Greg’s Exterior Painting Tips – When Selecting Colors, Consider Your Roof

On April 14, 2006,  a hail storm in Indianapolis caused 1.3 billion dollars in losses and generated 282,500 insurance claims for roofs and car damage. I remember the sound and fury of the hail hitting my roof and bouncing across my yard and driveway. Luckily, my vehicles were in the garage so I did not sustain any damage to my cars. Most of the roofs in my neighborhood, Westlane Terrace, and Delaware Trails, the adjacent subdivision just south of my house, were ‘toast’ after the storm passed through.

It was quickly evident as soon as new roofs started going on houses that some homeowners did not give much thought to roof color and how it needs to work with the color of the house,  not fight it.   There are a few odd color combinations around my neighborhood.  Most of my neighbors did get it right, but others did not make the connection between the color of the roof being a key element,  along with color of paint,  in how a house looks…the “curb appeal”.

The same thing works in reverse   The color of your roof should be taken into account in the color selection of the exterior paint for your home.   The colors should complement one another.   Contrast is a good thing but the roof color and the primary paint color should be in the same color pallet.  It’s also important to recognize that very dark colors do not hold up as well as lighter colors.   The tint necessary to get the darker colors takes away from the life of the paint,  not to mention the premature fade you get with dark colors. Ever notice how quickly a house painted blue tends to fade? So, if you don’t mind needing to repaint your house every two years due to noticeable fading, go with that shade of blue you really love!

If you are unsure about the color you’ve selected, get a test quart of the color and paint a small area and see how it looks with the roof color……or if you live in Indianapolis, Indiana (or the surrounding communities), call Greg Mrakich Painting (me)  to help you select the right color.

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