How To Choose The Right Roof Color For Your Home

Choosing just the right shade of shingle or metal roofing for your home may feel overwhelming. While there are some tried-and-true color combos out there, the truth is, a lot of it comes down to personal preference and determining what kind of feel and/or color palette most catches your eye. 

So, with that in mind, let’s review some ways to narrow down your options and land on a roof color that will help your exterior shine. 

 

Consider Your Budget 

First and foremost, it’s helpful to consider your budget for your new roof which will then help you best narrow down the type of roof and roofing material you’ll want to consider for your home. This will open up your color options and give you an idea of what’s available within your price point.

Before you make the decision to have a new roof installed, color and dollars aside, here’s a few other things you’ll want to keep in mind:

• The climate you live in
• Eco standards
• Home size

There are a lot of products on the market, but some most popular roofing types include: 

1. Cool Roof Solutions. A cool roof is designed to reflect more sunlight than a conventional roof, absorbing less solar energy. This can reduce energy bills, bolster inefficient or older AC units, and can qualify you for money-saving rebates. Cool Roof Solutions also tend to come in a wide range of colors, from ambers and greys, to deep browns and golden hues. 
2. Asphalt Shingle Roofing. With reflective granules, asphalt shingles can boost SRI ratings while keeping your budget in line. Some of the top asphalt shingle colors include pewter and charcoal grey as well as green and light blue. 
3. Tile Roofing. Research has shown that tile roofing can lower annual AC costs by as much as 20 percent, which is probably why this is a popular choice in SoCal. Beautiful and energy-saving? Yes please! However, tile roofing is typically more expensive than other options. General shingle colors range from beige and light brown (think desert tans and chestnuts) to light gray and off-white and darker hues as well (e.g. teak and sandalwood). 
4. Metal Roofing. Because metal roofing reflects light instead of absorbing it, it can help with energy-saving. Recyclable options also make it sustainable, however this option can land on the pricier side (but, most metal roofs have a lifespan of around ~80 years). You may think metal roofing may only come in shades of aluminum, but metal roofing often includes many other beautiful tones, including reds, greens, and blues. 

 

Create a Mood Board

Before you make any decisions it can be helpful to create a color palette to see what shades and hues you like together. Perhaps you like the stark contrast of a true black metal roof against a white house, or maybe you feel like an amber colored shingled roof would bring more warmth. Consider doing some research online or using visual catalogs (like Pinterest) to save inspiration or images of color combinations you like. Or, consider taking a walk around the neighborhood and seeing what works on homes that may be similar to yours. There’s nothing like doing some field research to get the creative juices following. 

 

Remember, there are no rules! But, in case you need some extra support, here are some general hues that work well together. 

 

For example: 

• White homes. If your house is white the world is your oyster when it comes to color. Most hues will work really well — you’ll just want to pay attention to contrast. 
• Grey homes. Gray homes are also pretty flexible in terms of color agreement.  Blues, reds, and green shingles can work, just make sure not to go too light to maintain some contrast.  
• Red homes. Blacks, dark grays and dark brown shingles tend to really pop on a red home, but you may want to avoid red or pink tones as well as green.  
• Brown homes. Consider playing with greys and blacks and constrasting browns. 
• Blue homes. For blue homes it’s pretty dependent on the type of blue, but you may want to consider light grey, off white, dark gray, black, or darker browns. In general blues, reds, and greens don’t work quite as well on a blue home. 

 

Talk to a Roofing Professional 

Torn between shingle roofing or tile roofing? Not sure if a cool roof solution or torch down system is right for you? Maybe you just feel stuck and aren’t sure what color, style, or material will work best for your home’s style and budget.  When hiring roofers (or any contractor) it’s important to choose professionals who can help guide and inform you about all the current products and make sure they’re the right fit for your home or business. Trust us — choosing the right company makes all the difference. 

 

About Christian Roofing

We offer full roofing consultation and estimate services. Call us today to request a free consultation. While we love roofing, we believe true excellence and service starts with a thorough consultation and inspection.  For our customers to truly be happy, we need to understand their goals, budget, insurance, and the status of their existing roof. We have all heard the saying fail to plan, plan to fail, and we believe this to be especially true in our line of work. Rest assured, our contractors will be with you from start to finish, ensuring you are completely satisfied.

 

While we live in the sunshine state, we recommend that you don’t wait until it’s too late — don’t let the next rainy day leak be the catalyst for your call! Contact us for a free estimate and we’ll schedule a roof replacement or repair!