In years past, you probably never thought much about the color of your roof. After all, before metal roofing and other materials came along, virtually every home had the same dark-brown or black asphalt shingle roof. However, times have changed, and today roofing materials come in almost all colors to match any home. But can the color of your roof really make a difference to your home in any substantial way? Here are some answers to this question.
Inside Temperature of Your Home
When it's summertime and the temperatures are climbing or a cold winter day or night where the temperature plummets, you want the inside of your home to be comfortable. If your roof is light-colored, it absorbs less heat, which in the summer means your A/C runs less and your electric bill is lower. But in the winter, this can mean your roof also absorbs less heat, forcing you to run the furnace or heaters more often.
Snow Melt
If you have a dark-colored roof that absorbs more heat, it stands to reason that the snow should melt off your roof much quicker than if the roof were light-colored. However, this isn't always true. For starters, winter days are generally shorter, meaning there is less sunlight for your dark roof to absorb. Also, when snow does get on the roof, the snow itself actually reflects sunlight away from the roof, meaning snow melts about the same regardless of roof color.
Added Value to Your Home
While homebuyers in the past did not pay much attention to a roof as long as it was in good condition, many buyers today are interested in getting a home that has a roof where the color blends in well with the rest of the home. Thus, if you are looking to sell your home in the near future, want to add value to your home, and set the stage for it to sell quicker, you may want to opt for a roof color that closely matches that of your home.
Durability
Finally, roof color does not seem to make any significant difference in terms of how long a roof lasts on a home. Instead, this is tied in directly to the type of roofing material used on the home, as well as it is installed properly.
Whether you're concerned about aesthetics, want to decrease your utility bill, or maybe are wanting to sell your home, spending a bit more time on selecting your roof color may make a much bigger difference than you imagined.
