Most roofing blog posts focus on things such as structural integrity, common causes of leaks, maintenance, and the like. And that’s all fine and well, but at the end of the day, you don’t just want a roof that doesn’t leak. You want a roof that LOOKS GOOD! A roof that is as beautiful as it is sound. This entry will focus on what typically looks attractive according to our admittedly subjective opinion and the unofficial consensus of our customers. Of course, there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to picking the best shingle color. Let’s dive in and see what should be considered when you’re trying to pick the crowning glory of your home, while glancing at some of our most popular shingle selections.
How to Choose the Right Shingle Color
Just as a woman’s underlying skin tone affects her optimal choice of make-up color, the shade of your home could affect its optimal shingle color. Again, this is all based on individual preference, but consider the very popular white farmhouse. White can come in many variations, with both warm and cool undertones, but the exterior of most white homes has a cool undertone. This typically pairs best with a traditional slate look, especially if the home has colonial style architecture.
Shingles by Certainteed
Certainteed makes a range of beautiful charcoals and grays that are a gorgeous compliment to a white farmhouse or colonial style home. These range from the light gray tones of the Cobblestone Gray to a darker tone in the Pewter Gray, with many other variations in between. These shingles help to mimic the look of a historic slate roof, with shadowing to add dimension and substance.
Below are a few options available with Certainteed’s Landmark series, though other options are available and can be seen on their website. While Dowell Roofing prefers to use Certainteed because of their high quality and price point, we are usually not against using the shingle manufacturer of the customer’s choice, and most manufacturers carry shingle colors like that offered by Certainteed.
Gray Scale Shingles
While the gray tones can, of course, be considered neutral and compliment any home, some people prefer to stick with the architectural theme and color tone of their home.
Wood Tone Shingles
Let’s switch our focus to the beautiful warm tones of some (but not all) brick homes, homes with a warm siding color, and wood homes, such as log cabins. Certainteed’s warm tones try to mimic the look of the old-style wood shingle. A classic example, and the most popular, is their Weathered Wood.
Warm Shingles
Other warm shingle choices attempt to replicate more of a Spanish, terra cotta look, such as the Terra Cotta and Burnt Sienna, as shown below, and can be a wonderful compliment to a home style of the same.
Mixed Tone Shingles
For a more neutral look that includes a more dramatic blend of warm and cool tones, consider shades such as the Driftwood or Heather Blend, a medium brown with gray undertones. These are eye pleasers that could conceivably enhance a variety of home colors and architectural styles.
Bright Color Shingles
For those who dare to make a more drastic statement with their roof color, there are shingles that offer bolder, brighter hues. Such as the Atlantic Blue, Cottage Red, and Hunter Green shown below.
However, before making such a bold selection, consider what you want the focal point of your home to be, as this will draw the eye of any passerby directly to the roofline.
Light Color Shingles
There are lighter selections, such as the Silver Birch shown below, that can be energy efficient and attractive. However, because we are so prone to black algae here in the Southeast, if your home has a North facing exposure, it will over time develop an algae growth that will be much more visible with a lighter shingle selection.
Dowel Roofing Has Your Favorite Shingles!
We hope you enjoyed this analysis of what to consider when selecting a shingle color! Certainteed also carries a beautiful array of designer shingles that I have not pictured here. While different in structural appearance (shape and design), they come in a range of tones like that discussed here. And remember, no matter what color you choose, a roof installed by Dowell Roofing is always the right color!!
