Choosing Your Roof Color - Three Things to Consider
Your roof can account for up to 40% of your curb appeal! Sounds crazy, but it’s true. The appearance of your roof matters. Whether you’re reroofing your home or upgrading your commercial building, the decisions about your color and materials shouldn’t be taken lightly. Below are three simple questions to get you started.
What color is best for me?
The best color for your home or business will depend on a variety of factors.
Environment: If your home is in a coastal or forested area, a darker roof will probably blend best with the surroundings while a lighter color might look out of place. Similarly, a light color is great in desert areas but a dark roof will look heavy and stick out.
Tone: Stay in the same color tone as your home and landscape. We’re not talking about matching the color, we’re talking about cool vs warm. Cool colors have a blue grey undertone while warm colors have a red/brown undertone. Even if you have a white home, that white is going to either be a cool white or a warm white. Also consider the surrounding trees! If your yard has lots of blue spruce, digger pines, or dusty blue oaks, a cool colored slate grey or dark charcoal roof would complement the landscape beautifully. However if you have lots of bright green leafy trees, you’ll want to choose a warmer natural color. Make sure you know what undertone your home (and trees) lean towards so your roof is complementary.
Our best advice is to look at colors online. It’s hard to envision the overall color of a roof from a smaller swatch. Look at photos of that roof color fully installed on other roofs. Take swatches home and look at them next to your wall color. Don’t put the swatch vertically against the wall. It will never be in that position and the color won’t look correct. Orient the swatch perpendicular to the wall color to see what it looks like when it catches light. Look at it throughout the day. The color will change as the light moves. If you’re considering shingles, Malarkey Roofing has a helpful online roof designing tool.
Do I need a Title 24 compliant roof?
All residential reroofs (in climate zones 10 through 15) where 50% or more of the existing roof surface is being replaced need to be Title 24 compliant. You are exempt from Title 24 compliancy if your home complies with one of the following:
Air space of 1 inch provided between the top of the roof deck and the bottom of the roofing product
The installed roofing product has a profile ratio of rise to width of 1 to 5 or 50 percent greater than the width of the roofing product
Existing ducts in the attic are insulated and sealed
Buildings with at least R-38 ceiling insulation
Buildings with an attic radiant barrier
Building with no ducts in the attic
Harbert Roofing offers a wide range of cool roofs that are Title 24 compliant. Read more about cool roofs and give us a call to schedule a consultation.
How do I start?
Great question! Our experienced technicians can help you choose the right option, but it’s always good to have an idea about what you’re looking for. Think about what color would look best. For shingles, try this online color selector. For metal, browse colors here.
When you’re ready to get started, give us a ring!