GAF

Five ways to determine the best shingle color for your home

11/01/2024

When building a new home or re-roofing your current home, choosing the shingle color for your roof can be a real challenge. You can’t just pick your favorite color, as it might not harmonize well with the color scheme of your home.

It is important for you to pick a proper roof color. Unfortunately, the process can be overwhelming since there are numerous colors and styles of roof shingle colors to choose from. This post will give you some important guidelines to keep in mind when choosing from all the colors of shingles for houses.

1. Neighborhood considerations

Choose a color that augurs well with your neighbor’s house as well as with your landscaping and the natural surroundings. That way, your home will not stand out for the wrong reasons. Note that this does not mean that you have to duplicate your neighbor’s roof (not unless it is the norm in the neighborhood).

Consequently, do not settle for a color that will clash with that of your neighbor’s roof. Just make sure that the end result is harmonious.

2. Think about the statement you want your home to make and the resale value

A bright roof color may be great as far as you are concerned, but for some people, it may be unappealing. Remember that curb appeal adds to your home’s value. This is why you need to ask yourself what color roof is best for resale. Therefore, if you plan on selling your home in the near future, think of neutral colors for your roofing since they are safe and will be in fashion for several years.

Some of the colors that are considered neutral include brown, tans, creams, grays, blacks, and clays. You can also opt for color combinations if you want to be fashionable. Examples of combinations that may play include a palette of different tones of brown or a combination of blacks, blues, and grays (contact a professional before you go this way).

3. Consider the climate

Did you know that the roof affects the temperature of your home? Well, the color of your roof can affect the temperature in the attic by about 20 to 40 degrees making a great difference in cooling or heating your home. It is, therefore, important to consider the climate of your area when selecting the color shingle of your roof.

A light-colored shingle reflects sunlight and may lower the attic temperature helping you save on cooling costs. A dark shingle, on the other hand, absorbs more heat and may help heat up the home in cold climates. A dark shingle also helps melt snow and ice from your roof. However, if you insist on going for a dark-colored shingle in a hot area, ensure you have adequate attic ventilation.

Bonus tip: Shingle color doesn’t always need to affect the temperature

As we already mentioned, picking a shingle color while having climate in mind is a great decision. This is definitely the right choice where you can’t go wrong. But let’s say that you don’t like any of the colors that are appropriate for the temperatures where you live. Or maybe you just want a bit different (but still harmonious) home than the ones in your neighborhood. 

In this case, go for the shingle colors that you like, but keep one thing in mind. That is attic insulation. Roofing technology has evolved greatly and it’s not stopping there. This is why we can have dark-colored shingles while living in hot areas or have light-colored ones while living in cooler areas. 

Of course, attic insulation is a standard, but in this case, it’s adapted to these special conditions. It is very important to choose a roofer with experience in this field. Not every roofer knows how to install this type of insulation. In conclusion, with a good roofer and proper insulation, you can choose whatever shingle color no matter where you live. But, if attic insulation isn’t your choice, stick with appropriate colors. 

4. Match your roof with exterior color

Whether your property is made from bricks, wood or any other building material, the color, texture, and style of your home matter a lot when determining the roof color. Therefore, strive to coordinate the roof colors with the colors of other elements of the property like shutters, wooden sidings, bricks or stucco.

For example, if your trim or siding is brown, cream or tan, you need to go for a shingle color that has at least an element of brown. Grey and blue homes go well with a black or dark gray shingle. Red, yellow and green homes provide room for an array of color choices; therefore, you can choose any shingle color.

Color coordination is an important consideration, especially for homeowners whose houses are made of bricks, stones or both. Unlike shutter colors and painted features that can be changed, bricks are a permanent feature that you need to complement. Wooden houses, on the other hand, are at an advantage since homeowners can just repaint the home in case they purchase roof colors that don’t match the exterior color.

Bonus tip: Combination tips on how to match roof shingles to house color

Altogether the exterior look of your home is important. The balance between your roof and the color of your house is a must. Not only does it affect the curb appeal and resale value of one’s home but it affects your mood as well. Colors have a psychological effect, and you are going to look at your shingle colors every day, especially from your backyard. This is why you need to choose the best shingle color for your home. There are some combination tips that you can use when choosing. 

The first combination tip that may come in handy is discreet versus bold color. In other words, one color you choose needs to be neutral and earthy, but the second one needs to provide a strong contrast. It’s worth mentioning that brick color exteriors go well with various shingle colors for roof and follow the discreet versus bold rule. Just be sure to pick light-colored shingles since the brick color is the bold one in this combination. 

The second combination tip is to go with warm and cool tones. These are great if you want to evoke certain feelings when you are, for example, spending time in your backyard. That is because warm tones like oranges, yellows, and reds are associated with joy and happiness. On the other hand, cooler tones like blues, greens, and purples have a calming effect. 

5. View the shingle in all types of light

When choosing a shingle, check the shingle samples in both light and shade. For instance, some asphalt roofing materials can reflect light and be considered too bright. A shingle may look dull even in sunlight making your house look more uninviting in cloudy weather.

Place the sample shingle in a sunny area and compare it to your home’s brick colors and siding colors. Wait and view the same sample area when it is slightly dark. This will give you a better feel of how the shingle will look once it is installed.

Wrapping up

Since every homeowner has a unique sense of style and taste, there is no set criteria for choosing an asphalt roofing shingle. In case you are in the process of building a new house or putting in a new roof for your current home, you can drive around your neighborhood as you compare the different shingle colors on houses that your neighbors have used.

Create a list of the ones that have piqued your interest. After you’ve come up with the list, you can view actual shingle samples before making a final decision. Ask your contractor to avail the samples in order to see how each color will interact with the other color components of your home. Also, keep in mind that the best time for roof replacement is just now since winter is a rush time for roofers. 

Roof replacement or a whole new roof is a big-budget project that you should not take lightly. Since you will be living with the roof for several years, it is a good idea to seek professional advice. Fortified Roofing, the best roofing contractor in Brick, NJ is committed to helping homeowners find the perfect roof shingles to suit their needs.  Contact us today (855-444-3678) to find out more about how our professional services can help you. We will be happy to show you some Fortified shingles and help you with a tough decision.