One
piece of planning a roof replacement is choosing the color of your new shingles.
This provides the opportunity for you to choose a new look for your home, as
well as make an impact on your home's energy efficiency. Before deciding on a
new shingle color, here's what you need to know about choosing the right roof
color.
Arguably,
the largest impact a new shingle color has on your home is on the curb appeal
and aesthetics. You want to ensure that the new color will flow well with the
rest of your home. There are a few aspects to keep in mind:
- Your Home's Style
Your
home's style can be a major factor when you are deciding on what color shingles
to put on your roof. You want the shingle colors to align with the overall
aesthetic of your home. If you have a colonial-style home with light siding,
you should consider lighter roof colors. If you have a contemporary home style
with stark color contrasts, you may consider using dark colors. If you have a
craftsman-style home, you may think about using a classic black or brown
shingle color.
- The Color Of Your Siding And Trim
Other
aspects to consider include your siding and trim color scheme. You want to
ensure the color of your shingles flows with the rest of the colors you have in
your home. Having a cohesive plan of colors on your home will have a positive
impact on your home's curb appeal. Be sure to remember that the trim includes
shutters, doors, window outlines, columns, and more.
There
are siding colors that compliment shingle colors:
- Red houses work well with a
dark brown, black, gray, or green roof.
- Light gray homes coordinate
well with a gray, black, green, blue, or white roof.
- Beige or cream houses pair
well with a brown, black, gray, green, or blue roof.
- Tan siding coordinates well
with light brown, blue, or yellow shingles.
- Brown homes match well with a
gray, brown, green, or blue roof.
- Gray-colored homes match with
black, blue, or brown shingles.
- Blue houses work well with
black, gray, dark brown, or white shingles.
- Green siding houses pair well
with light brown, gray, or black-colored shingles.
- White houses coordinate well
with almost any roof color since white siding provides essentially a blank
canvas.
- Wood or log homes coordinate
well with brown, green, black, or gray houses.
Using
these initial thoughts can get you started on a color that would ]work well
with your home's current paint colors.
- The Environment Your Home Is In
Based
on the natural surroundings of your home, you want to choose a roof color that
positively reflects the environment around your home, along with the existing
colors on your home. If you live near a body of water, you might consider a
light-colored roof. If you live around many trees, you may choose a
darker-colored roof. If you live in a desert with rocks and sand, you may
choose red or brown shingles to align with the scenery.
- Homeowners Associations Rules
If you live in a neighborhood with a
Homeowner's Association (HOA), you should do your research to make sure that
there are not any standing rules or regulations about roof shingle colors prior
to deciding what roof color you want.
-
Other Tips For Choosing A Shingle Color
- To help you pick your new
roofing color, consider using an online visualization tool, such as Owens Corning's DesignEyeQ.
- Drive around different
neighborhoods to see different shingles colors in real life. Seeing the color
combinations in person may give you a better idea of how a color would look in
your own home.
- Consider how the amount of
sun your home receives throughout the day will impact how the color of your
shingles truly looks.
- Take a look at the cost. A
specific color of shingle may cost more than another, so consider the added
cost of picking a new color.
- While you may ask others for
their personal opinion on a new roof color, move forward with the color you
want for your roof shingles. In the end, it is the roof on your home and you
should pick a color that you love.
Roof
shingle color can also impact your home's energy efficiency. This is another
component you should consider when deciding on your roof's new color.
- Roofing colors with the most
energy efficiency are white, light gray, and light brown.
- Roofing colors with the least
energy efficiency include black, dark gray, and dark brown.
Each
color has a reflectivity rating that helps reflect the sun's rays away from
your home. The higher the reflectivity rating, the more energy-efficient.
Typically, the lighter the color, the higher the reflectivity rating, making
the lighter shades more energy-efficient for your home. By reflecting the sun's
rays away from your home, the surface temperature will stay cooler.
With
dark shingles absorbing the heat from the sun, it can add to warming your
entire house. During the summer, the heat can radiate further into your home,
causing your air conditioning to work even harder to cool your home. This extra
work can drive up your energy bills, costing you more each year. This is a
major consideration if you live somewhere with very warm and hot summers.
Asphalt
shingles can vary greatly in their energy efficiency, based on their durability
and cost. The higher quality shingles you purchase, the greater the energy
efficiency your home will experience.
If you do choose a darker color asphalt shingle roof that would better suit
your home but are concerned about energy efficiency, there are shingles you can
purchase to help mitigate that issue. There are additional coatings that can be
applied to shingles to improve the reflectivity rating, such as elastomeric
roof coating. Elastomeric roofing
coating is typically made from silicone or acrylic that creates a durable
membrane on top of your shingles. This provides an extra layer of weatherproofing, and increased UV protection, and can increase the lifespan of your shingles.
There
are several other aspects that impact your home's energy efficiency in addition
to your shingle color:
- Your home's attic insulation.
- Siding insulation.
- Roof ventilation.
In
the middle of choosing your shingle color for your roof replacement, be sure to
consider the other aspects of your roofing system, such as attic insulation and
roof ventilation. Take the time to discuss these components with your roofing
contractor to ensure your new roof is set up for success.
When you're in the process of replacing your roof,
picking out your new shingle color is one of the few decisions you will have to
make. It's helpful to have an experienced and trustworthy roofing contractor
who will be on your side from start to finish. At ARAC Roof It Forward, we
pride ourselves on providing high-quality customer service and roofing
solutions. If you are in need of a roof repair or replacement, schedule your
free video inspection with Roof It Forward today to get started.
