Your Home- a Work of Art
Have you ever stopped to consider how history’s greatest artists chose their color palette?
Vincent Van Gogh relied heavily on yellows and oranges in his artwork, and utilized a regular color theme in his works.
Claude Monet never used the color black in his paintings. This was common with many of the impressionists, as they believed that a change in hue was richer than a change in shade.
Frida Kahlo painted in bright and vivid colors. She associated an emotion and sensation to each color. Blue is the color of tenderness, and yellow of madness and mystery.
You may never pick up a canvas and a paintbrush, but where you live? It’s a work of art! We call it “curb appeal”, but the end result is the same: every step of the process is charted out and planned in order to create a beautiful masterpiece you live in and love every day.
That’s a pretty romantic thought, isn’t it? And maybe NOT what you were expecting when you decided to read this article on choosing your new roof’s color. Yet there’s a reason so many of our clients struggle with making the commitment to a new roof.
Why?
Hint: It isn’t because they don’t think they need a roof to protect their investment.
It’s because choosing the right color isn’t easy!
I want to make it easier for you by giving you a little industry insight to help out. Today we’ll be covering the most important factors to consider when choosing a color for your asphalt shingle roof.
Ready to get started on your pièce de résistance? Read on!
How To Choose The Best Color Roof for Your Climate
You’ve heard it before:
Location, location, location.
It’s true in property value, livability, and in choosing the right color for your new roof!
Believe it or not, your roof’s location plays a pivotal role in choosing the right color for your home. Why?
Different colored roofs are better for different climates. And although it’s crazy to think that something as small as a roof’s color can affect your home, it’s true!
When discussing attic ventilation, we talked about the dangers of a hot attic for your roof. In most cases, an unventilated attic damages your roof- even causing the shingles to melt.
In the same way that your attic temperature can hurt your roof, your roof temperature can affect your attic.
The darker the roof, the hotter the attic.
Because light reflects heat, lighter roofs are able to deflect light away from your home. On the opposite spectrum, darker colors absorb heat, leading to warmer attic temperatures.
According to the Department of Energy, attic temperatures in the summer can vary by 50 degrees when installing a darker roof.
And while this might sound like a cautionary tale against dark colored roofs, that’s not the case! We love the look of a dark colored roof, and choosing a dark color isn’t necessarily a bad thing for your home.
The key is to plan the right color based on your location and climate.
In climates with freezing winters, a dark colored roof is your best friend. Colder areas experience different types of roof damage than warmer. Instead of melting shingles, homeowners have to watch out for ice dams.
Here in Schuylkill County, the most popular roof color is dark grey. Our harsh Pennsylvania winters are a bigger cause for concern than our humid summers, so a dark grey is a good choice for our area of the USA. When the right color is paired with proper attic ventilation and durable materials, you’re promised a roof designed to last for years to come.
Historic Roof Colors vs The Modern Roof Selection
When asphalt shingles first became popular they were only offered in greys and dark tones.
Now, there’s hundreds of different colors to choose from!
But when it comes to roofing on an older home, limiting your options might help narrow down your decision.
Materials have changed to fit every style of home, regardless of age. But in an area where we have so many beautiful historic homes? You can’t go wrong with a classic.
Take this historic home, for example:
The dark grey roof compliments the lighter siding. The two pair together to create excellent curb appeal and offer a historic look without compromising quality.
Or look at the roof on this Queen Anne style home:
The grey roof doesn’t take away from the original design. Instead, it allows the architectural design of the porch and tower to take center stage, complimenting the beautiful brick facade.
What if you have a modern home? You’re in luck! Don’t be afraid to branch out, there are so many gorgeous colors to choose from.
Aged cooper was named as the roofing color of the year for 2021, and we’re in love with it!
The warm color creates a cottage-like appearance and pairs beautifully with nearly any facade.
The Rule of Three in Home Exterior Design
While we’re on the subject of siding, pro tip: match your roof to your existing exterior. Home designers recommend choosing three colors for your home’s exterior. It’s important to choose colors that complement and work well with each other.
When talking about choosing vinyl siding colors in the past, we looked at the color wheel. Let’s have a quick refresher on how that works.
Using the Color Wheel
The color of your siding is arguably the most important thing to consider when choosing a color for your new roof.
When it comes to choosing a color, there are two themes to follow:
- Complementary
- Analogous
First, let’s look at complementary colors.
Complimentary colors are two colors on opposite sides of the color wheel. Complementary colors contrast each other, but work well despite that.
Let’s look at teal, for example. A complementary color to that is a burnt red. Here’s what that looks like on a house:
But complementary colors aren’t the only way to go. Analogous colors are another great style option.
Analogous are colors right next to each other on the color wheel.
Let’s use the same teal as before, but now paired with an analogous color, like dark blue.
Although both houses use the same teal color, the difference between the complementary and analogous color is amazing!
And this same rule applies to every siding and roof choice, not just bright colors. Take this home for example:
The analogous cream color matched with grey overtones blend perfectly together. There’s no contrast, but the house still has character and great curb appeal.
And look at this home with complementary colors:
The brown and purple are a stellar pairing. The light brown offers a cool backdrop, and the dark purple serves as a subtle color pop.
This professional design calculator lets you create different color palettes. If you’re curious about what colors are the best complementary and analogous choice, this resource is perfect for you.
Try Our Our Visualization Software
Still not sure the best color for your roof? Have a Pinterest board full of designs, and can’t narrow down the right one?
You don’t have to go it alone!
Here at Martin Carpentry, we love helping homeowners with roof installations and we’re there for every step of the process.
We utilize GAF’s visualization software and our in-house design experts to help you “see” your color options before we order materials for your project.
Want to talk more about the perfect color for your roof? Ready to replace that old asphalt shingle roof and give your home a masterpiece makeover in the process? Let us handle the art of your next project!
Give us a call at 570-345-0406, and get started on your dream home!
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