Roof Designs and Styles

The secret to this home's gracious patina is architectural symmetry and classic materials. A white-painted brick exterior topped with an asphalt roof features two gables and three dormers centered above the front entry. Copper window awnings and a wooden entry door enhance the home's exterior charm.

Gently sloping roofs on ranch houses make the rooftop less noticeable. It's smart to choose a color and material that blend. The rough texture and muted color of the cedar-shingle siding and detailed gables on this ranch-style house are complemented by the roof's gray-brown shingles.

The bold color and texture of tile roofs command attention. Clay tiles are popular in the Southwest because they deflect hot sun away from the house, cooling the interior. This roofing material, while expensive, is long-lasting. A stucco abode complements the tile's outspoken nature.

This home's aging roof was updated to a slate-style fiberglass-composite shingle that complements the home's new gray-blue exterior color.

Tip: It's best to tear off an old roof rather than install a new one over an existing roof. A tear-off reveals any defects in the roof deck so they can be mended before a new roof is installed.

The straightforward style of this gracious Georgian home is distinguished by timeless brick siding and dark shutters. The wood shingle roof has weathered to pleasant shades of gray. Wood shingles are thick enough to cast shadows, creating a subtle but attractive repetition of the home's classic lines.

A house needn't be topped with a single material, especially when the roof's character changes. White PVC roofing on this home's new upper-level addition saves energy and can only be seen from a bird's-eye view, helping to preserve the home's character while enabling it to live for today.

Though this elegant home was originally built in Federal style, many of its post-Civil War improvements were kept, including the mansard roof. Purple-gray scalloped shingles complement the home's decorative ornamentation.

Color choices for roofing have greatly expanded in recent years. A metal roof dramatically enhances this three-story clapboard cottage, creating an appealing color palette with its all-white exterior and surrounding greenery.

Elegant and attractive, slate's unfailing beauty is paralleled only by the cost of installing and maintaining it. This brick exterior was painted a gray-green hue to complement the slate roof's variety of color tones.

Tip: Love the look but not the cost? Composite material -- made of slate and resins -- features all the glorious good looks of natural slate with easier installation and care.

The flat, unseen roof of this contemporary-style home calls for heavy-duty materials. While appearance isn't a concern, ensuring that water quickly rolls off the slight slope is critical. If you live in a cold climate, make sure you also pick a roofing material that can bear a significant snow load.

Mountain views and a lush landscape provide the ultimate backdrop for this charming woodland cottage. Exterior features such as a shingle roof, rustic bark siding, and flagstone walkways make the home blend comfortably into its surroundings.

Judicious use of old elements -- a mansard-style roof, old French balusters, zinc oeil-de-boeuf dormers, and lovingly collected raw materials -- transformed this once Italianate ranch into a a sophisticated French manor.

Steeply sloped roof sides, characteristic of Dutch Colonial houses, often cover most of two exterior sides of a home's second floor. That makes roofing material and color choices very noticeble. Wood shingles and shakes are beautiful natural roofing material options.

Tip: Check for fire-retardant treatments for natural materials, or consider a synthetic substitute such as laminated composition shingles that have a shakelike profile.

Skylights bring sunshine deep into rooms during the day and add drama to a home's exterior at night. For all their appeal, though, skylights are holes in the roof. When poorly done, they let in temperature extremes and water. Choose skylights wisely, place them thoughtfully, and install them carefully so you can enjoy the benefits always.