Selecting the right shingle color that works well with the exterior body and trim of your home doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be an amazingly rewarding experience. With a little bit of time you’ll be confident that your selection is going to be the right choice for you. If you plan on doing any roofing in Colorado Springs than this video presents both traditional laminated shingles and a Presidential shake look shingle. This is a bonus for Colorado residence looking for a safe alternative to wood shake shingles. I’ll share in a moment some color combinations that work well, but for now please take a look at the video at many different styles of homes and shingles to get an idea and a feel for what you like. These shingles displayed are mostly traditional colors with a bold red thrown in for your enjoyment. Keep in mind that the shingle thickness and style will impact the overall appearance of your home. Be sure to utilize some of the new software to view what your home will look like. More about that in a moment.
How to Select a Shingle Color Video
Digital Color Program for Shingle Selection
Several shingle manufacturers allow a homeowner to use their shingle selection program which will allow you to load a digital image of a home and to change the shingles and colors all online. I’d suggest that you upload an image of your own home. This is a great way to get an idea of what your home will look like with the new shingle. I’ve used these programs and they’re not always user friendly, but the end result works well. Try Certainteed ColorView to help with your selection process. If you only want to look at examples the Certainteed Color View program will allow you this opportunity. Owens Corning has a similar program that will allow you to upload an image of your home to view their shingles and shingle colors digitally before you actually make a purchase. This is the smartest way to make your final decision especially if you’re making some major color changes. Integrity Roofing and Painting used the Certainteed program before purchasing the Certainteed Cottage style red shingle. We have white stucco and black trim which makes this property pop.
Weathered Wood and Gray Shingles
One of the most popular colors is Weathered Wood. Many builders use this shingle because it has colors that are neutral and commnonly found in nature. The brown, tan, gray and occasional blue flecks allow for an aesthetically appealing affect on your roof. Weathered Wood is a safe color to install when placing your home on the market. Many real agents recommend the Weathered Wood or Driftwood shingle color to their clients. it’s the number one shingle color in the United States. There are some other shingle colors that are predominately gray and they seem to work well with homes that have a lighter color siding or stone work. The gray color shingles really limit your ability to change the paint color on a home that has siding. Be sure to choose your grays carefully, however let me remind you that weathered wood is more than a gray color it has many other colors mined into it.
Classy Black Shingle
As you drive through areas look at the black shingles and you might notice how well accent a home. Black is a great shingle color for homes in Colorado Springs. A black shingle with brown stained wood wrapped around the house is simply rustic and all about Colorado. A black shingle with some stone work that has dark browns and rust colors is a beautiful combination. Finally if your home is mostly siding than I’d recommend dark greens and brown paint color schemes to go with the black shingle. However, a home that has white stucco with a black roof is striking. Some of these homes even have black or red trim. If you look around Platte and Union you’ll find several homes with black shingles and white stucco.
Brown and Cedar Tone Shingles
Brown and Cedar tone shingles are traditional colorado shingle colors. They are great colors to use on a roof, however when your house is painted you will be limited on colors that will complement your roof. Stick with off whites that have brown tones for the body color for the lighter and brighter look. If your looking for a shingle color to blend into the forest this is the one. I’d recommend painting your home with natural browns, greens and grays that you find in nature for that natural look. Owens Corning Desert Tan and Certainteed Reshawn Shake are two examples of cedar tone shingles. The Owens Corning Brownwood has a nice color blend of browns. The Certainteed Burnt Sienna is a Brown color with red tones and somewhat of an orange undertone. This product does well on homes that have brownish natural stone colors on the home. The more red in the stonework the less that this color works. It begins to compete or clash with any siding that has red tones. I like the Certainteed Landmark Burn Sienna on the right house. Be aware of the undertones in this shingle to make sure that it complements your home and not clashes.
Bold Colored Shingles
Greens, reds and blue look great in certain environments. These bold colors make a statement. If you own one of the older homes in downtown Colorado Springs bold color shingles may work well with any of the painted ladies or historical homes downtown. These are what I call fun colors for the older homes with character. At the same time many of the painted ladies and historical homes look amazing with a thick profile shingle with a slate or shingle look. However, as you head east of the Springs why not install a green, red or blue metal roof on your rancher. Amazing looks are created with colorful metal roofs.
Homeowner’s Association Shingle Color Approval
Please check with your homeowners association before selecting a color. If you’re in an area where the association is active than a bold shingle color that’s red, blue or green will probably not work, unless it’s in Old Colorado City, Manitou Springs or the downtown area. Nevertheless, be sure to get permission before paying a contractor to install an unacceptable color.
I suggest choosing two colors in the event one is not available than you have already made a selection for yourself and your HOA. I’d like to suggest that before you do any roofing in Colorado Springs to contact Integrity Roofing and Painting and we’d be happy to assist.