The right color for your roof can complement your home’s aesthetics.
Climate
Asphalt roofs absorb a lot of heat year-round. If you live in a warm environment, you’ll be better off choosing light-colored shingles to help prevent excess heat absorption. Homeowners in colder climates should consider dark shingles to absorb extra heat. This can help homes stay warmer in the winter months and help promote snow melting.
Home Color and Elements
Work to coordinate or complement the colors already on your home. If your home has a lot of brown tones, stick with cream or brown shingles. Blue, grey, or white homes look best with grey or black shingles. Find shades to closely match or complement the rest of the home’s exterior. What color are your shutters? Do you have an accent color you would like to emphasize? What about masonry? If you have stone or brick masonry, you want to make sure your roof will match and if you choose wisely, you can actually emphasize the stonework on your home. Consider the plants and greenery surrounding your home. These tones can also influence how a chosen color will look on your home. You may also want to consider the colors on your neighbors’ roofs. If everyone in the neighborhood has grey or black shingles, your home may stick out with light brown.
Make a Statement
Think about the statement you’d like to make with your home. Are you looking for something bold or understated? Keep in mind dark-colored roofs can make a home look smaller, while lighter-colored shingles can make a home look bigger. This can influence your home’s curb appeal. The right color for your roof is very important.
Stay Away from Trendy Colors
Some roofing contractors suggest using trendy colors to make a statement, but we aren’t one of those. Roofs last anywhere from 20 to 30 years. Trendy color designs and schemes popular today won’t be popular in 20 years. If you plan on selling your home in the next 20 years, consider curb appeal. Most homeowners prefer the right color for the roof to have a timeless appeal rather than passing trends for their homes.
Material Choices
Your choice of materials will make a big difference in the look of your home. Clay, slate, concrete tiles, asphalt shingles, and metal roofs will all give your home a unique look. Each of these styles will also come with different textures, making the decision more complicated. Clay tile is typically red or tan and looks great on Spanish style homes. Slate can look great on most home but is on the more expensive end. Concrete tiles can be made to look like slate or clay, with an endless variety of colors. Metal roofs come in many different colors, styles, designs, and textures. Often, metal roofs don’t look like metal roofs from a distance.
Making the Decision
Deciding on a roofing color can be difficult when considering all options available. For some homeowners, working backward is more effective for making a choice. Picture how you’d like your home to look after the roof installation. What color are the shingles? Is the roof tiled, shingled, or metal? Browsing through different options can be overwhelming, so visualizing the result can effectively eliminate many options.