roofing component, and whether or not loose granules are something you should be concerned about.
Granule Loss On New Roofs
Its just not aging roofs that can experience granule loss. After roof installation, shingles can lose granules, but its typically not a concern. Shingles have excess granules that fall off during transport and installation. However, if the granule loss persists, immediately contact the contractor who installed your roof. It can be a sign that the product is defective.
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We Are Your Roof Replacement Expert
As one of the areas most trusted roofers, Jack the Roofer will make sure your roof replacement project goes off without a hitch. We make this possible through our top-tier products, a professional team and a proven, streamlined process. Call us today at 722-2255, or fill out this contact form to schedule your roof evaluation. We proudly serve Parker, CO, plus the Castle Rock and Centennial areas.
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Why Are Granules On Shingles
Granules were added to the design of shingles because of mainly these reasons:
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What Is Shingle Delamination
Delamination can occur over time due to your roofs exposure to UV rays or from improper installation of the original roof. If moisture gets between the membrane of the roof and the shingles, this can also cause delamination. This delamination can cause both water and wind damage to the existing roof.
How Normal Is It For Granules To Fall Off Your Roof Shingles
Its Saturday morning, the weather is beautiful and you decide its the perfect day to pull those pesky weeds growing in your flower beds against the house. Youre alarmed because you see hundreds, maybe thousands of these little pebbles that have fallen from your shingles. Or maybe youre cleaning out your gutters and pull out handfuls of the stuff.
These little pebbles are called granules. They are bits of stone cut to reflect light and heat away from the roof, preserving the asphalt underneath. They also give the roof its color and aesthetic appeal. While they play a critical role in shingle longevity, granule loss is natural and to be expected, even with a brand new roof- so dont panic. Manufacturers put on way more granules than necessary, knowing some will be lost during install.
On one shingle there are about 2 full cups of granules and there are about two thousand shingles on the average house. Thats 250 gallons of granules on the average home, so if youre scooping up cups of granules and not gallons, youre probably fine.
Granule loss will occur as roofs age. If the roof is old and youre seeing more granules around the home, it might be time to call your roofer for an inspection.
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Granule Loss On Shingles
In other cases, your shingle roofs may have lasted a few years and end up suddenly losing tons of granules. Granule loss is a normal sign of shingle wear and can be further exacerbated by harsh weather conditions such as heavy rainstorms, hail storms, or hurricanes basically anything that has to do with strong winds and the possibility of a heavy impact on your roof. One of the worst causes behind granule loss is when your roofing contractor installs a defective shingle product on your roof. Youll be able to tell when this happens because you will find that your asphalt roof becomes bald that means there is major granule loss.
After a few decades, your asphalt shingles are eventually going to go bald and this is one of the clear signs that you are in need of a roofing replacement.
What Are Roofing Granules Made Of
Many flat commercial roofs have asphalt shingles that contain roofing granules. These are tiny particles that consist of graded crushed rock, porcelain, slag, slate or tile. Roofing granules are used on flat commercial roofs for several reasons. Here are a few of their benefits, along with some conditions that can affect them. Roofing granules are constructed with a ceramic coating. The granules that are most commonly used consist of ground-up molten rock particles, such as solid volcanic lava, basalt or granite. To obtain the proper granule size these particles are processed and then covered with a silicate mixture. Once this has been done, the next step is adding color to the mixture. After coating the granules, rotary calciners treat the coating so that it turns into a ceramic. This is done to make the shingles more durable and seals in the color. It also gives the final product an additional aesthetic appeal.
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Is Granule Loss A Manufacturer Defect
Granule loss may be a manufacturer defect. If you suspect your shingles were simply not made correctly, youll need a professional roofer to confirm your guess and help you make a claim under your warranty with the manufacturer. Some manufacturers consider this to be a cosmetic problem that doesnt actually affect the performance of the roof. In this case, they will not replace the shingles.
Your roofer is best positioned to tell you if granule loss will bea problem for your roofs lifespan or performance. They can also help guide you to choose manufacturers who offer warranties that cover this problem.
Is It Normal For Granules To Come Off Of Shingles
The answers to this vary based on the situation and severity. Lets explore each.
Newly Installed Shingle Granule Loss
New roof shedding granules It is normal for a new roof to have some level of granule loss. This is due in part to the installation process where handling and walking on the shingles dislodges granules from the asphalt. If you are noticing granules in your gutters on the ground around your house following a new roof installation, you should expect that to subside within a few weeks.
Normal Degradation and Granule Loss
Some level of granule loss is normal and the result of daily exposure to UV rays and weather. A minimal, consistent level of granule loss will occur with asphalt shingles. When you should be concerned is when you are noticing a large amount of granule loss in a specific area of the roof.
Old Roof Shingle Granule Loss
There can be multiple causes for this. Age and deterioration of the shingles, results of high winds or rainfall, or cumulative effects of both. The condition of your shingles should be inspected, especially if you are noticing significant granule loss in certain areas of the roof versus a uniform loss more likely associated with normal aging .
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Are Shingles Supposed To Be Loose
If more than one shingle is loose or actually missing, that could be a sign of a general shingle problem. Maybe it was caused by extreme weather, but your shingles also might be improperly installed or getting too old. Either way, your attic and other interior areas could be vulnerable to water damage.
New Asphalt Roof Shingles
When asphalt shingles are manufactured, there are tons of tiny granules that are embedded on its topcoat. In most shingles, there are bits that, instead of directly getting embedded onto the actual shingle, get stuck and are kept in place between the attached bits. In this case, they are not as securely placed. They are likely to get removed when the asphalt shingles get moved around, which happens a lot since the shingles still need to be packaged, shipped, sold, transported, and then installed.
During the first rainfall after your shingles just get installed, youll probably find a lot of granules get runoff and end up in the gutters. You shouldnt take this as a sign that your roof is defective. Assess it first and as long as the intact granules havent washed off yet, your new roof shingles are still in good condition.
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Why Do Roof Shingles Have Granules
Mineral granules have been included in the structure of the shingles to protect roofs from excessive solar radiation that can cause damage. So, they help to extend your roof lifespan.
Moreover, the granules help to increase your roof UV and fire resistance by adding another protective barrier to your home.
Therefore, these mineral granules make your roof structure more robust. Without them, your shingles roof only would be a big layer of tarpaper over your house.
What Are Those Granules Anyway
Asphalt shingles are one of the most widely used type of shingles on roofs because theyve been around for a while. Their design has been perfected by many manufacturers in the industry over time. One of the ways manufacturers have made shingles more sturdy and protective of a home is by adding granules onto the exterior. This helps fight the natural elements. Aging shingles lose granules giving a definitive answer to the question of whether it is time to repair or replace your roof.
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Is Granule Loss On New Shingles Normal
When you finally get a new roof, you would expect the roof to look its best. However, you might notice that there are some bits of granules falling off your new asphalt roof. Granule loss on new shingles can become a worrying situation. However, it is not really as bad as most people think it is. If you have just gotten a new roof installed, you are likely to experience this.
Granules are embedded in asphalt shingles during the manufacturing of the tiles. However, there are some bits that are not directly embedded into the shingle but get caught between other embedded granules. These other granules are not attached to the shingle so they are likely to fall off slowly from manufacturing to the packaging to the installation on your roof and even after. While a bit of granule loss is normal, there may be a need to inspect your roof to ensure that the actual intact granules are still in place.
Mineral Granule Loss From Asphalt Roof Shingles
Causes & effects of loss of protective mineral granules from roof shingles. Description of different causes of roof shingle granule loss: normal, defective product, storm damage, foot traffic, etc. How to Inspect a Roof for Loss of its Protective Coating of Mineral Granules. When does granule loss mean that a new roof is needed?
This roof gutter sports about an inch of mineral granules that have washed off of the asphalt-shingle roof. Is that a problem? We’ll see.
Roof shingle granule loss may be normal shingle wear, hail damage wear, or defective roofing product, as we explain here. The page-top photograph shows severe loss of mineral granules from an asphalt shingle roof.
This “bald” asphalt shingle roof is way past needing replacement and is almost certainly leaking. Even a roof with less dramatic granule loss is showing signs of wear and reduced future life. Readers are also invited contribute roof failure information to the web author for research purposes. web author for research purposes.
The job of these mineral granules which are adhered to the roof shingle surface as part of the shingle manufacturing process, is to protect theshingle from sunlight, from UV light, and from the weather in general.
The selection of roof shingle color is also determined by the choice of its coating of mineral granule lighter colored shingles may remain a bit cooler and at least in some applications may have a longer life than dark-colored shingles.
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Asphalt Shingles And Granule Loss
A typical asphalt shingle is made with asphalt granules adhered to a shingle substrate. This creates a layer of granular material that protects against sunlight, UV rays, and other weather elements. Granule loss can happen due to several factors, but not all are problematic to your roofing system. Over time, there will be some granule loss as part of its normal wear and tear, and its considered as part of the natural aging process.
Sometimes, there will be granule loss as soon as you have your asphalt shingles installed. This can happen even in well-built roofing systems, but this is hardly anything you need to worry about. The granule loss coming from newly installed roofs is usually excess granules from the shingles during the manufacturing process. They can come loose during packaging, shipping, and installation, and are often removed via water runoff during storms. This is why youll sometimes find them in your gutters or at the base of your downspouts mixed with debris or sediment.
However, if you think youre still having granule loss long after its installation, then this may indicate other problems on your roof. Granule loss can be caused by other factors such as:
