Granules in the gutters

Granules are the sunscreen on an asphalt shingle. Some shedding is normal. Heavy loss on an older roof means the shingle is near the end and the roof goes on the planning list, not the emergency list.

What is probably happening

• New roof, first months: normal. GAF's technical bulletin says extra granules called riders or hitchhikers are added in manufacturing, the loss is not a defect, and it gradually reduces over time.
• Old roof, piles at the downspout, bald or shiny patches visible from the ground: the shingle has aged out. InterNACHI puts 3-tab asphalt at about 20 years and architectural at about 30.
• After a hailstorm, granule loss in bruised spots is one of NRCA's listed signs of hail damage.

Do this in the next five minutes

1. Look at the roof from the ground with your phone zoom. Bald patches, curled edges or exposed black mat mean the roof is at the end.
2. Check the age. Closing papers, the last roofing permit at your building department, or the previous owner.
3. If the roof is under 2 years old and granules are heavy, contact the shingle manufacturer's warranty line. GAF says to wait several months and report it if it does not ease.
4. If a hailstorm just passed, go to the hail page and check the soft metals for dents.
5. Otherwise, get a roof inspection and start collecting replacement quotes on your schedule, not a salesperson's.

Do not

• Do not panic over a new roof. The first season's shedding is expected.
• Do not accept a hail claim pitch for ordinary granule loss on an old roof. Insurers exclude wear and tear (Texas Department of Insurance) and adjusters can tell the two apart.
• Do not pay for a coating or 'rejuvenator' sold as adding years to a bald shingle roof. Nothing in the manufacturer or ARMA guidance supports it.

Ask this contractor, on the phone, before anyone comes out

Tap each one as you ask it.

• How much life do you estimate is left, and what did you base that on?
• Is the granule loss even across the roof, or concentrated in spots that could be hail?
• Are there cracked, curled or bald shingles, and how many?
• If I wait a year, what is the risk on my roof specifically?

End the call if

• A total-loss hail verdict on a roof that is 20 years old with even, all-over granule loss.
• A coating or rejuvenation product sold as the alternative to replacement.