Considerations When Choosing Shingle Color
Choosing shingle color is an important element in the overall appearance of your home. Choosing the right shingle color will help ensure that you make a choice that will suit your home's look as well as work in the climate where you live. It can also depend upon the architectural style of your home and upon many other factors ranging from energy efficiency to keeping your next door neighbor happy. Hopefully, your roof will last a long time so you don't want make the mistake of choosing the wrong shingle color.
Here is a list of things to consider when choosing shingle color:
- Consider your climate. Shingle color can play a role in making your house more energy-efficient. Your roof color can affect the temperature in your attic by 20-40 degrees. Light shingles reflect sunlight and keep your home cooler, while dark shingles absorb heat and help melt snow and ice from your roof.
- When choosing shingle color, keep brick and stone accents in mind. Paint and trim can always be changed, but bricks and stone are permanent. Compare colors to the permanent items first.
- Don’t match the color of the brick or stone when choosing shingle color. It looks bleak and lifeless and makes the features of your home blend together. Instead, try to complementary colors instead of matching them exactly.
- If your home has a lot of accents (brick, stone, architectural details, etc.) try choosing a shingle color that is more muted. Too many competing accents will be visually overwhelming. If your home has a very bland exterior, choosing a shingle color that is vivid might add substantial curb appeal
- After considering the permanent accents of your home, you want to make sure that the shingle color does not clash with the paint color you have, or that you are considering. Some color combinations that work well:
- Dark gray or black with a gray or blue house
- Brown or a mix of cream and brown with a brown, cream or tan house
- Dark gray on a white house
- Brown, gray or black for red, green or yellow houses
- When choosing shingle color, make sure to look at your shingle samples in both the sun and the shade. Put the sample in spots where the brick meets the trim and siding. You don’t want to be surprised when the sun shines bright on your roof!
- Consider resale value of your home, and your neighbors’ homes. When choosing a shingle color, remember that your home needs to complement its surroundings. You might love a bright green roof, but if you are planning on selling your home in the next 30 years, you should consider choosing a shingle color that is more neutral.
- Also, if you live in a community that has a homeowner’s association, be sure to get any shingle colors approved before proceeding with the plan. Even if you don’t have to follow association guidelines, be considerate of how your roof will look next door to your neighbor’s house. When choosing a shingle color, be sure that the end result is complementary.
- Accentual the style of your home. A Spanish-style home might look beautiful with a reddish shingle to mimic traditional clay tiles. A plain ranch home might look better with vibrant colors, where a traditional colonial home would not. Drive around neighborhoods and take pictures of homes that look like yours to get an idea of what might look best on your home…and what you don’t want to imitate.
- When choosing a shingle color, think about the statement you want your home to make, and how long you are willing to commit to that statement. Neutral colors are safe and will stay in style for the long haul. They help ensure a good resale value. If you want to make a statement with bolder colors, consider a color combination of various tones of a single color. If you have a less than shapely roof, dark colors will minimize defects. A roof with lots of interesting peaks would be highlighted with a lighter roof. Also, choosing a shingle color that is dark will tend to make your house look smaller, while lighter colors do the reverse.
- Be sure and consult with professionals before choosing a shingle color. Be sure to take samples of all the permanent colors in your home’s exterior to your roofer/contractor. Take time to speak to an expert about the best shingle color for your roof.
The professionals at RSG Construction are trained to help you make an informed decision so you can feel confident when choosing shingle color. Call us today at at 816.866.4235 for your complimentary consultation.
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