Choosing A Home Roof Colour

With a rainbow of colours to choose from, you probably never thought choosing one for your roof would be this difficult.

Trendy vibrant reds are in style for roofs such as this Georgian Brick colour by CertainTeed
Trendy vibrant reds are in style for roofs such as this Georgian Brick colour by CertainTeed

Many of my clients have a very difficult time choosing exterior house colours, especially for roof shingles, due to the permanency of one choice affecting the curb appeal of their home for many years down the road.

When faced with a rainbow of colour samples, most people just go with a close match of what was on their roof to begin with as the safe bet; yet colour trends have definitely changed since the last re-roofing, so a knowledge of current colour trends as well as classic choices is integral to being happy with your new roof for many years.

Current Colour Trends in Roofing:

  • Mid to dark tans are classic choices for roofs
  • Tones of chocolate and graphite
  • Vivid tones of deep red or green
Dramatic Sherwood Forest colour by CertainTeed with a calm body colour
Dramatic Sherwood Forest colour by CertainTeed with a calm body colour

Some Tips on Exterior Colours:

  • Look to your neighbours’ houses for colour ideas without copying them exactly.
  • Try to match the basic look of the neighbourhood to avoid clashing with your surroundings.
  • Strike a balance in your home by not overdoing a single aspect of your house with one colour.
  • Keep in mind that light colours add size to your home while dark colours tend to scale things down.
  • You never want to mix too many warm colours with cool colours, but choose one and accent with small splashes of the other (cool colours are: blue, grey, black and white while warm colours are: brown, beige, cream, gold and red). When choosing a colour for your roof stay within the colour family of your exterior walls (either warm or cool).
  • If you have dark trim, choose a roof colour that matches it or is a shade lighter to maintain consistency.
  • If you have a strong body colour of a house (such as red brick), choose a neutral roof colour to accentuate it or a dramatic roof with a calm body colour.
  • Try to combine trendy colours with classic choices for your home’s exterior to ensure longevity of curb appeal.
Classic Moire Black colour by CertainTeed
Classic Moire Black colour by CertainTeed

Since a roof can last for 10-20 years, I tend to steer clients towards classic choices for their roof, such as CertainTeed’s Weathered Wood, Colonial Slate, or Moire Black for timeless appeal.

The company has an online colour palette and Design Centre where users can design and visualize their home by mixing and matching different shingle styles and colours.

CertainTeed Landmark colours
CertainTeed Landmark colour palette

At Archer Roofing, we provide clients with sample boards, photos, as well as real world examples, showing them similar home styles that we’ve completed in their Kelowna neighbourhood, and urge them to go see these homes in person to view the shingle colours in ‘real’ light.

That usually alleviates our clients’ anxiety about choosing the ‘right’ colour, ensuring my customers will be satisfied with their choice down the line.

Call us for a free consultation at (250) 808-6297 to discuss your roof’s needs with the best roofers in the area.

Article Source:

CertainTeed Colour Trends and Perspectives 2012

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