No-Fail Tips for Choosing Shingle Colors for Brick Houses

Use the following tips to help you choose a shingle color that you will love for many years to come. Shingles typically last for 25 years, so consult with a professional before making the final decision. Ask your dedicated roofing professional about shingle color and style availability in your area.

Stick to Classic Neutrals

It is not by accident that shingle brands manufacture exceedingly more neutral colors than anything else. Neutral shingle colors are easy on the eyes and pair well with all shades of brick. Many HOAs specify neutral shingle colors to maintain a cohesive look in the neighborhood.

There are two categories of neutral colors to explore when picking a shingle color: warm neutrals and cool neutrals. Shades of browns, tans, and black are considered warm neutrals. Shades of gray and silver are cool neutrals.

These warm neutral shingle colors from CertainTeed are extremely versatile and compliment a wide range of brick exteriors.

These classically cool neutral shingle colors from CertainTeed are popular favorites for lightening your home's exterior.

If neutral colors lack visual interest, investigate earth-tone shingles. Earth-tones are colors found in nature. Think browns, rust, sage, charcoal, and deep navy. Shingles in earth-tones are a bold color option and are found in popular shingle brands like CertainTeed.

Picking blue shingles for your brick house will have a major effect on your home's curb appeal. Fortunately, red brick is complemented by many colors including navy and dark green shingles. Create a striking statement with CertainTeed's Atlantic Blue or Hunter Green shingles. Just make sure that you have your HOA's approval before signing a contract for colorful shingles.

Test shingle colors with ColorView®

You want to choose a shingle color that you will want to live with for years to come without any regret. If you find it difficult to visualize what your home will look like, use ColorView® by CertainTeed. It is an online, roof color visualizer tool that lets you upload a photo of your home and see how each shingle style and color looks on your home.

Find Brick Exteriors in your Neighborhood

Explore your neighborhood on foot and take note of what shingle colors your neighbors have used. Remember that shingle brands carry different colors and shingle styles. It might be helpful to ask your neighbors what shingles they went with including the shingle colors. If your neighbors refer you to an installer, know that some roofers offer vouchers for customer referrals.

Match Shingle Colors with a Roofing Estimator

It is expected that your roofing estimator provides you with shingle samples to help you make a final decision. Hold shingle samples up against your brick exterior to see how the two materials complement each other. Keep in mind that natural sunlight changes the appearance of color depending on the weather and the time of day.

Best Shingle Colors for Different Shades of Brick

Continue reading for shingle color recommendations and the colors to avoid based on your specific brick exterior.

A classic red brick exterior goes well with nearly every shingle color, especially warm neutrals. For maximum resale value, go with black shingles. Many HOA's require black shingles to maintain a uniform style in the neighborhood. For this reason, CertainTeed's Moire Black and Charcoal are the most popular shingle colors for red brick houses. Avoid light gray shingles and a red exterior which is commonly seen in barn and farmhouse structures.

The best shingle color picks for orange brick exteriors are gray and brown. Gray shingles pair especially well with orange brick and benefit your home in sustainable ways. The lighter the shingle, the less heat is absorbed keeping your house cooler. CertainTeed offers many shades of gray to pick from including: Pewter, Pewterwood, Driftwood, Colonial Slate, Georgetown Gray, and Cobblestone Gray.

Any shade of gray shingles will preserve the modern look of a gray brick home. Be careful with dark shingles because they tend to make your house look smaller. If you are worried that a gray-on-gray color scheme is too flat, check out CertainTeed's Silver Birch shingles that will catch the sunlight and energize your gray brick facade.

Earth-tone brick exteriors are still one of the most popular materials used by home builders. Pull from the earthy colors in your brick and pick your favorite shade of brown shingles. A muddy brown roof emulates the natural colors found in soil, trees, and rocks. Look at CertainTeed's brown shingles including Burnt Sienna, Heather Blend, and Resawn Shake.

Roofing maintenance is not optional when you own a historic home. A Historic Preservation Commission is trusted with preserving the historic integrity of old homes in places like Old Town Alexandria. When repairs or replacement are needed, you are limited to the roofing material that was historical appropriate at the time your house was originally built. Popular roofing materials for homes 100 years or older include: genuine slate, standing seam metal, painted or unpainted wood shingles, and flat roofing materials.

White brick exteriors truly go well with every CertainTeed shingle color available. Black shingles are an attractive option for white painted brick exteriors if you want a traditional, storybook look. Grey and silver shingles pair handsomely with white brick and create a cozy, cottage-inspired look. Also, shingle-alternatives to consider are wood shake shingles and CertainTeed's faux slate Highland Slate shingles.