Today’s metal roofing isn’t the same dull sheet metal you might remember. In its early days as an affordable roofing option, metal was loud, one-color steel, and didn’t do anything to enhance a home’s look.
With advancements in installation and options, metal is now a more common and popular roofing material. When replacing the roof, metal offers more color choices and styles to fit your home and neighborhood design.
What do homeowners need to know when choosing the best color for metal roof? Check out these eight helpful tips.
1. Consider Your Surroundings
Will a bright red roof fit in nicely with the neighboring homes? If your community has an HOA with rules about house colors, make sure your new metal roof follows the rules.
However, if you want your house to stand out and there are no rules to govern your design choices, you have plenty of options to answer the question of what color should my metal roof be. Depending on your installer, your metal roof can be a wide range of blues, reds, greens, purple, or black.
2. Make Sure It Fits Your Home’s Style
What color works best for your home’s style? When considering how to choose metal roof color, that bright red will either complete the perfect look for your house—or stand out in all of the wrong ways.
Set the right tone with the color of your roof! Pick a color that compliments the home’s siding or brick. Unless you want the roof to be the focal point of your house, select a color that enhances the design appeal without distracting from the look and feel of your home.
Before getting stuck with a trendy color that might become out of date in a few years, weigh your color options and choose wisely. A new roof will be part of your home for several decades. Select a color that can stay relevant no matter the latest home design trends.
3. Consider Costs
Adding color to your roof makes getting a new roof more fun, but it can also add costs. Your metal roof cost is comparable to other roofing materials when factoring in the lifespan of metal roofing. It can last up to 70 years while providing fire-retardant protection for your home.
Depending on the quality of paint and roofing structure, choose a color that works well within your budget. Standard colors can cost less, while more specialized shades can increase costs. Color choices can also affect the type (and price) of panels installed for your metal roofing.
4. Evaluate Energy Efficiency
Some roofing shades can help (or hurt) the energy efficiency of your home. In general, metal roofs improve your home’s energy efficiency due to the material’s solar reflective aspects. However, the color of roofing panels can also help reduce your home’s energy use.
If reducing energy costs in an earth-friendly way is a high priority for you, consider lighter colors that reflect heat and sunlight away from your attic and home. Darker colors can absorb heat and increase energy costs.
5. Think Through Re-sell Potential
Maybe you’ve always wanted a bright green roof, but will it help your home sell if you decide to move? Before finalizing the color choice for your roof, make sure it will enhance the resell potential of the house.
Color options help customize your home, but “too” custom can lower property values. Take advantage of one of our best metal roof tips and consult a realtor in your area. Ask about the best colors to boost resell potential—even if you don’t plan to move away any time soon.
6. Quality Matters
Metal roofs gain their colors with specialized paint designed to withstand life on top of your house. However, not all paint quality is the same! With poor-quality paint, your roof’s color will fade or chip from sun, heat, wind, and rain exposure.
If an excellent-quality roofer has the best metal materials—but doesn’t have the exact shade you want for your roof—don’t sacrifice quality when choosing the right color. Prioritize quality over a specific color option, and you’ll be happier with a roof that maintains its color longer.
7. Sync Colors With Gutters, Fascia, and Downspouts
Your roofing system includes downspouts, gutters, and fascia. If you’re set on adding a bright color to your home, consider placing that pop of color on your fascia and gutters. Offset these colorful aspects of your house with a neutral shade for the roof.
Your metal roofing contractor can help you choose complementary colors to pull everything together and maintain the style integrity of your house. Plus, using a bolder color for gutters (instead of the roof) can help your home stand out on the street (in the right ways)!
8. Use a Color Chart
Don’t settle for ordering a “brown” or choosing a color from a computer screen. Your roofing contractor should have color charts to represent the color options for different metal manufacturers. Borrow the color chart to get an accurate visual of your color options to help inspire your decision.
Color charts can also help you decide between several similar shades and choose complementary colors for gutters and downspouts. Again, your new roof might last longer than you live in your home! Compare the chart to brick and siding colors and make the color for your new metal roof works with the existing color palette.
Enjoy the Best Color for Metal Roof
Once you decide on the best color for metal roof, enjoy it! Your new metal roof will protect your home, reduce energy costs, and improve the style of your home. This roofing material has come such a long way that your neighbors might not believe your new roof is metal!
We hope you can use this information when shopping for your next roof! Make sure you also browse more of our helpful articles.
