A beige home with a charcoal colored asphalt shingle roof and black and white trim.

Your shingles are made up of several components with each part serving a specific role to keep your home dry and safe. There is no more important part of your shingles than the roofing granules. It has benefits for keeping your home safe and has features that help your roofing contractor. 

Roofing granules are the visible part of your roof shingles. They are the rough part of the shingles that can come in different colors.  

The Role of Roof Granules on Your Shingles 

Roofing granules help protect your roof from harmful UV rays. If the granules were not present, you would be replacing your roof with regularity. The reason is that the UV rays would break down the shingle. With granules, there is a protective layer that disperses the heat generated by the sun and prevents your shingles from getting cooked and warping or curling.  

Roofers like the granules because they prevent the shingles from sticking together in the package. Additionally, they provide a grip on the roof surface making it a little safer to walk on.  

Are Roofing Granules Made from Stone?  

Yes, roofing shingle granules are made of ground-up stone and minerals. When it comes to achieving different shingle colors, the ground-up stone is paired with materials covered with a ceramic coating. This coating helps change the shingle color.  

In addition to updating the color, coated materials may create added protective features for your asphalt shingles. For instance, pairing with copper-coated granules will create shingles that stop the growth of roof algae. 

What Does It Mean if I Find Roof Granules in my Gutters? 

Roof granule loss is to be expected. Your roof will naturally shed granules bit by bit over time. However, finding a mass of granules may be worth contacting Kearns Brothers to schedule your free roof inspection.  

Missing granules and balding shingles open your roof up to potential leaks.

Balding shingles create weak spaces in your roof that open your home up to leak development. 

Is It Normal to Lose Shingle Granules During a Thunderstorm?  

Yes, you will see your shingles lose granules gradually over the course of time. It is important to note that severe weather brings an uptick in the opportunity to lose more granules than a regular summertime thunderstorm. 

Hail damage can create impacts on your roof shingles that may lead to premature roof repair or replacement. After a bout with hail, homeowners should look to a trusted roof repair company to get a free storm damage inspection. 

Additionally, strong winds can create similar problems with roof granules. Large branches landing on your roof will create issues with your roofing system that may warrant repair or replacement.  

Each of these types of damage will require a professional inspection. Kearns Brothers do not recommend that homeowners give their roof an “eye test”. There are subtle clues that roofers use to identify hail damage and wind damage roofs.  

If you are concerned about the levels of granule loss on your shingled roof, Kearns Brothers is a phone call away. Contact us today to book your free roof inspection.