Feb

09

2024

Building Tips, Home Styling, Tips & Tricks

The Best Colorbond® Colour for Your Roof

Choosing the best Colorbond® steel colour for your roof has much more importance than simply maximising your curb appeal. Your colour choice needs to be guided by your home style, the climate, location and energy efficiency.

Colorbond® steel has been known and loved by Australians since it was first manufactured in Port Kembla in 1966. They consistently adapt to the demands of the climate and building industry, both with their colour range and their technology. With 22 core colours in their classic range, six premium matt finishes and seven ultra options, there is a colour and finish for every home.

We have compiled our best tips to help you choose the roof colour that is best for your home, and we have added in some insights from our customers top choices too. Let’s get straight into it:

1. The logistics
  Your local climate
  Location is key
  Energy efficiency choices
2. The colour wheel
  Subtle shades for contemporary homes
  Beachy tones for coastal homes
3. Longevity for your home

1. The logistics

Prior to the best part, that is perusing all the colour options, we need to understand the factors that will assist in your decision.

Your local climate

Colorbond® steel undergoes a range of tests including corrosion, durability, application and outdoor exposure. Consequently, this data allows homeowners to fully understand the best roof option for their climate.

Different roof colours will absorb and reflect heat in a different way. Lighter colours will reflect the heat, keeping your home cooler in summer. Alternatively, darker colours absorb heat more easily, making your home warmer in winter. This ultimately changes the temperature inside your home and can impact the energy efficiency. More about this later.

If you have driven through the ever-growing town of Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills over the last few years, you may have noticed a huge count of dark coloured roofs. Their extreme polarity between the high heats of summer and the lowest overnight temperatures in winter are a unique climate. Consequently, many homeowners have opted to go darker to keep their homes warmer in winter.

Location is key

Dwellings located close to the coast, and by close we are talking less than 200 metres from breaking surf or exposed marine, have the option of Colorbond® Ultra Steel. This product suits the demanding environmental pressures of the close proximity through enhanced corrosion protection. It also gives you the general peace of mind that you are doing the best for your home in its location.

Our Sales and Selections Teams will work through this with you, if applicable, when the time comes. While the options are reduced to the most popular colours, the technology cannot be faulted.

Energy efficiency choices

With the National Construction Code (NCC) soon to be changing requirements for new homes to reach a seven-star energy rating, energy requirements have never been so important. A lighter roof choice is just one way to reach the energy rating requirements for the NCC.

As we have previously visited, lighter roof colours can help to keep your home cooler on sunny days. The solar absorptance of the different colours varies. Fortunately, 21 of the core classic colours and all six Matt colours feature Thermatech® solar reflectance technology. As the name suggests, it is designed to reflect more of the hot sun.

Any potential glare problems that might be linked with lighter roofs can be overcome by working with orientation and roof pitch. Something your Sales Consultant and Drafters can work with you to overcome.

Home style

Adelaide Hills: Roof, Barge and Gutters – Woodland Grey®, Fascia – Dune®, Gable – Surfmist®

Knowing the style of façade for your home is essential. This will narrow down your selections, making the process that little bit easier. And you won’t be left with something that your neighbours laugh at with their friends.

We will talk about our top colour picks, based on the popular home styles our customers build, in the next section. Although we have grouped some colours by style, remember that you are building your dream home, so you can pick the colour that you like.

Mixing and matching the colours for your gutters, fascia and downpipes, all from the Colorbond® range, is an option that isn’t obvious at first. It might sound odd but stick with us. Above is an example of a home we have built that mastered the look.

2. The colour wheel

When it comes to colours for particular styles there are plenty of guides to follow, the ultimate guide being what works for you. If you have always dreamed of a red roof, the option is there. We wouldn’t suggest pairing it on a modern contemporary home, however, you can design your house around your roof choice.

We promised some insights from our customers top roof colour choices. Without further ado, lets have a look at roof colours on the homes we currently have in construction:

Roof colour choices for our current homes under construction

Subtle shades for contemporary homes

Contemporary homes are well loved for function over form, featuring clean lines and neutral tones. To fit this aesthetic, our top roof colour picks are Monument®, Shale Grey™ and Basalt®, as evident in our current builds. These colours set the tone for a neutral palette throughout the home.

Our top choices for contemporary Colorbond® steel roof colours.

If you would like to add some colour to your home, feature timber, brickwork or stonework are the most popular ways to include this. Here are some popular choices from our customers.

Beachy tones for coastal homes

It is no surprise that Shale Grey™ is again a popular roof colour choice for our coastal style homes. With its versatility as a light colour and neutral tone, it is an obvious choice. With the recent addition of Dover White™, Southerly® and Bluegum®, we are seeing more homes finished with these new light colour options.

Our favourite choices for coastal Colorbond® steel roof colours.

Bonus points go to Surfmist®, Dune®, Shale Grey™ and Windspray® as they are available in Colorbond® Ultra for those homes built close to the coast, as we discuss about location.

Adding the coastal theme to your home, without adding a polarising colour, can be achieved through large glass windows, skillion roofs and cladding features.

Yorke Peninsula: Roof, Fascia, Barge and Gutters – Surfmist®, Gable – Ironstone®, Cladding – Ironstone®

3. Longevity for your home

If you plan on selling your home in the future, resale appeal and overall value is something for your consideration list. Selecting a neutral and/or a popular colour will appeal to a wider variety of buyers. Consider making any statements on features that are easier to change – light fittings, wall colours and landscaping.

The verdict

The best Colorbond® colour for your roof is the one that covers all the elements that are most important to you. Whether you are driven by looks, energy efficiency or adapting to your location, these hints have given you the tools to make the choice.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out Our Projects to see more colour combinations.

By Amy Rosendale