Selecting the Perfect Shingle for a Colonial Home

By Malarkey Roofing Products.  

Choosing the right roofing style should be a decision that accounts for many components like climate, style and performance.  

A home is built from the inside out. The architecture is formed from the frames and profiles of the walls and roof before cladding and roofing shingles are added to complete the exterior of the home. The chosen architecture also impacts the roofing materials used on the home. 

Among the many styles of homes, a few stand out as exceptional candidates for polymer modified asphalt roofing shingle designs and colors, including Colonial style homes.  

History of the Colonial home styles 

Colonial home styles originated with European colonists in North America during the 17th-century. Many of the structures were adapted however, to the new colony and climates across the country. These settlers built houses that reminded them of their native countries of England, Holland, France and Spain. 

The Georgian Colonial, named after British monarchs from 1714 to 1830, are typically two or three stories and rather square. The multi-paned windows are arranged in a symmetrical design with brick or clapboard siding. The centered entrances are often flanked by columns and a pediment. Examples of these homes can be seen in in the Northeast, what we now refer as New England, and throughout the Midwest in their revival form. 

The Dutch Colonial, designed by settlers from Holland, are somewhat shorter at one or two stories, with steep gambrel roofs and gable-end chimneys. On the exterior, wood clapboard, brick or stone siding often surrounds double-hung windows sided by board-and-batten shutters. The Dutch Colonial also can include a porch beneath flared eaves of the roof. Examples of this style were original in the Mid-Atlantic regions of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Today, elements of the Dutch Colonial can be seen in the prairies of Oklahoma to the Pacific coast. 

When French settlers built their homes in the colonies, the French Colonial style developed in the former territories of Louisiana and Mississippi. These homes are built on raised foundations, one or two stories with brick, stucco or wood siding. The roofs are steeply pitched, hipped or side-gabled with extensive porches beneath extended roofs. Similar design elements can be seen in the islands of Hawaii, and other coastal communities. 

Originating in Spanish territories, settlers built Spanish Colonial homes using stucco, adobe brick, or rock for comfort in hot climates. The dry deserts of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and Southern California particularly boast this style. The red tile roofs often are often held with wooden roof supports projecting over exterior walls. Windows were small openings windows originally sealed with wrought-iron or wooden bars prior to glass. Grand exterior doors enclosed courtyards or patios before entry the home itself. 

Today, a few hundred years after most of the original colonial homes were built, not many remain intact. The styles live on instead, through what’s known as the ‘Colonial Revival’ home style. These homes boast formal entries and large paneled doors on the home’s façade. The exteriors typically feature windows placed symmetrically on both sides of a centered front door, with either a clapboard siding or brick exterior. Double-hung windows have multiplane sashes and are framed with like-sized shutters. 

Selecting roofing shingles for colonial homes 

The Malarkey Roofing Roof Designer is a tool that helps contractors and homeowners choose the best roofing product that fits their project. Just like imagining your house with a new coat of paint, the Roof Designer allows you to select and view every Malarkey residential roofing product and color, then digitally display the new look. You can easily get started in one of the two ways described below: 

1 – Select a house from the existing gallery. Click on the portion of the roof you would like to design first. The roofing style and color can complement or contrast with the home’s exterior. Check out a few of our roof design blog posts to help you choose the best roofing product for your project. 

2 – Upload an image of your own house to design. Click “Upload Your House,” then follow the prompts to create an account. Once uploaded, crop the image to your needs. It may need to be zoomed-in or larger to properly identify the roof. Then, select a roofing surface type, and draw an outline of each area of the roof. Next, click “apply changes” and “decorate now” to see the roofing shingles designs on the roof. 

The comfort of installing a new roof should be enjoyed for years to come. Choosing the right roofing style should be a decision that accounts for many components like climate, style and performance, but it should also be an enjoyable experience. For instance, our Pinterest page is an easy location to explore even more options for the new appearance of your home. Mobile users with iPad or Android devices can also download the Roof designer app as well. The Malarkey Roof Designer takes dreaming out of your decision and helps it become a reality.   

Have a question? AskARoofer.

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Original article source: Malarkey Roofing Products