How to Choose a Shingle Color

It’s not until you’re faced with getting a new roof do you stop to consider the ultimate design dilemma: the shingle color.  You won’t be replacing this new roof for another twenty-or-so years, so you must choose the color wisely.  The question is…how do you choose?

Complement the Existing Themes

First ask yourself, what color are your shutters?  Often, the color of the roof is chosen based on the color of the shutters because this is an accent color to complement the tone of that of the home’s siding or paint.  The shutters and roof color, when matched, offer a chance to really “pop” the main color of the home.

Although shutters are the easiest to base the roof color off of, you can certainly be inspired by other elements in your exterior design.  Look for color coordination elsewhere, like in the bricks, wood siding, the trim around the windows, and the colors that are found in the flecks of stucco.

Choosing the color of your roof to bring out the design themes of the rest of your house is much like putting together and accessorizing the perfect outfit.  Find an underplayed color that already exists in the home’s exterior and try to imagine if roof shingles to match it would make the house stand out in the best way possible.

Mix and Match: Multi-Toned Shingles

Did you know that you don’t have to get shingles that are all the same color?  An experienced roofing contractor will clue you in on the many different options you have for shingles.  The blending of different tones allows the shingles to give off a multi-dimensional look to your house.  You can choose from shingles that are all the same tone like a midnight black, to a mix like deep greens, brown tones mixed with rust tones, or even shingles that have a hint of blues and blacks.

The principle of blended shingles is quite simple, although it may seem overwhelming at first—the plainer your home is, like having just one siding color, no stone facades, and an absence of trim or other architectural features, then the more reason you should outfit the roof with multi-toned shingles.  It also gives you more colors to play with, so if your home is sided or painted with one main color like brown, blue, or grey, then multi-toned shingles will offer contrast and add more complexity to its look.

Dark or Light

Once you’ve nailed down your color, you’re not quite finished yet.  You must also consider if you want your shingles to appear dark or light.  Dark or light shingles can transform the look of a home, and it really depends on what type of home you have as well as what color themes it has.

Ranch homes tend to look better with medium colors, multi-leveled homes can benefit from a blend of light and dark shingles to create a multi-dimensional look, and homes with extremely dark shingles can sometimes look dominated by the roof.  Dormers and other architectural features will stand out with darker shingles, creating a taller look to the house, but light-colored shingles can offer balance, especially if the roof is lower pitched.

Consider Climate

Shingles are important to the resale value of your home, as well as its curb appeal, but there’s another critical factor you shouldn’t overlook in the process of choosing their color: climate.  Some homeowners become consumed by the design choice of their shingle color that they forget about the very real result of their energy bills, conservation, and home’s temperature regulation.  Shingle color, although it seems trivial, plays an essential role in dealing with the sun’s harmful UV rays.

In the southern states like Florida, the color of a home’s shingles can affect the attic’s temperature by about 20-40 degrees.  That translates to how much you’ll pay in heating and cooling costs per year.  Obviously, you’ll want to opt for light shingles to help your roof deflect the harsh sunlight and keep temperatures down.

For areas that deal in colder climates, you’ll go the opposite direction.  Darker shingles will absorb the sun, drinking in the heat and helping you save on energy costs.  Throughout long, freezing winters, your home will manage to stay warm.

Being Mindful

You might run into just a few roadblocks with your new shingle color.  This includes any Homeowner’s Association rules you might have to abide by and the availability of the color of your choice.

Shingles are widely manufactured in multiple colors that nearly all roofing companies can acquire, so it’s unlikely there’s one that’s limited, but occasionally this does happen.  The worst case is that you’ll need to wait a lead time.

HOA rules are more of a common issue, so if you live in a neighborhood or complex where you are a part of an HOA, be sure to check with them first before making your selection.

Time To Replace?

Your roof’s life depends on one thing: you.  Keeping an eye on its condition, scheduling a roof inspection, having it professionally cleaned, and making sure your attic is properly ventilated and insulated can make your roof last its lifetime.  Don’t cut it short by neglecting it.

The average roof life can be extended if you have the right materials and it’s properly installed into your roof. You want to have something that’s durable and appealing. Asphalt shingles are possibly the best for energy efficiency, durability and curb appeal.

That’s the type of roof you get with Feldco. On top of that, we have factory trained installers that are ready to install asphalt shingles with the correct precision. Speak to a product specialist and get a free quote online today.