Newest Trend in Low Slope Roofing …Colors

The demand for color matching steep- and low-slope roofing products is increasing coast to coast.

Salesman Mark Nelson faced an aesthetic challenge in the reroofing of this upscale home pictured at right in Piedmont, Calif. Much of the low-slope section tying in to the shingle roof is visible, not only from other levels of the home itself but from surrounding structures in the hilly location. “The typically available color choices for low-slope roofing just wouldn’t have cut it. We needed to match as closely as possible the unique smoky charcoal color of CertainTeed’s Charcoal Black Presidential Shake™ TL shingle. Because Nelson’s company, Elliott and Elliott of Oakland, Calif., prides itself in roofs that are not only superb in terms of workmanship but that also meet the owner’s visual expectations, he was thrilled to find a perfect color match in CertainTeed’s Moire Black Flintlastic® modified bitumen membrane. “Even more incredible was the fact that I could select membrane in not only the color I wanted, but also the most appropriate application method for the project because CertainTeed’s low slope ‘Color Companion’ products are available in torch, mop, cold adhesive or self adhesive varieties.”

The trend isn’t confined to California. “We’re seeing demand for color matching steep- and low-slope roofing products increase coast to coast,” says CertainTeed’s vice president of marketing, Marcia Hannah. An example is the Homestead Village complex in Centennial, Colo., installed by Hart Roofing of Littleton, Colo. While the overall project was 1,700 squares of CertainTeed Presidential Shake TL shingles, every town home also featured a very visible low-slope section. Using just white, tan or black (the typical colors) would have been an eyesore to the aesthetic beauty of the project. Instead, Flintlastic in Heather Blend proved the perfect companion to the (Autumn Blend) shingles.

This trend isn’t limited to residential applications. The historic Labor Hall Building in Napa, Calif., paired CertainTeed’s Flintlastic Colonial Slate modified bitumen membrane with Colonial Slate LandMark™ 40 shingles. The result? Not just functionality but a perfect color match that looks as good as it performs.

CertainTeed currently manufactures its Flintlastic membranes in nine colors (including white), and special order colors are also available in minimum quantities. By using the same blends used for their most popular shingles, customers have an array of design choices available to suit any roofing situation.

“We see producing Color Companion Products as a means of going the extra mile for our customers,” says CertainTeed’s vice president of Commercial Roofing, Tom Smith. “Sure, it’s easier to produce a few standard colors, but does that set us, or our customers, apart from the ordinary? Our goal is to provide roofing contractors and specifiers with the products customers want most.”

“Offering a variety of color choices gives us the opportunity to sit down with our customers and let them choose more than just a waterproofing solution. “says Nelson. “With color and style options we are able to offer roofing choices in line with the property value and architectural criteria. This definitely gives us a competitive edge from the contractor who may leave a one-choice proposal and walk away. This is the best development we’ve seen in low-slope roofing in years.”