Finding a roofing solution to integrate the potpourri of roof colors and bricks in the community has been challenging. The committee has looked at products from 5 national roofing manufacturers: Atlas, CertainTeed, GAF, Owens-Corning, and Tamco.

At this point, it has been concluded that almost no monochromatic colors will match all 3 brick styles in the community. The possible exception is a "bark" color (i.e., Weathered Wood"). This is a very conventional, very "flat", neutral roof. This is a "fall-back option", but we think the community, with its large visible roof surfaces, needs more.

Our investigation has focused on polychromatic products; something similar, but more subtle than the photo above. The multiple colors present more opportunities to find Accenting matches across the multiple brick patterns and with the 4 "earth-tone" roof colors in the community (73% of all roofs, 94% of all roofs outside of Brentwood Court).

. Monochromatic Color.........Polychromatic Color
.

Polychromatic Shingles also provide visual relief on large surfaces. Some home in the community have polychromatic shingles now - of varying degrees.

Below are three polychromatics that "mirror" the spectrum of roof color diversity currently in the community. Roof colors are hard to fully visualize from "chips" and we encourage you to review these colors with that understanding. Full size tests shots on line now. They are more representative, but costly and time consuming to create.

Note: A Weathered Wood polychromatic shingle is not an option as its polychromatic spectrum does not match a lot of colors in place in the community.

........(New) Burnt Sienna.................(New) Heather.......................(New) Colonial

Color Selection Challenges

MATCHING Of the three brick colors in the community, Cambridge Orange is the least flexible, hardest to match color - it's monochromatic and the color is the furthest from the earth tone base of many shingles. Conversely, the Brentwood Red brick is the most flexible and is easily matched with many different roof patterns/colors. The Orange & Rose brick blend falls somewhere in between.

All of the patterns / colors that match the Cambridge Orange also work with the Orange & Rose. However, not all the patterns/colors that match the Brentwood Red match the Orange & Rose brick.

The pattern in the adjacent photo is the Heather Blend. Click on photo to enlarge.

PAINT EFFECT One important takeaway from looking at brick/roof photos (below) is the high degree of mismatch of some roofs with some bricks in the community. The mismatch is more pronounced in these photos because, in the community, the color of the siding mitigates the "brick/roof" mismatch. The current siding color is an earth tone common to many of different roofs currently in the community. It is, therefore, important that any paint color selection continue to integrate/compliment the roofs so that the mismatches do not visually "pop out".

CONVERSION JUNCTURES To eliminate the minor difference in an old and new roof, side by side on a shared garage, we are recommending that the owners pass a requirement that color junctions only occur at the ridgeline (the horizontal peak). If owners can't agree to change roofs at the same time (which often happens), this is the fallback. In the photo below, the front surface (up to the peak) of the left side of the garage would be shingled the same as the right. This is 6-7 squares @ $50.00 per square, or $150.00 per owner.

LIMITATIONS 73% of the current roofs (94% of all roofs outside of Brentwood Court) are "earth tone" colors. Finding polychromatics that will blend to the level that the little noticeable contrast with nearby homes, and Acceptable contrast with shared roofs is possible.

However, 22% of homes, mostly those in Brentwood Court, are in blue/gray color. Blending to this in addition to the earth tones appears to be a technical impossibility. They are very different color palates, color families. If we try to use a more polychromatic pattern to add the additional colors (like the roof at the top of the page), the high degree of diversity in the new roof would make it stand out from everything in the community. See example. These highly polychromatic roofs are beautiful, but the community would have significant mismatches for 20+ years if we attempt such a conversion (or any conversion of the 73% earth tone).

We have looked a plan to mitigate the impact of the blue/gray roofs that could be implemented in 2007.

Fortunately, only 6 homes outside of Brentwood Court have this color so it is manageable in the short term at a cost of less than $2,000.00 A longer term solution will required for Brentwood Court. See April 26, 2006 / AIC Discussion / Bauer, Mallory.

Color Analysis

Below are brick/photo mock-ups. These are only approximate representations as the brick photos (us) and the shingle photos (manufacturers) were photographed by different cameras in different light The roof samples appear far darker in these photos than on a roof*.

Heather Blend (middle) is one color that works with the three brick colors in the community. The Heather Blend orange fleck and red hues (pixel effect) match elements present in all three brick styles. We have some full size tests shots on line now.

The color/pattern to the left (Sienna) contains a red flecks which is similar to the product currently on 1500 - 1524 Brentwood. It works with Brentwood Red and Orange and Rose bricks.

The color/pattern to the right (Colonial) is a gray base with brown highlights. It works with Brentwood Red bricks.

*Note: Roof colors look different during the course of a day, subject to light exposure, various kinds of light (i.e., bright sun, partial sun, full cloud), etc., and the pitch of the roof, and even moisture (i.e., morning dew versus mid day heat).

Cambridge Orange

Orange & Rose Blend.

Brentwood Red

Product / Manufacturer

We found that colors differ by manufacturing processes. For example, "Slate" from Tamco is a similar but not a matching color to "Slate" from Atlas. Our future roof specification will be both color and manufacturer specific.

New products shown on this page are manufactured by:

CertainTeed Corporation
P.O. Box 860
750 East Swedesford Road
Valley Forge, PA 19482
Phone: (610) 341-7000
Fax: (610) 341-7777

CertainTeed products had a more diverse, polychromatic product in general. Atlas was the most monochromatic..

Shown above is the PXT30 (hail resistant) 3 tab shingle. The manufacturer claims to have data showing that this product can withstand the force of a 2" steel ball dropped from a height of 20 feet.

245 lbs. per square
30-year limited, transferable warranty
5-year SureStart™ protection
U.L certified to meet ASTM D3462
U.L 2218 Class 4 impact resistant
StreakFighter Protection

Some insurance companies offer premium discounts for the use of UL2218 Class 4 products.

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