Membrane Roof Colors

PVC Roof Colors

• Builders have used roofs made from polyvinyl chloride since the 1960s, reports FacilitiesNet. The National Roofing Contractors Association reveals that gray and white are the most common PVC roof colors, but manufacturers can now produce PVC roofs in a wide range of colors by adding pigments during the manufacturing process. PVC roof distributors offer many different standard colors, from white to black and every shade in between. Some manufacturers can also match custom colors using a small color sample, such as a paint chip, or even craft PVC roofing colored to resemble metal or other materials.

EPDM Roof Colors

• Builders began to use ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber roofing during the late 1970s and early 1980s. This synthetic rubber roof is compounded using carbon black to enhance UV protection and elasticity, resulting in a deep grey or black coloring in the finished product. While some manufacturers have attempted to create this material with white rubber, white EPDM tends to be less durable than darker EPDM roofs, according to FacilitiesNet. Buyers who wish to achieve a finish other than black or grey with an EPDM roof generally have to invest in an acrylic coating, which can be applied after the roof is installed. These coatings are typically used to give the roof a white, reflective finish, but also come in other shades .

TPO Roof Colors

• Thermoplastic polyolefin roofing gained popularity during the 1990s, and commonly comes in white, according to the NRCA. Similar to PVC, TPO can be colored by the addition of pigments during the manufacturing process to create a wide range of color options for buyers. Despite the availability of colored TPO roofing, it is closely associated with the color white, and the majority of TPO roofs in place as of 2013 are white in color.

Why Roof Color Matters

• The choice of membrane roof color involves much more than aesthetics. While buyers may seek out brighter membrane colors to avoid the drab, boring look of black roofing, many choose colored roofs in an attempt to improve energy efficiency. White roofs reflect heat energy, which can reduce air conditioning costs by as much as 20 percent in sunny climate zones, according to The New York Times. Light-colored roofs also improve comfort for building occupants and help to reduce pollution and global warming associated with powering an air conditioning system. In the coldest climates, dark roofs may actually improve efficiency more than light roofs by absorbing solar heat energy during the cold winter months, making dark colors more desirable than light ones in the coldest areas.