A new roof offers a chance to change the overall look of your home while adding protection. There is a wide variety of colors and styles to choose from, which can be exciting. However, replacing your roof is a major purchase and your decision is one you will have to live with for many years. It is important too that your choice blends with the rest of the house and your natural surroundings and accomplishes your desired goals.
How to Choose the Right Roof Color
- Dark vs. Light Colored Roofs
Homes with darker materials will retain more heat. Lighter colored roofs will reflect the sun’s rays more efficiently, keeping the home cooler in the summer. Lighter roof colors will also 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.
- Match your exterior features.
Consider the color of the exterior of your home and think about how they will blend with your chosen 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 in the summer, then consider your roof an element of your exterior decoration. 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 darker colored roof can look good with a gray or blue house, while a brown, cream or tan colored house can look better with brown shingles or a mix of cream and brown. Green, red, yellow, or other color homes have more flexibility and can be accented by brown, gray, or black roof colors.
- 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 a shingle roof will look best with either an earth tone or grey depending on the color of the home.
- 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.
The experts at Harlan Quality Roofing can help you decide which color and style roof will fit your tastes after considering all these factors. Ultimately, we want you to be happy with your decision for many years to come. Contact us to learn more or if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you.
