Losing Granules Off Your Asphalt Shingles?

When shingles are manufactured, in addition to granules embedded in the asphalt, some granules interlock with embedded granules but are not embedded themselves. 

Granules can also become loose during the packing, shipping and the actual installation so you may find these new, loose granules on the ground, in gutters, or at the bottom of downspouts. 

It’s common to see an accumulation of granules in the gutters of fairly new roofs.

Long-term, uniform granule loss is not considered damange, but part of the natural aging process. Unless the shingles appear to be failing prematurely. The rate at which shingles lose granules depends on the quality of the shingles and weather.

Granule loss which is uniform across the roof is usually a result of normal weathering. Over time, the bond between the granules and asphalt deteriorates, and granules will be loosened and carried away by runoff.

If you have bald spots than it is definitely time for an inspection. 

Batches are groups of shingles made during the same production run from the same batch of asphalt. If your shingles were installed from different batches on the same roof, they can weather and age at different rates.

Walking on any asphalt shingle roof loosens some of the mineral granules from their attachment embedded in the asphalt used to  coat the shingle. If there is a lot of roof traffic, such as when work is being done on a chimney, you may see "bald" areas of shingles with lost granules where people have been walking.

Granule loss on asphalt shingles due to storms, especially hail: it is possible that severe weather, such as hailstorms, may damage shingles producing pitting and granule loss.

Such roofs may have a reduced lifespan as a result, depending on the severity of damage.