Roof Shingle Colors: How to Pick the Best One

One can transform the look of his home by just playing with colors. And since the roof is responsible for 40% of the visual appeal of a house, it is only right to choose the best roof shingle colors.

Color selection matters for a couple of reasons:

• They affect people’s mood.
• Lighter colors reduce energy consumption.
• Great colors create a positive impression.

When it comes to an asphalt shingle roofing project, color is one of your main considerations. This blog post shares some useful points to think of before you decide.

How to Choose the Right Roof Shingle Colors

1. Do you want to make your home look larger?

Isn’t it amazing that colors can trick the mind into believing that something is bigger? Don’t go for black or brown shades without considering size. Dark colors make your home smaller. On the other hand, light hues increase its visual mass and cause it to look taller.

Take, for example, these two houses:

2. Increase your energy-efficiency.

What some homeowners don’t know is that their roof helps them save on heating and cooling costs. If you feel warmer during the summer, know that you don’t have to put more demand on your air conditioner.

The secret is in choosing lighter roof shingle colors. While adding some insulation reflects more sunlight, start with light shades.

In fact, the US Forest Service did a study on roofing colors and energy-efficiency. They found out that the plywood sheathing beneath a black asphalt shingle roof was way warmer than the sheathing under the white shingle roof. But if you were to compare the temperatures between grays and browns, there isn’t much of a difference.

Making your roof more energy-efficient through the lighter colors benefits you in many ways. First of all, you save a great deal of money! Second, you and your family feel more comfortable indoors. Lastly, it’s one way to reduce environmental impact – especially if you live in the city.

3. Check with your homeowners’ association.

Before you actually say YES to a specific shingle color, review the rules of your HOA. This is especially true if you’re new to your neighborhood and would like a roof shingle replacement.

Related: Types of Roof Shingles: Finding the Best One for Your Home

Many HOAs allow specific roofing shingle colors. It is one of their goals to make sure that your home exterior blends with the rest of the homes. There should be harmony as this creates a great impression on future homeowners.

So, again, stay on the safe side – and better ask permission!

4. Complement a brick exterior or stone veneer.

Let’s say that someone just offered you a home at a very affordable price. It has brick walls. But then you need to replace or re-shingle the roof.

The last thing you’d want is to ruin the entire look of the house by picking wrong roof shingle colors. How can this be possible? As you already know, brick walls and stone veneers are extremely durable. It’ll take many, many years before you replace them. This means that your roof color must match them.

Here are some ideas to play with:

• Red brick walls go well with dark grey and black roofs.
• Grey brick walls match cool asphalt roof colors.
• Grey roofs look best over orange and yellow bricks.

5. Consider your home architectural style.

If you got an eye for design, you would care to know what the style of your house is. Again, this is one to factor in when deciding on possible roof shingle colors. Knowing your architectural style creates consistency in the eyes of passersby and potential buyers in the future – if you plan to sell your property!

Below, you’ll find 5 architectural styles and possible roof shingle colors to use. We’ve based them on our actual roof installation projects.

• Colonial Style – Blacks, Greys
• Contemporary Style – Whites
• Cottage Style – Browns, Whites, Greys
• Farmhouse Style – Greens, Blues
• Mediterranean Revival Style – Reds

6. Highlight your best elements.

Are you proud of your windows, exterior trims, or even your porch?

If you consider them your best highlights and want to show them off, play with your roof color. You’ll want roof shingle colors that compliment these accents, so don’t pick a similar color.

For example, if your bay windows are white in color, pick shingle colors such as black, grey, or blue. Another way to go about this is to look around your neighborhood or search “stunning house exteriors” in Google.

7.  Use a manufacturer’s pairing and design tools.

Still have difficulty in choosing which roof shingle color to use? Start with your manufacturers. Most manufacturers these days feature tools you can use to mix and match colors.

Take, for example, Owens Corning residential roof shingles. They feature a specific section on their site “Design & Inspire”. Visit this page. When you pick a specific home color, Owens Corning suggests one of their shingles to match it.

In case you use Owens Corning as a reference, know that we’re a certified installer. We install their shingles with your design preferences in mind.

8. Don’t forget to have fun with the process.

Remember that choosing roof shingle colors should be enjoyable. No matter what roofing contractors or designers recommend, it is you who gets to pick which color to use.

Sometimes, people base their choice on the latest home exterior trends. They like to make an impression. Some homeowners prefer timeless colors and therefore go with neutrals. On rare occasions, selections depend on the person’s mood!

Have fun and play around with ideas. At the same time, consider the points we’ve just discussed.

Final Thoughts

So there you go, our tips on making the right roof color decision for your home. Heed our last piece of advice: Never go for a color you’ll regret in the future. A roof installation is a major project and investment. Make it something you’ll be proud of for many years to come.

Silver Leaf Contracting is here to guide you if you want a personal discussion. Hire us to meet your roof shingle needs – whether you need a new roof, replace an old one, or some maintenance work.

Call our office today at 330-680-5987.