Owning a home is one of life’s most beautiful experiences. It is also one of life’s most significant investments. That is why taking care of it properly and doing home improvement projects over the years of ownership is essential.
Home Improvement Priorities
There is always a wide variety of home improvement projects that can be done to boost a home’s beauty. However, some of the best home improvement projects a homeowner can invest in are projects that protect the home’s structural and mechanical integrity while adding other benefits such as improving home enjoyment, reducing utility cost, and improving home aesthetics.
Taking Care of The Roof
One of the primary essential home improvement projects is the maintenance and care of the roof. Roof damage is not always noticeable from the outside when it first starts showing signs of deterioration through roof leaks. When a roof suffers damage, it can cause a wide variety of problems in the home. The first noticeable damage usually occurs in the sub-roofing where wood rot can occur. When this happens, the areas that have been compromised will often need to be replaced with new sub roofing platforms.
If the problem is not remedied early, the water damage will extend beyond the sub roofing and begin to permeate the home’s attic and the ceiling on the level that is closest to the roof. This can cause damage to personal property, ceilings, and floors. In addition, the water damage that permeates into attics can start a mold growth problem, which can be costly and difficult to remedy.
Choosing a New Roof
Once the decision has been made to replace the roof, several essential things should be considered. Choosing the right shingles is vital. Today’s roofing materials have changed significantly over the last 40 years. Now homeowners can choose from various materials, designs, expected life span, durability, energy efficiency, and colors for optimum benefit.
Choosing a Color and Design
Once the life span and roofing material are chosen, homeowners will have the ability to select the color that best improves their home’s aesthetics. Here are six great tips to help you choose the best roof tile color for your home.
Color Contrast– Property owners who are looking to create some contrast to their home’s exterior will often choose a dark roof if the siding on the home is light-colored. By contrast, if the home color is dark and a homeowner is looking to create a color contrast, they will usually choose a lighter roof tile color such as cream, beige, or light brown.
Color Coordination-Homeowners looking to create an exterior that offers great color coordination will often choose a darker or lighter shade of their siding color for their roof tiles.
Heat Absorption– It is important to remember that darker color roof tiles will absorb more heat from the sun, and lighter roof tiles will deflect the sun’s heat. Homeowners who want their home to retain more heat during the colder months will often choose a high energy efficiency (R-Rating) roof tile darker in color. People who are more interested in keeping the home cooler in the summer will choose a high energy efficiency (R-Rating) roof tile that is light in color.
Matching The Trim– Some homeowners like to use the roof color to bring out the home’s trim color. Others will choose a roof color and then paint their trim to match. This type of color-coordinating can bring a beautiful, well put-together look for almost any home.
Architectural Design and Home Size– Contemporary homes can utilize a wide variety of colors for roofing. However, early colonial period homes such as homes built in the early 1900s and before usually do best with dark shingles to match the home era.
It is also important to consider the size of the home when choosing a color for the roof. Darker roof tiles tend to make a home look smaller. By contrast, lighter tone colors tend to make a home look more expansive, so lighter color roof tiles are often good choices to boost a smaller home’s beauty.
