How to Choose the Right Shingle Color For Your Home
The color of your roof shingles may not be very exciting, but there are more colors to choose from other than various shades of brown and grey. If you’re getting a new roof, the biggest decision may revolve around which roofing company you’ll hire or which roofing material you’ll pick; however, the color of the shingles can play a significant role in the appearance of your home.
If you’re in the Indianapolis area, rely on the professional roofing contractors at Big Boy’s Construction for your roofing needs. Not only can we help you decide on which roofing material is best for your needs, but we can also provide insight into what color will match your home’s siding.
Even just a little roofing maintenance can go a long way in preventing damage that can be caused by winter conditions.
Coordinate the Shingles, Siding, and Shutters
The roof and siding are the largest exterior surfaces on a home, so it makes sense to choose colors for these materials that work well together, but you should also consider the color of the shutters if you have them. Essentially, all of the colors on your home’s exterior need to work together, just like the colors inside your kitchen work together.
Think Contrast and Color
One of the biggest design theories to consider when selecting a color scheme for your roof and home is contrast. If you have a lighter siding color, choose a darker roofing color. If the siding is darker, you can choose a lighter roofing color or pick a color that complements the roof and add contrast elsewhere, such as the eaves.
Here are some of the best color combinations:
| House Siding Color: | Best Matching Roof Colors: |
|---|---|
| Red | Black, dark gray, dark brown, dark green |
| White | Brown, black, green, gray, blue, red |
| Grey | Black, dark gray, dark blue, dark green, white |
| Beige/Tan | Brown, black, dark green, dark blue |
| Brown | Green, black, blue, charcoal and browns that are lighter or darker |
| Blue | Black, brown, gray, white |
Color Blends
Some roofs clearly have a single color, and there is no color variation within the shingles. Other homes, the shingles contain variation or color blends. One style of shingles can combine several shades of grey or brown, while others can contain two or more colors, such as brown with red and even hints of deep orange or grey with blue or green tones.
You may want to consider using blended color shingles if your home’s siding is on the plainer side. The color variation in the shingles can add visual appeal to the home. However, if there are brick or stone features to the home’s siding, then you may want to stick to a more conventional, one-tone color shingle to avoid the home looking too chaotic.
Overall, you’re trying to achieve visual balance for your home with the siding color, siding features, shutters, and the color and style of the shingles.
Check Out Other Homes in the Neighborhood
While there’s something appealing about standing out from the crowd, if you’re planning on selling your home in the near future, you may want to choose a color that fits in with the rest. Take a walk or drive around your neighborhood and look at other home’s roof color. If they are on the conservative side, with medium to dark shades of grey or brown, then you may not want a roof that is brown with hints of red and orange. This is especially true when homes are closer together and it’s easier for people to see the differences. If you live in an HOA, there may be rules about which colors can be used, or in some cases, the HOA will simply make the decision for you. Checking out other homes in the area can also give you ideas about what you like and don’t like.
Climate
If you really love dark grey shingles and the color looks amazing with your home, that’s great! Just keep in mind that darker colors absorb more heat, which can impact your heating and cooling. Attic insulation is one of the most effective ways to regulate heat coming in through the roof, but lighter colored shingles can go a long way in keeping the attic cool, and by extension, your home.
You may also want to look at which direction your home is facing. If a large portion of the roof is south-facing, that will get a bulk of the heat and you could benefit from having lighter colored shingles.
Use the Owens Corning Shingle and Color Pairings Visualizer
One of the best ways to know for certain what you will like is to see it first. Ask your roofing company to provide some samples of the roofing shingles that you’re considering. This will allow you to see and feel the shingles. If you’re looking at samples, though, make sure to look at them outside in natural light.
In addition, you can use the Owens Corning, or your manufacturer of choice, Shingle and Color Pairings visualizer. This provides shingle colors and combines them with images of homes, siding colors, and other design options.
