Houses with red roofs stand out from the group. While the Mediterranean or Spanish-style homes commonly sport red roofs, many homeowners today opt for this vibrant color. Finding a complimentary exterior color scheme shouldn’t be difficult, so what color do you think goes with a red roof?
White, gray, earthy tones like brown, taupe, and yellow pair exceptionally well with a red roof. Considering your home’s architectural features, landscape, and trimmings, does not limit your options. Instead, it shows you that a red roof goes with many other colors.
This article explores the best color for a roof and what color a house goes with a red roof. I also describe how the color of your roof affects house temperature.
What Is the Best Color for a Roof?
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The best color for a roof depends on your roof material and the color of your home’s exterior. Choosing the right color is a crucial decision, and it is best to get it right the first time. In addition, this decision will affect your energy bills and the price of your property if or when you choose to sell.
A roof is more permanent, and replacements are expensive. So while you can change your home’s exterior paint easily, you want to be cautious with your roof.
Residential and commercial properties have different factors that affect the choice of roof color. The factors affecting residential homes include:
The house color:
It plays a vital role in the color you choose for your roof. For example, a white house and dark slate roof create a pleasant contrast, and lighter roof material with white also blends well. Whether complementing or contrasting, the color choice is up to your preference.
Architectural design:
Your home’s architectural theme or style matters, and your choice of roof color should match the design. For instance, contemporary homes allow you to be more playful with your options. On the other hand, a Mediterranean or Spanish-styled home needs a red roof for an authentic feel.
For cabins and homes in mountain country, green or brown metal roofing goes with the design to blend into the beautiful landscape. They also help shed heavy snow loads in the winter.
The surrounding community:
Many residential neighborhoods have strict guidelines for what colors and types of materials the homes in the area should have. If you don’t want angry neighbors hounding you for reducing the house prices in the area, ask before choosing your roof color.
You can select a color that matches others in the neighborhood or something in the same color family.
The exterior material:
Different materials have different textures, affecting roof colors. You may choose to paint over a material’s natural color or maintain it as is.
Climate:
Heat absorption and reflection should inform your choice of roof color. Dark colors do well in cool climates, and warm colors are a smart option in warm temperatures.
What Color House Goes with a Red Roof?
A red roof gives a home and its surrounding landscape a distinctive look. Many homes in the desert Southwestern U.S. and European countries have reddish-orange or red clay tile roofs. It was a natural progression because the materials were local, in abundance, and tile roofs were more fire-resistant.
Visualizing is helpful when choosing an exterior color to complement your red shingles or metal roof. Can you see your white finishes blending nicely with the blue color you have in mind?
Taking your finishes, landscape, and architectural design into consideration also poses a challenge. However, red can match with almost any color, so all you have to do is select what suits your preferences.
You will often find these house colors with red roofs—beige, creams, and light browns—because they are warm tones. Here is a description of how these colors and more pair with a red roof:
Earthy tones
You can pair red easily with similar colors as it is a warm earthy tone. Red bricks or brown are excellent choices that produce a soothing, nature-inspired look. If lush greenery surrounds your house, a red brick exterior is suitable for red roof tiles.
A brown house with plants and trees can give off a comfortable and refreshing vibe.
Pale gray
A soft pale gray with white trim blends well with the bold red color of the roof. The pale gray color for your siding offers a soothing tone, and the white trim is a beautiful accent line between both colors.
With this, you get a wow factor on the roof and a relaxing feel on the siding.
White
The charming appeal of a red roof over a white home cannot be overstated. It reminds you of rolling fields, villas by the sea, swinging porches, and lazy summers at a country cottage.
You cannot go wrong with this combination of a classic style with a happy glow. It provides a neat yet striking effect, and it creates an inviting atmosphere around your home.
Yellow
Yellow is a warm color tone like red, and it is surprisingly versatile. You can choose a sunny yellow if you want a vibrant curb appeal or a muted yellow for a toned-down look. Although red and yellow are contrasting colors, their combination with the right supporting shades and decorations is a hit.
Brownish gray with pink
The subtle tones of brown with a warm rose undertone look fantastic with a red metal or tile roof. Use cedarwood for your front and garage doors to swoop in for a winner.
The neutral tone of gray adds majesty and dignity when you pair it with a red roof. If your red tiles are more pink or orange, you can use a dark gray shade. A blue-tinged grey also works for the siding.
Taupe and sand
If you like a brownish-gray look, you can go with this combination, but you don’t want to go that dark on the color scale. The lighter sand color is brilliant for all-over siding, and the darker taupe makes a beautiful trim
A taupe trim also pairs nicely with beige for your all-over siding, and it gives a visually exciting look with a red roof.
You can use bold trims to add vibrance to your home but maintain a balance between them and the red roof. You want the siding color to match the trim and bring the entire design together.
Selecting an exterior color for a red roof doesn’t have to stress you, and a variety of colors will look great with it. Whether you go neutral or bright and bold, what matters is that you pick a color you love.
Does the Color of Your Roof Affect House Temperature?
You may want to extend your favorite color to your roof, but it might be unsuitable for your climate. Tests by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory showed:
- On a sunny day, 55 degrees outside a black roof surpassed 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- A white roof on the same day reached 118 degrees Fahrenheit.
The reflectivity of light-colored fabrics also extends to roofing materials. You will save money on cooling if you use a light-colored roof that stops your property from absorbing the sun’s rays. The temperature differences between light and dark roofs are between 50 to 60 degrees.
However, dark roofs aren’t always harmful as they help homes in colder climates keep heat. Asphalt shingles will absorb the sun’s heat and help heat your home if you don’t have hot summers or year-round heat.
