Few things have as great of an impact on your home’s appearance as a roof, and changing the color of your roofing materials is a chance to change the overall feel of your home. While many may consider replacing a roof a daunting task, replacing your roof is actually an exciting opportunity.
All of the replacement roofs that we do are done with dimensional shingles. Chances are, if your roof is older than 15 years, you have what is called a “three tab” shingle. Three-tab shingles are flat in appearance and look as if they fit together like a puzzle. Dimensional shingles appear as if they are layered and give a dimensional type appearance. As dimensional shingles have become more popular, so have stronger color variations. Even if you are replacing your roof in the same color, these dimensional shingles will bring a refreshed look to your home.
Roof color variations range from slight to strong. The slight variations are very subtle and may include 2 or 3 shades of the same color. For example, the Owens Corning Onyx Black Duration shingle features three different shades of black. However, when you look at it you would certainly say that it is a black roof. Some color variations can be much stronger.
The Owens Corning Duration Designer shingle in the color Summer Harvest has very strong variations. Upon a closer look, you can see that the shingles contain red, green, blue, tan, and brown coloring. It sounds busy, but the overall look is beautiful. When all these colors work together, it creates a suede look with pops of color.
What causes these color variations? The shingles are made of tiny almost rock-like pieces of asphalt called granules, which you can see from close-up. These small granules work together to make an overall color. Just because a tab has some green granules, doesn’t mean the roof will come out looking like a Christmas tree! Since each granule is so small, when they all come together it works to create warm or cool tones.
If you are choosing different roofing materials from your existing roof, the best way to tie the new color pallete together is with shutters. Shutters are the perfect way to complete your home design. For example, Pantone and Owens Corning teamed up to determine the best accent colors to match a few of the roofing colors. For the color Summer Harvest, Pantone suggests the best accent colors are black, blue, and yellow. What better way to tie in one of these colors than to add shutters? Our representatives have literature on Pantone’s suggestions and samples of shutters in every color you can imagine.
We always leave the final decision on roofing materials to you, the homeowner. We are happy to provide you with sample boards, which are large enough to show the different variations of each shingle. Whether you want bold, classic, or somewhere in between, our partnership with Owens Corning allows you to choose from a vast pallet of colors. So go ahead and boost your curb appeal with a new dimensional roof in a new color! Contact Emmons Roofing & Siding today to get started!