Planning a home addition is exciting! However, one goal with any home addition is to ensure the new space looks like it’s always been a part of the existing home. Even to the untrained eye, new materials tend to stand out next to old ones. The roof on a new addition is no exception. Read on to learn how to make sure your roof matches the existing roof when planning your home addition.
What Factors Contribute to a Mismatch Between the Existing Roof and a New Addition?
Before you can understand how to make sure your roof matches, you have to understand what causes a mismatch. The following factors contribute to the mismatch between the roof of an existing home and a new addition.
- Sunlight, wind, and rain
- Aging
- Changes in material availability
Sunlight, wind, and rain
Here in North Central Florida, we are well aware of the elements. Intense sunlight, heat, rain, and wind mark the climate in Gainesville, FL. These conditions lead to changes in your roof. Elements like sunlight break down the color of your roof because of ultraviolet (UV) rays.
UV rays cause the color of roofs to fade – especially asphalt shingle roofs. Roofs end up being several shades lighter a few years after they’ve been installed. Frequent, heavy rain washes away roof granules, which also alters the color and texture of shingles.
Aging
Like everything else, roofs age. As they age, shingles begin to curl, crack, and stain. Algae and overhanging trees stain the roofs and/or leave long dark streaks across the surface. Stains make roofs appear much older than they actually are. Many new roofing materials contain anti-algae properties but that’s not always the case for older shingles.
We will discuss how properly cleaning the existing roof can help with matching the new roof in one of the upcoming sections.
Changes in Material Availability
Depending on the age of your existing roof and the manufacturer of the roofing material, the roofing contractor might not be able to acquire the exact same material. Manufacturers periodically discontinue certain colors or product lines. Additionally, the same product lines can sometimes have slight differences in granules or other characteristics due to product improvements and advancements.
How to Make Sure Your Roof Matches Following Your Home Addition
The following are a few practices your roofing contractor can implement to keep your new addition from sticking out like a sore thumb.
- Matching the existing roof line, pitch angle, and eaves
- Locating the same manufacturer of the existing roof
- Cleaning the existing roof
Matching the Existing Roof Line, Pitch Angle, and Eaves
Additions are usually easy to spot because one or all of these components are often out of alignment. Ideally, you want the roof line of the new addition to match up perfectly with the existing one so it resembles one continuous plane. In many cases, the roof line of the addition isn’t tied in properly and is higher or lower than the rest of the roof, making it look like an afterthought.
Another common issue with additions is a mismatched pitch angle. The pitch of the roof refers to the rise over the run. It’s the “steepness” of the roof. For example, if the existing roof has a 4/12 pitch, then the addition should also have a 4/12 pitch.
When it comes to the eaves of the roof, you want to make sure the lengths of the eaves are the same. Roof eaves are the part of the roof that extends past the exterior walls. Like the roof line, you want the eaves of the addition’s roof to line up exactly with the existing ones.
Locating the Same Manufacturer of the Existing Roof
The easiest way to try to match your roof shingles is to take a sample of your existing shingles to your contractor. The contractor will then attempt to match it with the supplier’s current inventory. If you’re able to find the exact roofing material, you may still have trouble matching the color if the roof is over 10 years old and faded. In that case, instead of trying to match the original color, you want to find a color of roof that’s lighter and has a similar tone to your current roof.
Cleaning the Existing Roof
Last but not least, once you’ve done your best to follow the other steps, you want to clean your existing roof. Most roofs will clean up effectively with the proper cleaning techniques. Removing dark streaks and other stains will bring your older roof closer to its original appearance. This is one of the easiest ways to match your old roof with your new home addition!
McFall Knows How to Make Sure Your Roof Matches
Making the roof of your new addition match perfectly with your existing home is nearly impossible. However, At McFall Residential Roofing, we specialize in roof installation and have over three decades of experience in both roofing and construction in Gainesville, FL.
Working with McFall, a devoted local roofing contractor, ensures you receive the utmost knowledge and expertise needed to make the best decisions for your home. We follow industry best practices and use high-quality roofing materials to give our customers beautiful roofs that last.
If you’re looking to add on to your home, McFall Builders and McFall Roofing have you covered! We are 2 distinct brands that can take care of your new addition from the foundation to the roof. Two distinct brands, one commitment to quality.
Contact us today to get started on your residential roofing project.
