There are many considerations to be made when choosing the color of your roof and it does matter to a degree. Depending on where you live and the weather patterns you deal with, color is important. In dealing with energy efficiency, you don’t want a dark-colored roof in a perpetually sunlit climate just as much as you don’t want a light-colored roof in a continually cold climate. So with the importance of roof color, what do you need to consider when choosing a color. Here are a few guidelines to go by.
Light vs. Dark in Roof Shingles
You’re probably already aware that lighter-colored roof shingles work well for warmer parts of the country while darker-colored roof shingles work well for cooler areas of the country. It’s only common sense as darker colors take in more heat and a warmer roof will quickly rid itself of snow and ice. With a lighter roof color, the sun’s rays will be reflected away from a roof. Your roof will be cooler and you’ll save on your utility bills.
Though you may see a reduction in energy bills through color shingle selection, technology today is such that the quality of the shingles you choose will affect the overall efficiency of your energy use.
Given today’s technology, the lightness or darkness of your asphalt shingles doesn’t have all that much to do with the energy efficiency of your home. What’s more likely to have a bigger impact on your roof’s efficiency is the quality of shingles you choose.
The variations in temperatures between dark and light shingles are only slight and the difference isn’t quite enough to make a dramatic difference in temperature extremes. That difference shows that the comfort level of your home and lower energy costs will not be drastically affected.
Greater Importance in Shingle Quality
Again, your shingle’s quality is more important than its color. When shopping for a new roof, you want to look at reputable roofing companies for your roofing needs. They can help you find quality shingles and advise you on a complete and thorough installation package to make sure you get quality shingles and the right installation to save you time and money.
Insulation and Ventilation
One other thing to take into consideration is the insulation and ventilation in your attic space. With a home that is insulated well and has a strongly built roof, there shouldn’t be problems with that roof being too hot or cold. This is just another reason you should select a licensed roofing company that you trust to do any roofing work. Quality work means greater energy efficiency and more savings for you in the long run.
Complimenting your Home
You can easily complement your home with the right shingle color. You want a color that coordinates well with the rest of the house, like the siding, windows, shutters, and other features. The most important thing is that you choose a quality shingle product and that your home is insulated and ventilated well.
What a color choice comes down to is what you like best. The color that will look good on your house and what color will blend in well with the rest of the neighborhood should be your goal.
Be wary of personal color choices if you live in an area with a Home Owner’s Association (HOA). They may ask you to adhere to their restrictions and follow their guidelines in color choices. You also want to look at your home and find shingles that go along with your architectural style and any other exterior colors you’ve previously chosen.
Matching Roof Shingle Colors
When you’re not absolutely sure of the right color shingles for your home, the choices below should give you an idea of what color goes best with the exterior of your home.
– Red – When your house is red, shingle colors in dark brown, black grey, and green coordinate nicely.
– Light Grey – With a light grey house, coordinating shingle colors include grey, black, green, blue, and white.
– Beige/Cream – When you have a beige or cream house, shingle colors that match are brown, black, grey, green, and blue. You may also consider color blends though you need to make sure a blend is in conflict with the exterior house colors.
– Brown – With a brown house, you’ll want to try grey, brown, green, and blue shingle choices.
– White – White goes well with almost any color that includes brown, grey, black, green, blue, and white.
– Log Homes/Weathered Wood– Colors that go well with rustic houses include brown, green, black, and grey.
Ask for Samples
Before you choose a shingle color, match and compare samples to the exterior of your home. Look at them in different lighting situations. Keep in mind that natural lighting is going to vary by location and not simply the time of day.
Where you Live
Depending on where you live, you’ll want to choose shingles that blend with the environment. For example, if you live in the Northwest, combinations or shades of grey, brown, and green complement the surroundings. If you’re in another area where red brick homes are prominent, black, grey, green, and dark brown are splendid colors for shingles. Or, if you’re in the Southwest, you’ll see white, cream, or terra cotta homes with elegantly tiled roofs in various colors.
You Can’t Ignore Color
You can’t ignore the color of your roof as it matters. It can brighten, lighten or darken a roof, but it also has psychological effects that are soothing and peaceful or thrilling and dramatic. Color can truly change the look of a roof and bring out the best in a home.
If you still have questions about selecting the right colored shingles for your home, RGB Construction can steer you in the right direction. They offer an array of roofing materials in the latest colors and will help you choose both quality shingles in the color choices you want and they’ll have the right answers to optimize energy efficiency. Contact them at 856-264-9093. You’ll be glad you did.
