What Color Of Roof Shingles Is Best

Slate Tile Roofing Shingles

Slate roofing shingles are a stone roofing material that is installed as a shingle. Slate shingles are thin but very heavy when the whole roof is made out of them. Slate has a natural beauty to it that many people appreciate, but the shingles do not really vary in color or looks. Slate roofing shingles cost on average $8 to $14 per square foot or $800 to $1,400 per square to install. Slate tiles are more difficult to install but when done properly they will give you one of the longest-lasting roof options available. Slate shingles come with an expensive price tag, but that does not mean that slate is not a great roof type option if you can afford it. Many people decide slate roofs are worth the cost to install since they will last more than a lifetime from 60 to 150 years.

How Architecture Affects Your Roofing Options

Certain types of materials and colors work better on different types of homes.

For instance, wooden shingles might look awkward on more modern homes, while a metal roof might be out of place on a classic Georgian, Queen Anne, Plantation, Colonial, or Victorian style home.

Brick homes or stone veneer homes tend to be better served by more classic looks, but stucco or frame homes might offer more room for experimentation in terms of roofing materials and roofing shingle colors.

Look at common choices for similar properties and typical colors and materials in your neighborhood for ideas.

Are there certain houses in your area that you love and are they similar to your own property? Take note of the types and materials that their roofs are made of and if the houses are similar to yours and consider using similar colors and materials.

The color of your roof shingles should be a secondary selection after you pick out the material.

You may be replacing your roof with a similar type of material as the previous one, or perhaps you are upgrading or making a stylistic change to your home or both.

Let your climate and the rest of your homes exterior elements guide you as well as the advice you get from your roofing contractors or architects and go from there in regard to the color of your roofing.

How Roof Color Reflects Or Absorbs Heat

Roof color affects your homes internal temperature. In general, lighter-colored roofs reflect away heat rays from the sun, but dark-colored roofs absorb much of that heat and transfer it into the rooms below.

Or course, color isnt the only aspect of your roof that affects home temperature. The roofing material also affects how reflective your roof is. For example, asphalt shingles are less reflective than metal or light color PVC membrane materials . This quality means even tan asphalt shingles may welcome more heat into your home than a dark brown metal roof.

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Color Compatibility: Warm Or Cool

Amy Wax is a nationally known color consultant based in Montclair, New Jersey. Says Wax, “Choosing a roof shingle is not nearly as complicated as it seems, but it is a long-term commitment. So, I think people have to do a little homework and consider the implications of the roof color they choose.”

“Generally, if I’m choosing a roof color, I start with, ‘Is the color of the home in the cool family or the warm family? The colors should complement each other,” says Wax. If you have a house that has a lot of brick, warm-colored stone elements, or is painted in taupes or beiges, I would choose a roof that is predominantly on the brown side. But if your home is painted in cooler blue or green or gray tones, I would recommend choosing a roof that is also on the cool side, meaning more gray or black than brown.”

With careful selection, it’s possible to get the best of both worlds, says Wax. “The most flexible is a roof color that has both warm flecks and cool flecks in the coloring. So, it has a little bit of warm, some speckles of cool, and the shingles themselves are gradated so that you have the benefit of both warm colors and cool colors. Then you can change your house color at any time and it won’t matter.”

The earth tones of these GAF Timberline® HDZ shingles in Shakewood complement the limestone brick façade of this Tudor-inspired home in Texas. Photo: Courtesy of GAF

Roof Shingle Color Advice For Northern Climates Compared With Hot High

Question: what is the best color for a roof?

What is the best color for a building roof? In Iowa a well-insulated roof has snow on it for most of the winter, so using dark shingles to absorb solar energy won’t work.

In the summer a light colored roof will stay cooler.

So in our hot Iowa summers, when we have to air-condition, is it not better to use light-colored roofs, despite the trend toward dark roofs? — Victor Gibson, Waterloo IA

Answer: Roof Color for Iowa-like Climates

Our photo shows heavy snow-cover on an asphalt shingle roof in Rhinebeck, NY.

In the absence of specific research on the subject, we polled several roofing experts.

They agreed that roof color alone has a minor effect on the overall energy balance of a well-insulated house in your area , winter or summer.

The attic insulation level and under-roof ventilation rate are the most important factors. So for a house in your climate, choose whatever color strikes your fancy.

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What Color House Goes With Green Shingles

Best Exterior Paint Colors for a Green Roof

• White- Crisp and clean and somewhat preppy, white houses paired with a metal green roof work in most neighborhoods.
• Yellow-
• Taupe-
• Stone- For the little cottages and cabins nestled in the woods or the mountains, a metal green roof feels right at home.

Additionally, what is the best color for roof shingles? For 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 match better with brown shingles or a mix of cream and brown.

People also ask, how do you match a shingle color?

According to industry research, one of the greatest challenges many homeowners face is how to match shingle colors that complement their home. 17 Facts and Tips on How to Pick Shingle Colors to Complement Your Home.

What color shingles last the longest?

Light shingle colors have been shown to lower attic temperatures, but whether this means light shingles will last longer than dark shingles is more problematic.

Mistake #1 When Choosing A Roof Shingle Color

You dont research the shingle colors on the homes in your neighborhood!

This is one of the first things you should do when you need to pick a shingle color! See what color your neighbors have and how their shingle colors interact with their siding and brick colors.

Do any colors stand out that you love? Write them down!

Go for a walk around your neighborhood, and a drive around a wider area, to find a house that may have similar brick and siding as yours. What shingle color did they use? Do you love it? Dislike it? Make notes on your observations.

Need help decorating or help picking paint colors? I offer online design services and paint color advice! See the info, my designs & client reviews here!

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Reader Comment: Roof Color Vs Energy Savings Study In Canada & The Usda Shingle Color

JD Leatham said:The Canadian Steel Building Institute looked directly at roof color in relation to energy savings in 4 Canadian cities . Their findings revealed thata 55% Al/Zn coated steel roofing provided the best energy savings irrespective of climate.

The high reflectivity reduced cooling costs in the summer months and the low emissivity allowed the roof to retain heat in winter lowering heating costs.

Reply:

Thanks JD.

Similarly, a U.S.D.A. study found that for most locations tested, roof sheathing temperature below black roof shingles were 10-15 degF. higher than the same sheathing material under white shingles on a sunny day. One might think that benefits solar gain in a heating climate – at least when the roof is not snow-covered. But the same study found that the black roofs also loste heat faster than the white roofs, more or less evening the score – at least when measuring sheathing temperature changes.

Overall the U.S.D.A. study found that roof color, at least for asphalt shingle roofs, is the dominating factor in determining the peak or highest roof temperature during sunlight hours.

Most roofing experts seem to agree that

Lighter coloured roofs gain less heat in sunny weather

Darker coloured roofs gain more heat in sunny weather and may help speed snow-melt in snow-climates

If your home is in a climate where heating costs are about equal to cooling costs for your building, then a neutral or gray coloured roof may be the best Choice – Ed.

How To Pick A Colored Roof Shingle

• Paint Schemes for Building Exteriors

When shingling a roof, you must carefully consider the colors that you want to use. The color of your shingles not only has an aesthetic impact, but it also can have a practical impact. For example, the color of your shingles can affect the temperature and energy efficiency of your home.

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The Best Roof Shingle Colors For Your Home

For the sake of consistency, we will use the common asphalt shingle as the roofing shingle material. To bring a more dynamic look to your home, using a darker colored shingle can make a huge difference and bring beautiful contrast. Some colors that are not simple gray include light greens and blues and neutrals like beige or off-white. Also, shingles with alternating and blended colors are huge as they give more dimension and texture to your roof.

The top trending roof shingle colors for 2021 include:

• Light and soft greens
• Light and pale blues
• Beige and off-white
• Taupe and light brown hues

Top House And Roof Color Combinations

Have you ever driven by a house with curb appeal that really catches your attention?

The lawn is well-maintained, the siding on the house looks freshly painted and the color of the roof compliments the paint color and the style of the house. Perfection! How are some tips for how you can pull that look together for your home.

When the time comes to replace or paint your siding or to replace your roof, its important to coordinate the colors of the exterior of your house.

While many colors look good together, there are some combinations that can hurt your homes curb appeal, while other combinations may increase it dramatically.

Knowing the basics of coordinating your new roof and siding colors can help you make sure that your homes curb appeal, and value, will actually increase.

If you are ready to install a new roof, contact your local roofing pros for a FREE ESTIMATE!

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How Climate Affects Your Roofing Choices

Theres a reason why certain materials and styles are popular in different areas.

After all, darker colors absorb heat and lighter colors reflect it, so the climate in your area matters when you are choosing what color shingles and type of roofing material that you plan to use.

Of course, lighter colors reflect the light keeping things cooler while darker colors absorb the light and keep warmth in.

And this is key in areas with colder winters like the Midwest.

You might love the look of a white roof, but a darker shade might be more energy efficient if you live in an area that gets seriously cold winters.

Its also useful to understand the natural sunlight in different areas and how that might affect the appearance of your roof.

The natural light in somewhere like Illinois or Wisconsin is very different than it is somewhere like Arizona or southern California, so keep your location in mind not only in regard to climate, but as to how the natural light will be cast and reflect on your roof and the overall colors of your home.

The local vegetation and what type of landscaping you have around your home also matter.

If you have a lot of deep green trees and bushes or other lush foliage, some colors will have a very different effect than if you are in the desert or in a tropical environment with palm trees and similar shrubbery.

This will affect your shingle color choice of course, as well as the type of roofing material that you choose.

How To Match A New Siding Color To Your Homes Current Roof

Creating a new color palette for your homes exterior is exciting, but can also feel overwhelming. With so many options for roof and siding color combinations, it helps to get advice from the experts.

James Hardie, one of the major siding manufacturers, offers an Exterior House Color Visualizer which allows you to experiment with house and roof color combinations that have been curated by color experts.

You can choose from a variety of color options from the James Hardie line of ColorPlus Technology siding and trim and then use their visualizer tool to interactively pair the siding with the most popular roof colors. You can play around with different combinations on various home styles until you find the one you like best for your home.

If you are planning to keep your homes existing roofing and just change the siding, there is a good rule of thumb for matching siding color to your homes roof: pair a warm color with another warm color, or a cool color with another cool color.

For example, if your home has a warm-colored roof in a shade such as brick red or rusty tan, pick siding in a similarly warm shade such as tan, beige or brown. For a roof with shingles in a cool color like black or slate gray, select a cool color of siding such as blue, gray or green.

James Hardies ColorPlus palette can help you find the right siding color to match a roof in either a warm or cool shade.

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Gaf Virtual Home Remodeler

In addition to all of the stellar products, one of the reasons that Mid-Shore Exteriors partners with GAF is because of the numerous extras they provide to potential customers.

One of the best ways to find the perfect shingle color for your home is to use the GAF virtual home remodeler. This design software allows you to upload a picture of your current house and outfit it with all of the GAF shingle color possibilities.

Dark Vs Light Shingles Which Are Better For You

When building a roof or when youre revamping it, every decision you make will have big ramifications. One of the several roofing decisions you will have to make is whether to use dark or light shingles? Thats because the roof will stay there for a very long time, and how you make it will influence how safe your house is, how energy efficient it ends up being, and so much more.

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Modern Roof Colors For Shingles

Gone are the days of drab, gray shingles. Today, manufacturers are giving consumers more choices than they ever had before. However, the dilemma has always been this: asphalt shingles are economical and reliable, but they never really offer aesthetic appeal.

The good news is that asphalt shingles are still economical and reliable. The even better news is that they now come in a wide variety of colors and styles. So today, homeowners realize that their asphalt shingling can contribute to the curbside appeal of their homes.

Does The Color Of My Roof Matter

• POST THIS!

When youre building a home, renovating a home youve recently purchased, or just upgrading your older home, your roof is an important investment. If youre planning to put on a new roof, you already know that there are a lot of considerations to make, from which shingles youll choose to finding the right contractor to deciding when is the best time to have the project completed. But is the color of your roof really something you need to think about, too? Heres what you need to know about the importance of your roofs color:

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Find Brick Exteriors In Your Neighborhood

Explore your neighborhood on foot and take note of what shingle colors your neighbors have used. Remember that shingle brands carry different colors and shingle styles. It might be helpful to ask your neighbors what shingles they went with including the shingle colors. If your neighbors refer you to an installer, know that some roofers offervouchers for customer referrals.

Match Shingle Colors with a Roofing Estimator

It is expected that your roofing estimator provides you with shingle samples to help you make a final decision. Hold shingle samples up against your brick exterior to see how the two materials complement each other. Keep in mind that natural sunlight changes the appearance of color depending on the weather and the time of day.

How To Pick A Roof Shingle Color

Your roof shingle color should cohesively blend with your homes exterior coloring, as well as the natural landscape that surrounds it.

For instance, green shingles will look out of place in a desert landscape and light brown shingles might look odd surrounded by lush pine trees.

When determining the perfect color for your shingles, you should consider your homes:

• Architectural style
• Natural surroundings

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