What Color Should You Choose For Your Roof?

Tips for Picking the Right Color for Your Roof

Metal Roofs

Why does your roof color matter? 
·         Your roof color matters more than you might think.  It can affect the overall style of your home and how well it fits in with your neighbors’ homes.
·         Picking the right color can be tricky because there are several things to consider.  Make sure you go over all of the tips in this blog before deciding on a certain color.
·         Remember you’ll have to live with this color for the next 20-50 years!

See the shingle/metal in the sun and shade.
·         Colors look different in the sun and shade.  Take your roof shingle color sample and see if you like how it looks in both the sun and shade.

Compare it to paint colors.
·         Compare your color sample to the paint colors on the outside of your home.  If you’re going to repaint your home, make sure you compare the sample to the new paint colors.

Use complementary colors.
·         Don’t pick a color that perfectly matches the siding or brick of your home.  You’ll end up with a monotone, boring color scheme.  Pick a color that will complement the colors of your house and not match them. 

Don’t make it too BOLD.
·         If your house has multi-color brick or multiple paint colors, choose a shingle/metal color that’s toned down.  However, if yours has more of a plain, monotone feel, brighten it up with a vivid roof color. 

Consider the climate.
·         Lighter shingles/metals reflect the sun and keep your home’s temperature down.  Darker colors absorb heat and help homes in colder climates stay warm.  Keep this in mind when you’re picking a color!

Remember brick is permanent. 

·         Paint and shutter colors can always be changed, but brick is permanent.  Compare your sample colors to brick first, then compare them to siding or paint colors. 

Be HAPPY with your color choice!

·         After following all these tips, remember that you should simply be happy with the color you pick.  You should LOVE it, and NOT just tolerate it.
·         Whether it’s red or black, find a roofing shingle/metal with a color that fits the style of your home.  The type of shingle/metal you want will affect your color options. 

Go to this site to use a visualization tool to see what colors would look awesome on your home!

Roof Visualization Tool Link HERE

Contact Mr. Roofer today for shingle or metal roof samples.  As always, estimates are free!
334-494-7212  www.MrRooferEnterprise.com

Annual Roof Maintenance

Sun. Rain. Hail. Frost. Wind.  It’s a wonder that some things last as long as they do with all the weather variances we face. The roof is the important building component when it comes to weather protection and is the one thing that significantly protects the investment of the owner, by protecting the structure. Maintenance-free roofing systems do not exist, because all types of roofs require a certain amount of attention.

If you haven’t already done so, now is the perfect time to start an annual maintenance program. The importance is obvious – to extend the service life of the existing roof system. You want to catch problems early or even before they occur. Comprehensive repairs not only make the roof last longer, but also provide cost savings to the facility’s owner.

Perimeter

Walk the perimeter of the building to ensure that any unsecured objects, such as trash cans, signs, tree limbs, and loose building materials cannot become airborne projectiles during high winds. Trees should have all dead or broken branches removed and should be trimmed away from the building to prevent possible fires or damage to the roof.

 

Edges

Roof edge details should be checked to ensure that they are tight fitting and properly sealed. Corners of the building are the most susceptible to wind and rain damage. Immediately fix anything that lacks integrity.

Drainage

All debris and loose materials should be removed from the roof. Leaf grates, if part of the roofing system, should be cleaned and secured in a manner that keeps them in place. Make sure there is no blockage of any kind in drainage areas. Look for cracks or leaking on all areas of the roof and repair as needed.

Rooftop

Check all sealants on penetrations and terminations. All roof mounted equipment (HVAC units, satellite dishes, antennas, duct work, etc.) should be secured in a manner which will not allow movement. If it can be moved by hand it will become displaced in a storm or with wind.  Look for loose, lifted or missing shingles.  

Call Mr. Roofer, we can inspect your roof for you and give you a free estimate for repair or replacement!  334-494-7212

www.MrRooferEnterprise.com

DO YOU HAVE SHINGLE DAMAGE FROM WIND?

The Southeastern United States is sometimes subject to high wind velocities, often associated with severe thunderstorms, tropical storms and hurricanes. In those cases, damage may occur to your roof that may or may not be visible. Many shingles carry a wind-resistance rating of 60 miles per hour, but laboratory tests don’t always correspond to actual events.

Wind damage is caused by negative air pressure providing uplifting forces around the perimeter of the roof and on flashing. It may take more than one high-wind event to create visible signs of damage, as these effects are cumulative. In a rain storm, rain driven by strong winds can enter a home from any open site, such as soffit vents and gable ends, as well as through improperly sealed windows and doors. Within a few days, mildew and mold may develop leading to serious problems. 

After a storm, you must act quickly to prevent problems from worsening over time. It is important to make a thorough inspection of your roof before any damage leads to bigger problems. Avoid getting on the roof; use binoculars and, if necessary, a ladder but, again, stay off the roof. Follow these tips to ensure your home is prepared for future storms.

Examine your roof carefully and note any missing tabs or shingles. These are a sure sign of wind damage.

1) Look for cracks in shingles or areas where the shingles have buckled or curled.

2) Are there areas where substantial amounts of granules are missing from shingles?

3) Have any roofing nails been pulled up (nail pop), thereby causing shingles to loosen and nail punch-through?

4) Inspect multilevel roofs at intersections with walls to ensure nothing has opened where water can seep in.

     5) Separation of flashing from chimneys, vents, attic fans might be too small to see but still lead to interior water damage. 

     6) Check in the attic around these areas for of leakage.

     7) Inspect interior ceilings for telltale discolorations or bubbles in the wallboards.

Working on a roof is dangerous and should only be done by qualified, licensed and insured roofing contractors. Performing an initial inspection, if you suspect any damage at all you should call Mr. Roofer TODAY for FREE a roof inspection from a company you can trust.
                           334-494-7212

                      www.MrRooferEnterprise.com

Do You Need a Roof Repair? New Roof? Vinyl Siding? Call Mr. Roofer today! We have the best prices and warranties! www.MrRooferEnterprise.com 334-494-7212

Is It Your Chimney That's Causing the Leak?

Do you have a leaking roof even after it’s has been repaired?  Do you have a chimney?  Nine times out of ten a leak that will not go away is because of the chimney.  If chimneys are not installed, sided, or maintained properly they will rot from the inside out and causing those annoying leaks.

Most homeowner’s instinctively blame the roofer for their roofs annoying leak.  Why is my roof still leaking after I paid to have it fixed?  Most roofers don’t have anything do with the chimney and the siding that was installed around it.  They only focus on waterproofing the base of the chimney with flashing and shingles.  But, if the chimney is rotten from the inside-out and hidden by the existing siding then problem is unseen.  This is due to homeowner neglect of maintenance or shoddy siding installation.  Most roofers don’t install siding and would never pull apart another company’s siding installation to look behind it to see if water is coming in either through the chimney cap or siding improperly installed.  Why?  Because it could void the siding warranty.  What is a homeowner to do?

Many people who are considering siding worry more about choosing the right T.V than the company they will hire.  They fail to conduct adequate research and just assume the XYZ company will do the job right.  We cannot express how critically important it is where the roofing and siding meet.  If the siding is stalled to low without adequate space for shingles the roofer cannot install the new roof properly to seal out water.  He or she can only butt the shingles up against the siding which doesn’t give one hundred percent water barrier.

Having separate contractors working in the same area can be of concern unless both parties are fully qualified to the respect of knowing each other’s building codes.  If possible, try to hire one company to do all the work.  One that is qualified and gives a prodigious warranty of their work.   Mr. Roofer is that company.  We offer a 5-year warranty of our workmanship on new roofs and siding.  We will also guarantee that your chimney will not rot from the inside-out and will zero unknown pesky leaks!

Call us to inspect your roof and chimney.

Mr. Roofer 334-494-7212
www.MrRooferEnterprise.com

Call Mr. Roofer 334-494-7212 - Kizoa Video Editor - Movie Maker

Is Your Roof Ready for April and May Showers?

Don’t forget your roof as you prepare for Spring and Summer! Each season creates a unique challenge for your roofing maintenance needs, and spring is the perfect time to address some of those winter hazards. Winter’s unique challenge has to do with animals, trees and expansion and contraction.

• Has your roof had a lot of repairs in the past year?

• Has your roofing professional warned that the roof's life will soon expire?

• Do leaks seem to be happening more frequently whenever it rains?

• Can you spot obvious damage or extensive wear and tear in areas?

• Is your roof at or beyond its projected life expectancy?  

Animals like to find warm places to live when it gets cold, like your attic. They will scratch, claw and tear off roofing material to get into your attic. Specifically, they like to start in a covered corner at a dormer or under an eve. I have seen vents pulled off, metal flashing separated and shingles removed. Once they are through the outer layers they chew or scratch through the wood decking and “viola” HOME SWEET HOME in your attic.

 Tree limbs that fall during the winter seem to always land with the sharp point of the branch stabbing the roof material causing a hole or deep gash. Many time owners will not notice the damage because the limb will have slipped of the roof and into the yard. Leaves that have remained on the roof from fall will have become mulch by now. As they continue to stick together, they cause a dam that restricts water from running off the roof as it is designed. Steep sloped shingle roofs do not water proof your building they are water shedders. Once something causes water to stand or back up on the shingle roof, it will cause a leak. The shingles under this pile of leaves is also susceptible to premature deterioration.

 Alabama winters are cold one day and hot the next. With extreme temperature changes comes a great deal of expansion and contraction of your exterior building materials. Your roof takes the lion’s share of abuse. As the parts of your roof move back and forth they essentially destroy themselves. Nails in shingle roofs will work their way up and through the top of the shingle leaving a hole. Flat roof seams will separate from the heat and cold, but also from ice.  When rain water sits on a flat roof and creeps into the smallest cracks and then freezes, major leaks can occur overnight. As the water expands while freezing into ice it splits apart the roofing sheets that only work when they are “stuck” together.

 If you haven’t had your roof looked at recently, get it done before the late spring storms hit. Better to know you have a hole in your roof before the rain lets you know by coming into your home, uninvited!!


Call Mr. Roofer at 334-494-7212 for a FREE ROOF EVALUATION to see if you are ready for the spring and summer rains.