Selecting Metal Roofing Colors for Forest Environments
Metal Roofing Colors
Many of us aspire to a home in the woods – the family home in a wooded setting, a getaway cabin in the mountains, or the dream forever home in the ideal forest setting. A tree-filled environment offers a stunning backdrop and a host of advantages. These include added privacy and comfort during warmer months. These environments also offer positive mental health impacts, including; a sense of tranquility, escape, and reduced stress. These benefits are not anecdotal either, with several studies reinforcing the advantages of these settings as published in this article.
It is important to focus on the colors and textures of the structure within these settings, including roofing and siding. The roof forms one of the largest surface areas of the structure and a central element that ties design features together.
So what metal roofing colors are ideal for wooded settings?
Not all wooded environments are the same, and each project will have different color considerations. Tree types, vegetation density, regional variances, the style of the structure, and the types of other building materials used can all influence color selection. Fortunately, a benefit of metal roofing is the broad range of color options available, enabling metal’s use in almost any natural setting.
At Steelscape we work with customers and leading color experts to develop unique metal roofing color options that enhance the curb appeal of homes and other buildings. Based on this extensive experience, we developed the following color themes, ideal for wooded settings.
Complementary tones – Natural Colors
Natural colors can offer balanced tones and reduced color intensity to offer maximum integration with the surrounding environment. These tones also work well with organic and aged building materials such as stained or distressed wood siding. Natural colors’ muted appearance can also contribute to the feeling a structure existed in its installed environment long before it was built. Steelscape’s Vintage is a widely popular finish for natural environments. Its pre-aged metal look provides a versatile color, and its translucent finish provides added warmth when it interacts with the sun. Vintage has broad appeal due to its ability to work with almost any building style.
Complementary tones – Cool colors
Often alluring tones in wooded settings are cooler colors (those with a lower color temperature), such as shades of green and blue. These hues are reinforced through natural elements such as shade, vegetation lushness, and weather conditions. Steelscape’s Custom Color Urban Slate is a great color choice for these settings. Urban Slate is a cooler variation of the same paint technology used in Vintage, and its translucent finish provides the same natural interaction with sunlight and softens color intensity. The cooler, blue tones of Urban Slate make it ideal for very lush settings, such as the Pacific Northwest.
Contrasting tones – Texture
Classic colors for many wooded settings include vibrant classics such as bright green. These tones can be used to add contrast to siding material or to reinforce stylistic elements of the structure, such as steep gabled roofs. Steelscape’s Rawhide provides the same color vibrancy as a traditional green color but includes added texture for a more sensory experience that also helps to reduce light reflection.
Contrasting tones – Warmth and strength
Sometimes building owners may seek to contrast the surrounding environment, but in a way that remains inviting and warm. Earthy and weathered tones are ideal for this design aspiration, including deep reds or varied rustic finishes. Steelscape’s Rustic Rawhide is an ideal color choice for this application as its earthy warm pattern pairs well with natural siding materials, and the added texture improves material integration into its environment. Read about a Rustic Rawhide case study in Aspen, Colorado.
Color Consideration – No shine
Modern building design may seek dark, monotone colors to minimize the visual footprint of the structure within its setting. Rich black or dark gray roofing or siding, often in the same hue, can fulfill this objective. For ultimate impact, Steelscape’s Natural Matte Carbon provides an ideal color choice. It offers a deep rich black and features Steelscape’s innovative Ultra-Matte technology, which features gloss and sheen (or shine) levels lower than other metal products. Eliminating light reflection and shine can help further minimize the visual footprint.
A seasonal concern associated with a wooded or forest setting can be fire risk. When used in conjunction with the right roofing components metal roofing can improve fire resistance and contribute to Class A fire ratings. The roof skin is an important component, however, fire ratings are based on several elements of the roof assembly including the roofing material, the insulation, underlayment, and the roof deck material. In extreme risk areas, also consider metal as an alternative non-combustible siding option. For those seeking the log cabin feel explore alternative materials such as metal wood-look siding such as those featuring Steelscape’s woodgrain finish.
An advantage of metal is its long lifespan and low maintenance requirements. If you are considering metal in a heavily wooded setting, leaf and pine needle accumulation can be an issue. The low grip surface of metal is effective at shedding organic debris, but leaf and needle build-up can still occur. Due to the ability of this matter to trap moisture, long term exposure can damage the painted surface of the metal. You can learn more about this damage in the toolkit published by the National Coil Coating Association. Fortunately it is relatively simple to avoid through periodic cleaning and rinsing of the roof surface. Removing the accumulation of leaf and needle debris can also improve the roofs rain shedding properties or help to alleviate fire risk.
To learn more about metal colors to complement your next mixed material design, download one of the Steelscape Design Guides, explore our Range of Premium Finishes or Visualize online using our 3D visualizer.
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