It would be so easy to pick out the right materials and colours for your home renovation if the choices were narrowed down to "any colour you like as long as it's black." Fortunately, homeowners have a lot more choices today due to new materials and better products. If you're not sure what shade you'd prefer but you know you don't like the current colour, keep a few things in mind.

Choose The Material First

Your roofing company can help you choose the best material for your home's new roof. By choosing the materials first, you may automatically narrow down your choice of colours. There are only so many shades of gray or black, for instance, if you're having slate installed. Two versatile options that come in a wide array of shades are metal roofing and shingles.

Light Colours Reflect Heat

If the heat of summer is one of your biggest complaints about your home, you might want to consider a lighter colour that will reflect some of the sun's heat, keeping the interior of your house cooler. A lower air conditioning bill is always nice as well. Many environmental agencies are fond of white or light roofing materials because they minimize the effect of suburban and city "heat islands," making them better for the environment.

Darker Colours Absorb Heat

Darker shades absorb heat, which can make heating your house a bit easier, particularly if you have our long, cold winters to contend with. Keep in mind, however, that the savings will probably be less than what you would save on cooling with a white roof. Why? Any Hamilton roofing company will tell you that once it snows, your roof is going to be white anyway. You also have fewer hours of daylight in winter, minimizing the heat effect.

Contrast Or Similarity?

Your roofing company can show you a variety of colour options for your house that will look great, but only you can pick a look that you'll love. Take a look at your house from the outside and decide whether you want the roof to add contrast or whether you want it to blend in with the walls and trim. If you have a dark brown home, you could choose a tan roof for contrast or a similar shade of dark brown if you want the roof to be less noticeable. A bolder shade such as a dark red will stand out, drawing attention to your home. If you have nice architectural details along the roofline of your house, a stand-out colour like red may be a good choice.

Check Out Other Homes

If you're still not sure which way to go, take a drive through your neighborhood or a neighboring area with homes you admire. You may be thinking that charcoal gray is your only option until you drive by a house with a green roof that looks wonderful with your home's colour.

Your Hamilton roofing company can be a great source of information when you're trying to decide, so be sure to ask what options are available. Once you've chosen the materials and narrowed down the colour options to a particular colour family, contact your roofing company and request that someone bring out some samples. By standing outside your house and holding up sample shingles, you can get a good idea of how each potential shade will look on your home. Also ask your Hamilton roofing company if they can direct you to an Internet site for the materials manufacturer. Many of these sites offer interactive features so that you can choose your house colour and try out various options online.

Your home's new roof will last for years, so take the time to choose wisely. You want the overall appearance of your house to be one that you'll still love ten or twenty years from now.