Your roof does a lot more than just provide protection from the elements for your home. The color you choose for your roof can affect everything from your home’s curb appeal to the temperature inside. With the intense heat and sun Alabama gets year-round, picking the right roof color is an important decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Here are some key factors to consider when choosing a roof color for your Alabama home.
Light vs. Dark Roofs
One of the biggest impacts your roof color will have is on cooling costs during those hot Alabama summers. Light-colored roofs reflect more sunlight than dark roofs, making them better at rejecting heat gain into the attic and home interior. This can directly translate into lower energy bills for cooling.
Dark shingles, on the other hand, readily absorb solar heat which can make attics and interior living spaces warmer. While this may provide a bit of a benefit in the winter months, it’s a detriment for most of the year in Alabama’s climate. Homeowners with dark roofs may need to use more air conditioning to counteract that increased solar heat absorption.
If keeping cooling costs down is a priority, light shingles like whites, tans, and light grays are the best choice. However, dark shades like grays, browns, and blacks may be preferred if you want a contrasting look against exterior walls or accents, or you don’t mind the extra heat absorption.
Color and Home Resale Value
While energy efficiency is important, you also need to consider your roof color’s impact on your home’s curb appeal and resale value. Buyers typically prefer neutral roof shades like tans, grays, and earth tones that aren’t too loud or garish. An extremely bright white roof or one that clashes with the exterior paint may turn off potential buyers down the road.
To get the most lasting value out of your new roof, go with tried-and-true neutral colors that will look attractive for years rather than super trendy shades that may look dated in a few years’ time. Consider how the roof color will complement your home’s exterior brick or siding too.
Regional Color Trends in Alabama
Home design trends can vary in different parts of Alabama based on the climate and regional preferences. In the hotter southern half of the state, light-colored roofs are very common to combat the scorching summer temperatures. White, tan, and light grays are extremely popular shingle colors.
As you move further north, you’ll see a few more dark shingles making an appearance like grays, browns, and weathered wood hues. However, lighter neutral tones still dominate as they provide the best year-round energy efficiency.
Classic dark shingle colors like dark grays and browns are typically seen as a bit more upscale and may be found on higher-end custom homes. But for most roofs, more middle-toned neutral shades that aren’t too light or dark tend to be the most popular picks throughout Alabama.
Consider Your Roof’s Pitch
The pitch or slope of your roof can also influence which colors look best from a street view. Lighter colors tend to look cleaner and more uniform on a low-pitched or flat roof that’s very visible from the ground. Dark shingles show more streaking and discoloration on a flatter roof.
On steeper roofs, dark shades can provide more depth and dimension rather than appearing as a flat blanket of color. The shadows and contours created add more visual interest, especially when viewed from ground level.
Roof Colors for Different Materials
If you’re going with traditional asphalt shingles, you’ll have the widest array of color options in just about any shade of red, gray, brown, green, blue, and more. Neutral browns, grays, and tans are the most popular picks in Alabama for their versatility and curb appeal.
For homeowners installing a metal roof, your color options are a bit more limited. The most common choices are vertical ribbed panels in neutral grays, tans, browns, greens, blues, and reds. Some metals like aluminum can also be painted customized colors.
Clay and concrete tile roofs, which are very durable in Alabama’s climate, usually come in terracotta clay reds, grays, and earth tones. You’ll have fewer bright or vivid color options, but they provide an authentic classic look for Spanish and Mediterranean-style homes.
The roof color you select affects everything from how much you’ll pay to cool your home to the impression it gives from the curb. To maximize your new roof’s energy efficiency and style in Alabama, consider light reflective neutral shades, regional trends, roof pitch visibility, and your overall home’s aesthetic. Make sure your roof color both looks great and helps minimize interior temperatures and cooling costs.
Before You Choose Your Color, Choose Your Roofer
Hinkle Roofing has been helping our Alabama neighbors stay safe and secure for more than 115 years. One of our roofing experts would be happy to discuss our many options for roofing materials and colors. Contact us today at (205) 324-8545 or through our online form to schedule an appointment.
