New asphalt shingles on the roof of a Nashville area home.


If you’ve cleaned your gutters recently, you may have found fine, sandy sediment or fine pebbles in your gutters. That is not gravel lifted from your landscaping, it is actually part of your roofing shingles known as granules.  

How serious of a problem is it that there are shingle granules in your gutters? Do you need immediate repair or replacement? In this blog, the team at Music City Roofers will walk you through what granules are and when to give us a call for your free roof inspection.  

What Are Roof Granules and What Do They Do? 

The rough, top layer of your shingles are known as granules. They serve specific purposes to keep your home safe and keep your local roofer safe too!  

The main purpose of coating your roof shingles in granules is protection from UV Rays. Your shingles protect your roof from the daily wear and tear of the sun beating down on the roof and causing much more frequent repair or replacement. The granules disperse the heat and prevent your shingles from being directly exposed to the elements.  

This layer of protection is also helpful for roofers when they traverse across the roof. The granules provide grit to prevent slippage. Finally, granules prevent your shingles from sticking together in one giant mass.  

What Are Shingles Granules Made Of? 

The granules found on the top layer of your shingles are composed of crushed up mineral granules. Hard rock is crushed up to create the granules.  

Not all granules are created the same. Some granules are mixed with a ceramic coating to change the color of the final product. Furthermore, granules can be coated to create shingle features that prevent algae formation on your roof.  

How Much Granular Loss is Too Much? 

What causes granules to loosen bit by bit? The weather, the heat, the cold, storms, heavy rain, and more. The elements can wear down many things and your roof are one of them. Your roof must endure a lot, and as your roof ages, so do your shingles.  

What is important to keep in mind that extreme weather events can cause wear and tear to your roof that you may not be aware of.  

Bald shingles will wear out quicker than shingles with fully intact granules.

Bald shingles can curl easily at the edges and leave opportunities for leaks to form.

Top Tips on How To Prevent Losing Granules 

The first thing to remember is that your roof will lose granules over time. A well-maintained asphalt shingle roof will last 20-30 years. But how can you prevent some early granule loss?  

When there is a weather event strong to severe, give your roof a once over. You shouldn’t be climbing on the roof to inspect it yourself, you can leave that to a trusted roofer, like Music City Roofers to provide an honest assessment of your roof’s condition.  

General upkeep like trimming branches away from your home and removing leaves from your roof will go a long way toward preventing premature loss.  

Furthermore, knowing the age of your roof is a great gauge of when you should start thinking about scheduling regular inspections. If your roof is approaching 15 years of age, give Music City Roofers a call. We’re happy to look and tell you what roofing issues we’ve uncovered. 

I Keep Finding Granules in My Gutters- What Does That Mean? 

Keep your gutters clean. By cleaning your gutters, you’ll be able to find excess granules in your gutters and in your downspouts. By spotting these early, you could head off costly leaks or replacement down the line. We know cleaning gutters is a chore that no one enjoys but homeowners can spot red flags in the gutter muck.  

Since 2012, Music City Roofers has been one of Nashville’s best roofing companies. We’ve won numerous awards for our commitment to customer service and providing expert roof installation services. If you have questions about your Nashville area roof, Music City is here to help. Contact us today to schedule your free roof inspection.