Does Roof Tile Colour Matter?

Appearance and street character

A roof covers a large share of what you see of a house from the road, so its colour sets the tone. Reddish-brown clay suits traditional brick houses, slate grey suits stone and rendered walls, and dark brown or black suits some modern developments. A colour that clashes with the walls, the window frames or the neighbours' roofs can look odd for the life of the roof.

On estates where the houses are similar, the roof colour is part of the streetscape. A replacement that changes the colour is noticeable at once, and it can affect how the property looks to buyers. If in doubt, a sample board held against the brickwork on site is a better guide than a catalogue photograph, because daylight changes how tile colours look.

Planning and conservation areas

In some places, the council has a say. Conservation areas, listed buildings and homes covered by a planning condition from a new-build consent may restrict what you can change. A like-for-like repair is usually fine, but changing the material or the appearance may need consent. Check with your council's planning team or its conservation officer before you order tiles. Our guide on concrete versus clay roof tiles sets out how the materials differ in look.

Fading and weathering

Colour changes with age. Concrete tiles are coloured either throughout with a pigment or by a surface coating, and over the years sunlight and weather can thin it, so the roof gets paler or patchy. Clay tiles are coloured by the clay and the firing, so the colour runs right through and holds well, though moss and lichen change the look. Natural slate ages as the surface weathers, with some types turning rusty if they contain iron.

That ageing is why a new tile beside old ones looks different for a time. The gap closes as the new tile weathers, though not always completely. Read more in our answer on matching new tiles to an old roof.

Heat, light and performance

Dark tiles absorb more sunlight than pale ones, so in theory they run hotter. In a ventilated roof with insulation at ceiling level, the effect on room temperature is small, and the difference is hard to feel inside. Colour does not affect waterproofing, strength or the life of the tile. A tile's quality depends on the material, the make and the fixings, and not on whether it is red or grey.

One practical point is moss. Shaded north slopes grow moss on any colour of tile, but dark tiles can make green growth look less obvious. Pale or red tiles show it more. If your roof is under trees, this can be a deciding factor.

Colour, moss and maintenance

Colour affects how a roof ages in the eye more than in fact. A dark roof under trees collects leaf debris that sits visibly on the surface, while a pale one shows soot and moss from a long way off. Moss itself holds moisture on the tile and can lift edges, so removing it carefully is worth doing whatever the colour. Biocide treatments can stain a pale tile, so test a patch first.

Surface-coloured concrete tiles can lose their colour coat in places, especially on the sunniest slope, and the roof can look striped when new tiles are added. Through-coloured tiles hide that effect, because the colour is mixed all the way through. If you are choosing for the long term, ask which type the tile is, as it changes how it will look in twenty years.

Colour and resale

A roof in poor visual condition affects how a house looks to a buyer, and a surveyor will comment on staining, moss and patchy repairs. A tidy roof that matches the house helps, but there is no need to chase an exact colour when the tile is sound. Our guide to tiled roof repair cost will help you weigh a repair against a new covering.

Choosing a colour for a repair or a new roof

For a repair, match what is there. For a full replacement, you have more freedom, but think about the walls, the windows and any rooflights or solar panels you may add. Ask for a sample tile and look at it on the house in morning and evening light. We can show you samples and photographs of finished roofs when we visit. Our broader tiled-roof service is on the pitched roofing page.