Does A Dark Roof Make Your House Hotter?

After 20 years of success offering solutions built to last, one of the benefits that our clients appreciate is our color design expertise and consultations. With roofing being our primary service line, we typically install about 12 football fields worth of asphalt roofing shingles each year. Roofing material options vary from asphalt roofing to cedar shake, metal roofing, ceramic tile, and membrane (rubber/pvc). Except for cedar, all of these roofing systems come in a variety of colors and styles. Whenever we can combine a long-lasting quality roof material with a color design that compliments the look of their home, we can be sure we are helping our clients retain or increase the curb appeal and protect the overall value of their biggest asset.

One question that we get often is, “If I put a dark-colored roof on my home will it make my home hotter and increase my energy costs” and the opposite, “If I put a light-colored roof on my home will it decrease my energy costs?” There are many components to your roofing system that can affect temperature, including attic insulation and venting, decking and underlayment as they all play a role in keeping your roof/attic temperature regulated and breathing properly.

Shingle Color and Home Temperature

Darker roofs do absorb more sunlight and heat than that of a lighter colored roof, which in turn transfers heat into the attic area. However, in Minnesota, most attics are well insulated and ventilated to isolate any heat traveling down into your living space, therefore not significantly affecting or increasing energy costs. Because an attic space can be a bit warmer with a darker colored roof on your home, Stinson Services recommends the following to help regulate your house temperature if you have a dark-colored roof:

• Ensure proper insulation between the living space and attic space.
• Request an inspection from a licensed insulation contractor.
• Local energy codes recommend an R-Value of 49, which equates to approximately 18 inches of blown fiberglass.
• Ensure proper ventilation is in place that allows the warmer attic air to escape out of the attic space.
• A balanced ventilation system allows an equal volume of air to flow into and out of an attic.

Image Credit: Owens Corning – Total Protection Roofing System®

Dark Asphalt Shingles Are Popular

We are seeing many shingle manufacturers moving toward the darker hues in their library of color options. The new, 2022 color of the year from Owens Corning is Bourbon, which is a darker color with red hues. Shingle manufacturing companies would not be making darker colored roofs if it created a cost increase for homeowners. The bottom line: pick the shingle color based on personal preference or its harmony with your other existing materials on your home. The roof shingle color we installed more than any other in 2021 was Black Onyx by Owens Corning and Charcoal by GAF.

Image Credit: Owens Corning – TruDefinition® Duration® Designer Shingles – Bourbon

It is important to note that your local energy company may offer an Energy savings credit if you decide to install a white-colored roof on your home. As you drive through our metro area, white roofing is not the trend. White color roofs are pretty much non-existent, which indicates that energy savings plays a small role in homeowner’s decision making. Homeowners seem to be moving towards darker colors that create a nice contrast between the other materials used on their homes.