Choosing a New Roof Color
A new roof gives you a chance to upgrade the look of your home. There are many colors and styles to choose from, which is exciting. However, your roof is a major purchase and your decision is one you will live with for many years. It is important to that your choice blend harmoniously with the rest of the house and your natural surroundings and accomplish your desired goals.
How to Choose the Right Roof Color
1. Consider your architectural style.
Consider the style of your home when choosing a roof color. Is your home Spanish, Mediterranean, Colonial, Cape Cod, Country French, Victorian, Tudor, or Contemporary? Many Spanish or Mediterranean style homes look great with tile roofing. A more traditional Colonial or Cape Cod style home with shingle roof will look best with either an earth tone or grey depending on the color of the home.
2. Match your exterior features.
Take a good look at the exterior of your home and consider all the colors and tones you see before choosing your roof color. This includes the siding or stucco color, shutters, gazebo, flower boxes, etc. They all should work together. Evaluate how much of your new roof will be visible from your backyard. If you are an outdoors type of family, spending time in your pool or on the patio, grilling those delicious summer barbeques, then consider your roof an element of your exterior decorating. How will those shingle colors blend with your current landscape?
Color coordinate your roof with colors found elsewhere in the bricks, siding, stone, stucco, or trim on your home. As an example, a dark gray or black roof will look good with a gray or blue house, while a brown, cream or tan colored house will look better with brown shingles or a mix of cream and brown. Green, red, yellow, or other color home have more flexibility and can be accented by brown, gray, or black roof colors.
3. Neighborhood Considerations.
If you live in a subdivision with a homeowner’s association, you may be restricted by rules and by-laws governing your association. Check the homeowner association’s guidelines before choosing a color. In addition, if you live in a neighborhood (even if there are no restrictions) it is advisable to consider your color choice in context with your nearest neighbor’s roof. You would not want it to match exactly or worse, clash with your neighbor’s roof color.
4. Dark vs. Light Colored Roofs
Homes with darker shingles will retain more heat. Lighter roofs will reflect the sun’s rays more efficiently, keeping the home cooler in the summer. Lighter roof colors will give the home an overall brighter look. Darker colors will give your home a more dramatic look. Consider both your taste and your climate as you choose your color.
One of our roofing experts would be happy to help you select the perfect color and style that is aesthetically pleasing and fits your taste.