For Those Who Have/Had a Dark Colored Roof - Need Help & Advice (vinyl, air conditioning)

[Eldemila]

I haven't had much luck at all trying to get some answers about choosing a dark roof and I'm hoping someone on this area of the board may be able to offer some answers & insight firsthand.

We purchased an older home with a light yellow vinyl siding and currently has a light gray roof. I really like how a dark roof looks with this color siding and would like to consider either a black or dark gray, maybe even dark brown shingle, but I need to find out how choosing a dark colored roof will affect the electric bill when it comes to air conditioning.

First, the house is in Upstate SC for reference, so why there's cold winters, I'm more concerned in the hot summers there, and it gets well over in the 100's. There is no shade from any trees (unfortunately).

I'd like to get some feedback from anyone who went from a light/dark roof to a dark/light roof and what you saw in the way of your electric bill during the summer/winter and if you felt any difference in the house between having the two different colors. If you have had experience, can you please tell me what type of shingle (3tab - architectual - etc) you had/have and what color you had/have. Did you install any type of extra ventilation if you went from a light'/dark roof, and if so, what?

I don't want to make a wrong decision and find my bills go sky high due to choosing a dark roof, but if the difference is minimal, I'd like to go with what I find asthetically pleasing to my eye.

Thanks for any feedback!

[Kandy]

We had a black roof on our home in TX, but we also had Techshield Radiant Barrier which really helped keep the house cooler in the summer. Is this something you can do in SC?

[Eldemila]

Originally Posted by Kandy

We had a black roof on our home in TX, but we also had Techshield Radiant Barrier which really helped keep the house cooler in the summer. Is this something you can do in SC?

Not sure, really don't know anything about it, but will definitely look in to it.

So you HAD a black roof - do you have a dark roof now, and if not, which do you prefer, and why? Do you notice a difference between having a dark roof and a light one, if you have(had) a light one?

Thanks

[K'ledgeBldr]

The difference is minuscule at best.
The difference is in the amount of insulation and ventilation(convection vs. power).

[texdav]

I had a black roof when I bought this house and later changed to a lighter grey and can tell you the black was much hoter in the summer time.Tech sahilrd will only drop teh temperature so uch and not seal all ehat out. Last I knew the average was 20 degress on medium colored roof. If you ever had a room over a grage then you know that having under the room even with insualtion means its hotter than others.

[Eldemila]

Thanks for the replies. I'll keep those thoughts in mind as I keep looking til I make a decision.