Top 10 Tips to Choose a Roof Color You Won’t Regret

Have you ever looked at your roof and considered how much it adds to your overall curb appeal? You might not realize it but it’s something that your neighbors actually look at, so you have to make sure that it not only looks good but matches the look of your home.

If it doesn’t match your home then it can be unfortunate because your roof is something that you won’t be changing again for some time. No pressure, right?

If the idea of having to choose the right roof color is giving you a bit of anxiety, here are 10 tips that you can follow to make sure you get it right.

1. Look at Your Climate

The color of your shingles can actually stop your power bill from going through the roof. Roof color can actually affect the temperature of your attic by 20 to 40 degrees.

White or light colored shingles reflect sunlight and keep the temperature of your home down.

Dark color shingles absorb heat and will help houses in colder climates stay warm. If your area is prone to snow they also help melt snow and ice off your roof.

2. Coordinating the Color of Your House with Your Roof

The color of your roof should coordinate well with other elements of your home. This includes bricks, wooden siding, stone, or stucco.

Dark gray and black work well with a gray or blue house. If you have a brown, cream, or tan colored house then brown or a mix of cream and brown shingles will look fine.

If your house is yellow, green, or red then you get to have a little bit of flexibility with your choice. Brown, grey, and black will all look good.

3. Think About Curb Appeal

Curb appeal will actually add value to your home. Neutral colors are pretty safe and ensure resale value. Tans, creams, blacks, browns, grays, and clays are all colors that are neutral.

If you really want to be trendy try using use color combinations like palates of browns or a mixture of blues, grays, and blacks.

High-contrast colors highlight features of your home. Low-contrast colors tend to hide any defects.

4. Talk to an Expert

Your roof color is something that is going to be sticking around for a bit. You don’t really want to mess it up. If you’re worried your choice might be a bad one, grab color samples of the outside of your home.

If you take these color samples to an expert they will be able to sit down with you and give you their advice on what color you should go with for your roof. If you want the opinion of a contractor, visit this website.

5. Creating an Illusion

Do you want to make your home look larger or smaller? This might sound weird but it’s a legitimate question. Certain colors can actually create an illusion for your home.

Dark colors will make your house look much larger than it actually is, and lighter ones make them look smaller. If you want to make your house seem like it’s towering above the neighborhood, then go with a dark color.

6. Think of Your Neighbors

When deciding on a roof color, take a good look at your neighborhood. If you live in an area with a bunch of other houses then it might be nice if you try to match their roof colors.

You don’t want to make your house stand out against the rest of the neighborhood because not only will it clash, it will also drop the resale value down if you ever want to move out.

This being said, you don’t want to completely copy your neighbor either. It should be harmonious.

You should also check with your neighborhood association to see if there are any rules when it comes to roof colors.

7. Accentuate your Architecture

Certain colors look better on some architectural styles than others. For example, a Spanish style home might look great with traditional clay roof shingles but a traditional colonial may not.

You can drive around the neighborhood and look at houses with a similar color scheme and architectural style to see what they’re doing.

You don’t have to mimic them, but you can get a lot of good ideas.

8. Color Availability

You need to take this into consideration because a color or brand that you want might not be available in your area.

Consulting an expert before you get your heart set on a color might help you avoid being disappointed later. They can tell you which colors and brands are available in your area.

If you have already gotten your heart set on a color they can help you find an alternative that you will like.

9. Explore with Material Styles

Different material styles will create a different effect on your home. Let’s go over a few of them.

Clay is traditionally red or tan but in today’s world, you can get it in other colors. Make sure the clay has been fired in a kiln so the colors won’t fade over time.

Natural thin layers of slate can be expensive and though there is variety to them, colors can be limited.

Concrete tiles are pretty cool because they can be made to look like wood shakes, slate, or clay and it comes in plenty of colors.

Metal shingles are versatile like concrete and are energy efficient, fire resistant, and really strong.

10. View what the Color will Look Like

There are some companies that will let you view what your roof will look like virtually before you make a decision. Some companies will also bring samples to your home so you can compare them to the colors of the outside of your home.

We recommend taking advantage of this service. It’s a good way to make sure you will be happy with the look.

Don’t Regret Your Roof Color

Your roof color has a big impact on what your neighbors will think of your home. You should consider everything like material, your architecture, and what the houses surrounding you look like.

Your roof is something you will be living with for a while and if it looks good can also add resale value to your home.

For more home decor tricks and tips visit the home improvement section of our blog.