A guide for DMV + NJ residents on creating the home exterior, starting with the roof.
While a homeowner might tackle the repainting of their kitchen or retiling of their bathroom with a level of expertise, most don’t have the same amount of confidence when it involves their roof. Luckily, the basics are the same – just like other rooms in your house, roofs can come in many styles, colors and accents to match any theme. However, when considering a style, color and material for your roof, it’s important for Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey residents to consult a trusted, local roofing contractor who can provide the best recommendations based on your needs.
Compliment With Your Plan
Have an exterior design plan and vision for how the new roof will fit into the overall picture of your home. For example, when choosing a roof shingle and color, ensure that it fits your final exterior design rather than coordinating it with existing elements.
Most people put together an exterior design plan for their house that includes some existing elements — usually items that they can’t change. If your plan calls for a fresh coat of paint on the home, it is easier to install the roof first as matching the paint to the shingle is easier than the other way around.
Mix and Match to Find Your Taste
Having a design plan that perfectly mixes patterns, textures, and materials can raise your home’s curb appeal to the next level. Some things to consider are warm vs. cool palettes. A combination of siding, brick and stone in cooler colors can be complemented by roof shingles in cooler tones as well.
On the flip side, a home exterior with a warmer color palette can be complemented with a golden, warm roof color or contrasted with a dark neutral color. On the right house, these coordinated and complementing color palettes will make a statement.
Color Makes the Roof Pop
When it comes to picking a color for your roof, finding one that fits your taste, while staying on trend, may be difficult and will require a delicate balance. If you’re planning on selling your home in the next few years, choosing a roofing shingle color that is timeless and has “mass appeal,” such as gray, will keep your buyer pool as big as possible. However, if this is your forever home, you should choose the color that makes you happiest.
Consider a roofing company or a manufacturer that allows you to use technology to ‘try on’ different roof styles and colors. For example, Owens Corning has an online visualization tool called Design EyeQ® that’s free to use on their website. You can upload a picture of your house or pick one of the many house templates they already have loaded.
Pick your Shingle Style
You’ve picked out your favorite color, one that will make your home stand out on the block – in a good way. Now, it’s time to determine what texture of shingle to use for your roof, a question most people don’t know the answer to off the top of their head. From choices of wood, slate and asphalt, each has their own pros and cons. However, the king of the shingle texture is the asphalt shingle due to its multi-purpose abilities.
Asphalt shingles can also mimic the appearance of wood or slate without the higher price point, risk of warping or added structural weight. These shingles have been the large portion of the roofing market for years, showing their staying power in roofing trends over the years.
In the end, the biggest key to creating the perfect home design is to do your homework and plan out your design. A trusted local contractor, backed by a national manufacturer such as Owens Corning, can help guide you in the journey with the best advice and recommendations to make your dream a reality.
