One of the first things people notice about your home is the roof. Having a beautiful roof can add to curb appeal, and thus increase the resale value of your home. This isn’t the only reason that your roof’s color matters though.
There is also a practical side to choosing the right shingle colors for your home. Before you choose the right color, however, you need to choose the shingles and the right company to install them.
Let’s look at all three of these things, starting with how to choose the best roofing shingles for your home.
Which Shingles Should You Choose?
Getting new shingles is a significant investment, but there are two things to remember. First, it’s not as expensive as most people think. While it’s certainly not cheap, repair costs from a bad roof leak or collapse are much more expensive. Picking shingles that are durable and in your price range are both important factors to take into account.
Second, shingled roofs have one of the most dramatic impacts on the value of your home. Your roof, in general, is one of the most important improvements for your home since it both protects your family and makes up such a large area. It’s one of the first things potential buyers will see when looking at a home.
How do you know which shingles to use for your roof? Let’s look at some common types of shingles.
Standard Shingles
We know that standard seems like a dirty word, but we’re referring to the 3-tab asphalt shingle that most people picture when thinking of a shingled roof. This type of shingle is the cheapest of your options. Of course, you’ll sacrifice some durability and longevity by choosing the least expensive option, but having a professional team install these shingles will help with that.
The key to living with standard shingles is maintenance. While we may not have to worry about hurricanes in Idaho, there are still heavy winds and snow. Don’t let snow sit on your roof (a good practice no matter what type of roof you have) and schedule regular roof inspections. These two steps will increase the lifespan of your roof.
Wood Shakes
Wood shakes come from logs that receive treatment so that homeowners can use them as shingles. Shakes add a beautiful look to any home because they bring a natural wood appearance to your roof. It’s a way to bring a mountain cabin or beach side shack look to your home no matter where you are.
This is also an environmentally friendly option. They’re renewably sourced and it’s easier to responsibly dispose of these tiles. They cost a little more than standard shingles, but they’re also more durable.
Dimensional, Laminate, and Composite Shingles
These shingles all fall under the roof of architectural shingles. Homeowners like these shingles because of their durability. Factors, like weather conditions, will determine how long any roof will last but this type usually lasts up to twice as long as standard shingles. Composition shingle is the most popular choice in America for pitched roofs.
Synthetic Shingles
These shingles are the most expensive out of the options listed, but that higher price comes with some amazing benefits. First, they last longer than any other type of shingle. They also don’t require much in the way of maintenance.
These are shingles that you can have installed and not worry about. Even though they cost more than other shingles, they give the best return on investment. They can also mimic the appearance of several types of shingles, including wood. You can do almost anything with them.
How To Choose A Shingle Color
If you want to set your home apart from your neighbors and improve your curb appeal, colored shingles are a great option. It’s a cost-effective way to improve your home and give it a new appearance. Since your roof may take up 40% of what people see when looking at your home, any change will have a dramatic effect.
How can you choose the right color for your home? Let’s look at some tips to help you decide.
Location, Location, Location
The number one rule of real estate is also the first thing you should consider when choosing the color for your shingles. Make your decision based on location.
If you live in Florida, you probably want to keep your shingles as light as possible. Light shingles will help keep your home cool. With that said, light in the south has a redder, warmer character, so it could make light greys appear washed-out. This is why light brown and light red tiles are a popular choice in the South and Southwest.
If you live here in Idaho, you know that light tends to have a cooler character. We also have a unique environment around us, with the mountains to the North and green trees all around. If your home is closer to the mountains and people see them in the background when they pull up to your home, choosing a color that blends in with them is best. You should always choose a color that works well with the surrounding natural features. Since the summers are mild, heat shouldn’t play a major role in which color you choose. Darker colors may work best in the Winter to help trap some of the heat in your home.
What Type of Home Do You Own?
Another factor that will have a major impact on the color of your shingle is your home’s siding. There are a few things to consider when matching your roof to the siding of your home.
If you have a brick home and the bricks are a uniform reddish color, dark greys, black, and brown work well. They’ll add a striking contrast without clashing with the color of your home. This type of color scheme works particularly well if you have brick fireplaces or white window ports.
For lighter colored bricks, we’ve seen homes use brown, grey, green, black, and blue. Solid colors work well, but for a bold statement, you can also use shingles that blend two colors together. Remember to think about the surroundings around your home too. If your home is in a forested area, green toned colors would fit in nicely with the aesthetic of your surroundings.
If you have wooden or log siding, earthy colors work best. Think browns, blacks, greys, and greens. The color you choose will depend on the setting of your home. A wood home in the woods would call for green or brown, whereas if your home is in the suburbs, a light grey or black might work better.
Shake shingles or a synthetic shingle that resembles shakes would look nice in the mountains by a lake.
For light-colored stone or vinyl siding, such as white, you can pretty much choose whatever color you want. However, if you have brown or black gutters, choosing matching colors or a color that features this color looks great. You won’t have to worry about the color of your home competing with your roof. Reds and darker colors will give you more of a dramatic look, while lighter greys, greens, and browns will give your home a subtle look that will blend in with the surrounding environment.
Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact
Many new homeowners want their homes to have the least environmental impact possible. Reducing the carbon footprint of your home is good for both the environment and your pocket.
Darker colors absorb more heat from the sun, which will help keep your home warmer during the winter. You could also go with a lighter color for your shingles to help keep your home cooler during the summer. Some tiles have reflective granules to reflect radiation from the sun away from your roof, which will keep your home cooler. These tiles come in several colors, giving homeowners options that they didn’t have ten years ago.
Energy Star certified shingles will lower your monthly utility bills and have the durability that homeowners look for. Some companies are also looking at the possibility of shingles that serve as mini-batteries for your home using solar power. Elon Musk is currently looking into this technology and believes he can make the tiles both durable and visually appealing.
As you decide on a color for your tiles, it’s important to know that if you choose an environmentally friendly option, this could limit your color choices in some areas. It’s easier to find different colors in bigger cities like Boise or Nampa than it is in Challis.
Does Your Neighborhood Allow Different Shingle Colors?
If you live in a subdivision, you may have limitations placed on what colors you can choose for your roof. Certain neighborhoods have restrictions in place to protect the property value of everyone.
While most Homeowners Association rules apply to bold colors (like bright green, orange, or other non-traditional color choices), sometimes the rules are very particular. In some neighborhoods, they want every roof to look the same. In others, they’ll allow certain shades of grey or black.
Make sure you check with your HOA and other neighborhood groups before getting any work done on your roof.
Check Local Codes And Regulations
Before getting your roof redone, you should check state and local regulations to make sure your property stays up to code. There are some places in the U.S. that require cool roofs, even for renovations. While Idaho isn’t as regulation heavy as California or New York, there are still rules in place.
Not only do you need to check state regulations, but you need to check local rules as well. Different cities have different requirements when building a new roof or renovating an existing one.
It’s important to work with a professional licensed contractor when doing work on your roof. They’ll know all the regulations and make sure that your home or business is in compliance, so you don’t have to worry about it.
Architectural Style
One of the most important things to consider is the architectural style of your home. You want your roof to compliment your home, but you don’t want everything to be the same color, as it could make potential buyers think it’s bland. You want your roof to be an extension of your home’s personality.
When we talk about a home’s personality, the style of the home plays a major role in this. A Victorian home has a different personality from a home with a modern design. As such, the roofing style and colors that you choose will also be different.
For older homes with a historical feel, it’s normally best to go with traditional colors. Depending on the color of your home, using dark regal colors will give it a stately feel that gives visitors a sense of the history of the home.
For newer homes, you have more flexibility in how you design your roof. You could use bolder colors, non-traditional colors, and even different designs on your roof. You can also do this with an older home as well (more on that in a minute), but for now, we’re focused on what people traditionally do when choosing shingle colors.
Do You Plan On Selling Your Home At Some Point?
If you plan on staying in your home for a long time, you can pretty much do whatever you want. Your decision won’t have as much of a financial impact. If you plan on selling your home, you’ll need to put some extra thought into the color of your roof.
Remember, up to 40% of what someone sees when they look at your home is the roof. If you want to sell, you need to make it appealing to everyone. There are a few ways you can do this.
First, following the color scheme advice from the section above helps.
- Red brick home – dark greys, black, and brown
- Lighter colored brick home – brown, grey, green, black
- Wooden or log siding – earthy colors. Brown, black, grey, green
- Light-colored stone or vinyl – red and dark colors for a dramatic look, lighter greens, greys, and browns for blending in
With that said, there are some things to consider. First, if you have a smaller home, especially in a neighborhood with larger homes, you want your home to appear larger than it is. One way to accomplish that is by blending the colors on the side of your home with the color of your roof.
If your siding is light brown, make your roof shingles light brown. If your home is red, make your roof red. This color scheme makes your home look larger on the outside and could help generate interest in your listing.
You should also talk to your real estate agent. They’ll know what others who have sold homes did to get offers. They also tend to know what buyers look for in certain towns and neighborhoods.
The same goes for a professional roofing company. They can give you insight into what others like. They can also show you examples of different color schemes so that you can get an idea of what the end result will look like.
In essence, you’re going for the popular look instead of worrying about what you like. If you’re selling your home, you want to unload it fast, so playing the odds and choosing popular designs is your best bet.
Your Personality
We’ve talked a lot about what looks good, what other people, like, etc, but at the end of the day the most important thing to consider when choosing roof shingle colors is what you want.
It’s your home. You’ve paid for it, you live and raise your family there. Why not do what you want? You should always consider your own personality above and beyond all else when deciding what color to make your shingles.
As mentioned earlier, if you have a Victorian or older home, darker colors will give it a regal and stately look. However, there’s nothing stopping you from going with a blue roof, red roof, orange roof, or any other color you choose!
The final decision should be the one that makes you and your family happy. You can be as bold as you want and really let your personality show through.
How To Choose A Professional Roofing Company
Anytime you change something about your roof, you should only work with professionals. A problem that affects your roof will impact your entire household and put the people living there at risk. Here are some things to consider when hiring a residential roofer.
Do They Have The Proper Certifications, Licensing, And Insurance?
The first thing you should do is make sure that the roofer you hire is fully licensed, bonded, and insured. If the person is a freelance contractor, they should have proof of registration with the Idaho Contractors Board.
Working with registered contractors protects you and your money. If you pay someone upfront for supplies and/or labor, you want to make sure that the person won’t take your money and run. When registering or getting their license, the state confirms that the person or business is legitimate and not a fly by night operation.
You should also ask to see proof of insurance. If there are any problems with the work done to your home, insurance will help you recoup your money and get the problem fixed. Also, if you hire a contractor that becomes injured on your property, you could be held liable for damages. Insurance is also a way to make sure that the company you’re working with has a license to operate, as insurance is one of the requirements for licensing. You can search Idaho’s database of licensed businesses to make sure that the company or person you’re using is a legitimate business.
Here at Point Roofing & Restoration, we’re fully licensed, bonded, and insured. We work safely and protect our clients from any potential problems. When you hire us, you can rest assured that you’re getting quality work at a fair and honest price.
We’re also IIRC and Haag inspection certified. We’re preferred partners with Owens Corning and Shield Pro Plus. We’re contractors that you can trust with your home.
Do They Guarantee Their Work?
Before any work takes place, make sure that the business has a warranty on their work. This will protect you in case something gets missed or there’s an accident.
Our mission is to go above and beyond when working on your home. We warranty our work ten times longer than the industry standard. We’ll always stand by our work, and if something happens, we’ll make it right, guaranteed!
Will They Work With Your Insurance Company?
If you need roofing repairs due to storm damage, will they come out and give you a free evaluation to see what they need to work on? More importantly, will they work with your insurance company once they approve a claim?
You have enough on your plate. Dealing with insurance companies and roofing issues shouldn’t take time away from your family and friends. We’ll give you a free inspection and check for water, hail, and wind damage. We’ll also check to make sure you don’t have any leaks, which could lead to dangerous mold.
If your insurance company approves the claim, we’ll work directly with them to take the pressure of dealing with everything off your shoulders.
As a family-owned and operated business, we know how important it is to spend time with your family. We work hard so that you don’t miss any precious moments with your loved ones.
Reviews
When looking at reviews, there are a few things you should look for. First, check out their Better Business Bureau ranking and their social media pages. Look to see what types of reviews customers leave. Does the business do what they say they’ll do? Do they communicate with their customers and make sure that the customer knows exactly what’s going on? Are they responsive to client demands?
Every company will have an off-day. When looking at reviews, you should look for patterns. See if an overwhelming number of former clients have left positive reviews.
We’re proud to say that we have an A+ rating with the BBB and a 5 out of 5 stars on Google. We know that it’s a privilege to work on our customer’s homes and treat their house like we’d want someone to treat ours. Our business philosophy is simple: we do what we say we’ll do, we communicate with the client, and we provide quality service at an affordable price.
Professional Roofing Company You Can Trust
Do you need help determining what shingle colors will work best with your home? Do you already know what shingle color you want but need to have them installed?
Whether you’re looking for the best shingle color for your home or need help dealing with storm damage, we’re here to help. Contact us today and one of our friendly staff members will get back with you as soon as possible!
