If you are thinking about a new roof or redoing your old one, picking the right color for it can be both fun, challenging and home-life changing. With all the options available to homeowners today, both color and style play a big role in the decision, and here are a few ideas to get your started on the quest for the right color that matches what is best for you and your home.
Architectural Style
When thinking about picking a roof color, it is usually a good idea to take into account the architectural style of your home. If your home is more classic in nature, like a colonial, or Victorian or even a craftsman, ranch, or cape cod, each one of these styles has a roof type and color that usually coordinate with the home style. For example, a more classic home should probably have a roof color that represents the historical period, such as slate tiles for a Victorian or colonial home, while a Spanish inspired stucco home would be complimented with clay or metal tiles. More rustic homes and ranch styles harmonize with browns, grays and greens.
Energy Efficiency
If you are looking for a roof color that will insulate your home, save on utility costs and create a clean design, metal roofing may be something to consider. Lighter colors will more easily reflect heat and darker colors will absorb it, and metal roofs are available in a number of colors and finishes, from light to dark, which are energy efficient. Metal roofs are far better than shingles in relation to blocking out and reflecting the sun’s rays, and the color choices should be based on the details of a home’s exterior design, such as landscaping, doors, windows, siding and other features.
Brick and Stone
Brick and stone faced homes tend to be rather permanent and finding the right color of roof for these types of homes may be difficult, but exterior features that have been painted or stained, like shutters, doors and siding can be changed. The color of brick and stone houses should be the first consideration when choosing a roof color. With brick homes being mostly red, colors that coordinate with it would fall in the black, brown and gray ranges. When bricks are multi-colored, a more continuous or underlying color that runs through the brick is a good choice for a brick home with inconsistent color. Stone facade homes are usually lighter in color and have a certain color cast to them. Determine the main color of the stone and then look for a roofing color that blends with that dominant color in the stone.
Sun Factor
The sun factor can affect the appearance of a roof’s color, particularly in different regions of the country, and at different times of year. While areas in the eastern part of the country can experience a hint of blue, southern areas will radiate a more reddish intensity. Summer sun will heighten roof colors, and a winter day will bring a faded or washed-out effect. Both these factors should be considered when choosing a roof color. Be sure and gather some color samples together from a roofing or home store and put them up to the exterior of your home at different times of day to see how the colors change. Select a color that is the most stable in varying settings.
Exterior Features
Finding a roof color that compliments exterior features of your home is one way to narrow down a color search. Whether it is shutters, a front porch, stone walls, or siding, discovering a roof color that coordinates with any of those elements should be one that closely ties the entire house together. For example, if shutters are in contrast to the siding color of a home, a roof color that harmonizes with the shutters should bring a completeness to the entire look.
There are a number of factors to consider when picking the right roof color for your home, so remember to take into consideration the architectural style of your home, energy efficiency, lighting in your area of the country and those all-important home exterior features. If you need further help in deciding what roof color is best for your home, fill out the online contact form and a roof color expert will get back to you with the answers you need to find the right roof color that compliments your home.
