You’ve finally decided on a metal roof for your home (because of their many benefits!) and it’s on to the next choice: what color?
You’ll want to select a roof color that not only matches the exterior of your home, but also enhances its overall curb appeal. You might also be interested in a metal roof color that lowers your energy bills. Whether you’re considering stone coated steel or a standing seam roof, this is your guide to choosing the perfect color for your metal roof.
Part 1 covers the basics of choosing metal roof colors, and Part 2 will talk about how the style of your home affects your choice.
Choosing Metal Roof Colors
No matter what style your home is, there are a few important considerations to keep in mind.
Design Guidelines for Metal Roofs
Look at your potential color choice in natural light, not just under synthetic light in the showroom or your home. Get an idea of how the color changes in the bright sunshine as opposed to a gray day. Do you like the color in the morning sun, as well as the subdued dusk of the evening?
Create harmony between all elements of your home: not just the roof and the brick, but also other features like stone, wood facades, doors, trim, shutters, and decorative accents.
Don’t get too matchy-matchy. Homes tend to look more dramatic and attractive when you choose a roofing color that isn’t an exact match to the exterior. Color specialists advise staying in the same color family as your exterior siding, but going darker for your roof.
There are some pretty fun online tools to explore as well. We like these two by the Metal Roofing Association and CertainTeed, where you can even upload a photo of your own house and play around with different color combinations.
The Dark Side or the Light Side?
Choosing a dark or light roof color has a tremendous impact on the look of your entire home. A dark shingle can help balance the look of a taller multi-level home, while dark shingles on a single-story home can make the house seem “all roof.” A light shingle can be a good choice when your roof is large and you want to help it blend in.
Energy-Efficient Metal Roof Colors
You can also consider a lighter roof color to make your home more energy-efficient.
Homeowners in Texas know that keeping your home cool during the summer can be costly! Lighter colored roofs will reflect the sun’s heat and can help lower your monthly energy bill by as much as 20-30%.
But if you really want a darker color, don’t despair. Metal is one of the most energy efficient roofing materials, and standing seam roofs in particular reflect so much radiation that even dark colors can be Energy Star rated. All our metal roofing suppliers offer either Energy Star rated roofing products or Energy Star color options.
Considering Copper
If you want a copper roof, you don’t have to consider any other color options! While all roofs fade over time, no other roofing material undergoes copper’s drastic change. Initially, copper is a distinct bright orange-brown color. As the metal oxidizes with the air over its first 20 years, it slowly changes to different hues of brown and gray before developing a striking blue-green patina.
Homeowners Association Rules for Metal Roofs
Before you become too attached to a certain color, it’s best to consider the overall look of your neighborhood (hello, HOAs!). Do you want to blend in or stand out? What is and isn’t allowed?
We once installed a standing seam metal roof on a home in Dallas, and only when the job was finished did the homeowner discover that it wasn’t allowed under his HOA rules! In the end, we had to take it all off and replace it with a stone coated steel roof instead.