Struggling to select a roof - need to make a decision by end of week!
We live in Massachusetts and had a ton of storm damage in the winter of 2015. Finally we are going to re-side and re-roof our home. We’ve selected CertainTeed Monogram Granite Gray vinyl siding. (pretty similar to what we already have - a warm gray).
I’ve posted before, yet I’m still stuck for a decision! We need to select our roof by the end of the week. We want darker than what we currently have, but I’m afraid of going TOO black. I also don’t want anything blue-ish or green-ish; just a really dark gray architectural shingle that shows dimension. Our roof doesn’t show any dimension in the architectural shingle and looks “flat”. Not sure what is currently on the house because we aren’t the original owners.
Our contractor dropped off the below samples – PLEASE HELP
CertainTeed Landmark – Charcoal Black (sample looks much darker in person than Moire Black, yet I’ve seen it on two houses and it appears lighter – does that mean it fades easily? SO confused)
CertainTeed Landmark – Moire Black (sample looks very black)
CertainTeed Landmark – Pewterwood (looks different on the few homes I’ve seen it on – again SO confused!)
GAF Timberline - Charcoal (almost pulled the trigger on this and then panicked it’s too black)
GAF Timberline - Pewter Gray (haven’t seen on a house, so not sure what it really looks like based on the sample alone)
Owens Corning Duration – Onyx Black (too black?)
Owens Corning Duration – Estate Gray (haven’t seen on a house, so not sure what it really looks like based on the sample alone, blue-ish?)
Tamko Heritage – Rustic Black (too black?)
Tamko Heritage – Virginia Slate (haven’t seen on a house, so not sure what it really looks like based on the sample alone, blue-ish?)
Iko – Dual Black (Originally loved this one, then I read online a lot of bad reviews)
As you can see I’m totally overwhelmed! I've been driving all over creation looking at roofs like a crazy lady. Not a fun summer break for my kids! LOL! Any advice as to what brand is “best” and what color would work well on my home? Below is an old picture of the listing from when we bought the house, our door is now black with a gold door knocker, no brass kick plate.
Thanks in advance!
Here's a recent picture, but the lighting is a bit dark.
Close-up of the current roof.
Comments (53)
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Comments (9)Dave, streams are lovely though they do incresase water losses to evaporation. My stream is about the same length as the one you are planning. I used one piece of liner and it is not joined to the main pond liner but is overlapped. My stream has three drops or small falls (about 6 to 10 inches) with small pools at the base of each fall to increase the sound effects and to allow for some water retention in the stream when the pump is off (makes start up quicker and gives the wildlife a place to stay wet until the stream is restarted). A fourth drop of about two feet is into the main pond. I ran the liner from the pond up under the liner for the stream behind and under the rocks that form the waterfall. The liners are not joined together but are overlaped about 4 to 5 feet, just to be sure that if there were any capillary action I would not loose any water. The stream bed liner should not extend below the water line in the main pond. You could use this same method to allow you to use two seperate pieces of liner in your stream. For this to work you must have enough slope in the stream bed to prevent water from running backward between the two liners and it works best if it is done at a drop at a falls where water sheets off a flat rock over a edge into a pool. Of course, joining the liners is best and works great as long as the seam is done right. I have another stream between two ponds, that has no slope kind of like a canal, where I joined two pieces of liners. The first time I did it I did not purchase the correct stuff to do the seam and after about two or three years it leaked. You can bet I got the right stuff the second time. Remember, everything settles with time and the wieight of snow or people ( standing admiring your beautiful strem, nothing keeps them back from the edge:>:) so be sure to keep the sides of your stream bed higher than the water level by quite a bit and do not cut off any excess liner, fold it under to hide it. Good Luck....See MoreStruggling with insulation/roofing options and energy efficiency.
Comments (13)To elaborate on thermal bridging since it was brought up again... there are several ways to calculate it, but to keep it as simple as possible, here is how it affects your total wall's insulation. First thing, if you put in r20 rated insulation product, you are certainly not getting an r20 wall for cavity walls. Other products such as ICF and SIPs (some SIPs even have thermal bridges) are nearly thermal bridge free and have what is called continuous insulation. My home is an ICF house from the footings to the roof, and there are no thermal bridges anywhere until the roof line. This gives me an r28 continuous insulation. However with wood frame structures, you have a framing reduction to take into account. Most new homes, studs, heads and plates take up anywhere from 18-25% of the wall area. (lets keep the numbers whole and rounded for easy math) Say you select blown fiberglass in a 2x6 wall, gives you roughly r20. You have 1000sqft of wall surface. That r20 is only for the stud bays, and every 16" roughly you only have an r1 due to the stud (framing factor) So you have 800 sqft of wall at r20 and 200 sqft of wall at r1. . Your "r20" wall is performing at an r16 on average with the studs acting like heat sinks. Add just 1" of XPS foam to the exterior (r5). Your r20 turns into r25, and your r1 turns into r6. Now 200 sqft of your wall is an r6 vs an r1 and reduces the heat sink effect.The materials to add that 1" XPS would be roughly 500-600 for that 1000 sqft wall. The upgrade from blown fiberglass to open cell foam is typically more than that. For adding exterior foam, details are pretty simply up to about 1.5" thick. After that, the details change and become more costly. Luckily for you, in zone 4. 1.5 is about as thick as you need to go. 1" would be a good start, and your details really do not change. I have detailed 1" foam and windows 1 of 2 ways. Either install the sheathing and foam and then the window. Or with 1" foam, most window flanges are 1 1/8"+ wide, so you can install the window and then install the foam. This gives them about 1/8"+ lap for a caulk joint for trim to hide the foam. The trim stands proud of the window with this detail obviously. 1.5" adds another step. I like to detail a frame out around the windows and butt the foam into it. So frame the wall as normal, install sheathing, then rip a 2x4 in half to give them 1.5x1.75 furring to frame out around the window RO. Install the foam, butt into the furring around the window, and then set the window, nailing into the furring. Everything planes out, and quite simple. Obviously this can also be done with 1" foam too, its just not necessary. There are lots of details floating around out there. Check out green building advisor as well. You can also checkout my blog for more details and nerdy building information. Again, a very untechincal explaination, but you get the idea hopefully. Here is a link that might be useful: home building blog...See MoreHELP needed asap with roof color selection
Comments (15)THANK YOU very much for the input and confirming that the Burnt Sienna was not a good idea. We are going to go with the Colonial Slate. The shingles have not been ordered yet, so not a problem. We called our sales agent, and DH will send a fax. Obviously, this is a decision we'd have to live with for a very long time. Plus, if we eventually change the exterior colors (but won't be painting the brick) the slate will match pretty much anything else we choose. Some neighbors have used a light sage-y green on their trim, and I'd really like that, too. At least that's a few years off, though....See MoreI need to make proposal decision long distance and fast
Comments (14)Celtic, I live in Miami so am somewhat familiar at least with the basics of HVAC needs in Florida. I tend to agree it's not a good idea to feel rushed about putting in a whole new system. I'd recommend you get onto the Tampa/Sarasota Angie's List and find a well recommended AC source there. Down here there are many, many AC vendors from quasi-corporate firms to individuals who are licensed and resell major brands. And a unit that was installed in 2005 shouldn't be on the verge of complete failure I'd also suggest you ease up on immersing yourself in the intricacies of HVAC systems. Really, unless you are going into the business yourself trying to do a crash course on the technology just isn't necessary. You know you want a heat pump which I agree is smart; although we don't get chilly weather often it's nice to have when we do. I'd strongly suggest you place higher weight on good energy efficiency. AC down here runs almost every single day of the year, for decades. That monthly electric bill is important to consider and a high SEER will more than pay for itself in the long run. I think the most important facet is a good vendor. Trane is pricey because of the name. There are a lot of companies who make very good central systems at a lower cost. For comparison, I am finishing the renovation of a rental property I inherited. It had a Carrier central system that was installed in 1998(!). The AC was working when I got the house but knowing it would need to be replaced I got several estimates. They came in ranging from $3500-$5000. I got one last referral from my contractor, who turned out to be a young guy just starting out on his own. He quoted me for the same system at $2500! Did a great job and everything is running fine. So my long winded response is: don't panic, don't feel you need to turn into an HVAC expert. Get the thing running now, find a good vendor source, have a solid energy efficient system put it in, and you'll be fine....See More
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6 years agoThank you, dbrad! This decision is much harder than I ever thought it would be! I want dark, but not TOO black, and I want to see the definition in the architectural shingle. These sample boards that I have look nothing like the homes that have the same shingles!
Here's a home near me that has the GAF Timerline HD Charcoal (not the Ultra HD). Does it look similar to yours?
nlmackay
6 years ago
PRODesign Everest
6 years agoGoing dark seems like the best idea. Let us know what you decide out of your three choices.
Farmhouse-Style Exterior · More Infonlmackay thanked Design Everestvinmarks
6 years agoWe had Owens Onyx Black on our old house. We lived there for 14 years. Right before we sold the house we replaced the roof due to some hail damage. The roofer thought the roof was one of the gray colors that Owens makes because it had faded a little bit. We had a pack of the original shingles in our attic and showed the roofer that they were Onyx Black. So they do fade a little.
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