How to Choose New Shingles For Your Home

Re-roofing. Roof replacement. Roof repair. All of these things sound tedious and are tasks that are put off among home owners. The roof is an important element in the overall appearance of your home. Choosing the right shingles for your roof will depend on a variety of factors. Your roof should last a long time, you don’t want to be stuck with a color or style you hate to look at or that doesn’t provide curb appeal. Let’s take a look at what some of the  elements that should be considered before choosing shingles for your roof repair.

Climate:

The type of shingle itself and the color not only impacts the aesthetics of your home, it can also affect its energy efficiency. The color you choose affects how much heat your home absorbs and retains. If you live in a warmer climate, go for a lighter colored shingle that will reflect the heat. If you live in a cooler climate, darker shingles will absorb and retain heat better. This decision could majorly affect your heating bills, especially in the frigid Wisconsin winters.

Aesthetics:

The color of shingle you choose should be based on whether you want your roof to compliment or contrast the rest of the house. In some cases you want the roof to stand out and make a statement. If this is the case, choose to match your shingles to an accent color from a detail of the house, landscaping or surrounding yard. In other cases, you want your roof to match the color palette as the rest of your home. Staying neutral is always a safe bet. Also keep in mind that the color of your shingles affect how large your house appears. A darker roof tends to make your home look smaller than it really is, and a lighter roof makes it look larger.

Material:

The look of your home’s roof largely depends on the type of material your shingles are made out of. Each material has it’s pros and cons. Here is a list of some of the more popular materials that are used: Asphalt: retain heat, more beneficial in colder climates, wide color variety Clay: repels heat, ideal for warmer climates, traditional shades of red or tan Wood: long-lasting, easy to repair, but prone to fire damage and rot Slate: completely fireproof, natural color tones, very expensive and prone to breakage Metal: environmentally friendly, wide color selection, potentially expensive

Type of Home:

No two homes are exactly the same, but their styles can easily be classified. Your shingles should match the architectural style of your home. Here are common styles:

Colonial: Go for a slate-look style of shingle. Stick to the darker colors – grays and blacks with flecks of accent colors usually look best.

Contemporary/Modern: These homes usually feature clean lines and angles, it is best to continue this on the roof.

Craftsman: Wood-shake looking shingles in earth tones tend to look best on a craftsman-style house.

French Country: With this style of home, you can do almost anything and it will look good. To stay on the safe side stick with a neutral color palette.

Mediterranean/Tuscan: Clay roofing tiles in warm browns, reds, and dark grays are great options to match the style of home.

Mountain: Keep the rustic theme by choosing a wood-shake in natural colors.

Ranch: This style of home tends to have a large roof and has a big impact on the overall look of the home. Widespread choices in color and style will look good since the ranch style matches a lot of variety.

Tudor: A shingle in warm grays and browns tend to compliment the rest of the tudor-style house.

Victorian: These ornate homes are paired best with slate-looking shingles in a bold color such as reds, greens and grays. You want to add contrast with these types of homes.

Craftsman Style Home

Mountain Style Home

Tudor Style Home

Choosing Shingles for your Roof

If you’re still unsure on which type and color of shingle to use on your home, try out the virtual home remodeler. This application allows you to virtually re-roof your home. Pick from sample photos or upload a photo of your own to mix and match different styles, materials and colors to determine what you like best. Choosing shingles for your roof can be a daunting task, let the trained roofing specialists at ARC Contracting help you decide.