Why Are Black Metal Roofs So Popular?

While black metal roofs might be the hottest trend, the idea of black roofing isn’t new.  Black shingles dominated the residential market for decades until homeowners grew weary of the heat build-up in attics and shortened product life that accompanied black shingles.

At about the same time, metal roofing started to grow in popularity for residential applications.  And since metal roofs (even black ones!) don’t struggle with the same issues that plague black shingle roofs, metal roofing began to gain a foothold in the residential market.

Fast forward twenty years and black shades are one of the most popular color selections for residential metal roofing.   Not only is the black color back on the table, but it's also on the roof!  

7 Reasons Black Roofs Are Popular

1. Black Matches Everything:  Black roofs look great with all brick, stone, and siding combinations.
2. Black Pops:  Roof color is an easy (and economical) way to make a quick statement with lasting results.
3. Black is Modern: Young homeowners prefer modern over traditional styles, and black is modern.
4. Black is Trendy: People gravitate to what’s popular now instead of opting for last year's trend of earth tones like browns and grays.
5. Black is Timeless.  Like your favorite pair of jeans, black is one of the colors with the unique ability to be both trendy and timeless.  
6. Black looks Expensive.  While a black metal roof costs the same as a white one, most homeowners like the luxurious feel it adds to their property.
7. Black is Unique:  Although truthfully, with the current popularity of black, the unique factor might be short-lived.

Metal instead of Shingles

Beyond the color black, the trend for metal roofing over shingles also continues to grow.  Based on recent data, metal roofing now holds 12% of the remodel market share and 8% of the spending for new residential construction. Some homeowners cite long life expectancy (50+ years) as a critical factor in their decision, while others claim the recyclability of steel as a significant factor in their decision.

Many homeowners also like the energy efficiency of metal roofing. Most metal roofing manufacturers use cool paint technology, meaning the sun reflects off the steel and back into the atmosphere. In contrast, shingles absorb the sun's rays and deposit extra heat into the attic space, as the image below highlights. 

While lighter colors provide optimum energy savings, dark shades like black still far outperform shingles from an energy perspective. Check this out to learn more about reflectivity and how it can save up to 20% on your energy bill.

Pro Tip: When opting for a black metal roof, make sure to require Kynar 500Ⓡ paint so your roof looks as good in 25 years as it does the day you finish the installation! While Silicone Modified Paint (SMP) systems can offer acceptable performance with light colors, most homeowners would be very frustrated with the amount of fade and chalk that SMP systems deliver on dark colors like black or even dark greens, as shown in the image below.

With our Visualizer tool, you can experiment with roofing colors and styles. See how your home would look with a metal roof now.

And if you’re just now considering black metal roofing for your home, contact us. We’re always here to help!