who is good with picking colors???

[mx842]

You didn't mention your age, if you have kids and if you or they will ever want to sell the house. Just because you don't think you will ever want to sell it doesn't mean that things wont change on you a year from now.

When deciding on a color, always consider what will sell. The reason this is important is it removes that wild tendancy that some have to personalize a place, or experiment with it. Go with what works, what is proven, and what will give you the biggest bang for the buck.

Your roofers gave you good advice. I'm going to assume that they are pros and do this all the time. I'm sure that they have seen bad color choices and been embarassed by those jobs. I know that I have in remodel jobs that I've done. I'm also sure that they have seen good choices and been proud of those jobs. Did they give you any refrences? Did you ask for some and go look at what they did?

Grey and dark brown would be the area of color I would consider with your red brick. I like galvalume for it's reflective property, but find that it looks way too industrial for a residential home. Same thing with white. Black is too much and would never look good. Red has a history of fading. I've seen plenty of red roofs that look great on old barns, white buildings and natural rock. Not on red brick. Are you going to paint your brick?

When putting the metal on, be sure you know exactly what you are getting. Assuming anything with roofers will always result in them doing what is fasters and easiest for them, and not what is best for your roof. Require that they strip off the existing shingles. Some will say they will just nail purlins over them and attach the metal to the wood. This doesn't work very well and leads to problems down the road. STRIP OFF THE SHINGLES

If your decking is good, require 30 pound paper to go over the decking and under the metal. Have the metal attached to the decking.

Be sure that they are using premium screws. The rubber gaskets on the screws are what keeps the water out. Cheap rubber will crack and leak in a few years. Check to make sure they tighten the screws down snug. Too tight and the rubber will crack and leak.

Require that you get all new vents and flashing. NEVER reuse any of it.

If you have a skylight, take it out and through it away!!!!!!!!

Make sure to replace any wood rot. Many times I've seen metal used to cover up rot, and when the metal falls off, they owner finds out the hard way that it was bad all along.

Good luck
Eddie

Wow! almost too much to think about at one sitting. But let me address the skylights. I have thought about taking them out but have one small problem. Like I mentioned in another post I had originally planned on dormer window on the front of the house but ran out of money before I reached that part. I have two rooms upstairs that had to have emergency exits that would not be there if I didn't put the dormers on. The building inspector approved the revised plans but required me to put skylights that open and close in those rooms so that there would be some means of escape out of those rooms in case of fire. I'm not sure what I could do about that.

The rest of what you said makes sense but every roofer I have talked to said it would be fine to go with the purlin over the old roof as long as it is only one layer on the roof. The purlins act as an air space that is needed between the medal and the roof surface itself so that the reflective paint can can do the job it is designed to do.

I do think you for your opinions though and am not saying you are wrong or right. I have never had a leaking problem with any of the skylights in the past but everything will change now with the new roofing being applied. My roofer has already expressed concerns about being able to flash around these skylights because of the height of the medal itself and we are looking at other options in case we see a problem. So yes, we do realize the potential for leaks but I would not go so far to say throw away every skylight ever put in a house because if you use a good quality skylight and they are installed properly they can be an asset in both beauty and functionality. Of-course as you mentioned there are drawbacks with insulating values being lost but sometimes you have to give up a little to get something else you want more.

 

[mx842]

mx - rebuild in PhotoShop. Look for your request a little later. If you want the look of it "being there for years" I would start looking at old historic houses and interpret the colour patterns for roof colour against brick plus all the wood trim/window colour etc. Remember it is an interpretation not an accurate restoration... you can change a few things to make it "your own" - ie: solid red door - for me it's a little bit of spark or excitement in the facade of brick.

Eddie - this is still purely subjective - and can be interpretive as 'good' or 'bad' - I like or you like... etc. ...

"Your roofers gave you good advice. I'm going to assume that they are pros and do this all the time. I'm sure that they have seen bad color choices and been embarassed by those jobs. I know that I have in remodel jobs that I've done. I'm also sure that they have seen good choices and been proud of those jobs. Did they give you any refrences? Did you ask for some and go look at what they did?

Grey and dark brown would be the area of color I would consider with your red brick. I like galvalume for it's reflective property, but find that it looks way too industrial for a residential home. Same thing with white. Black is too much and would never look good. Red has a history of fading. I've seen plenty of red roofs that look great on old barns, white buildings and natural rock. Not on red brick. Are you going to paint your brick?"


What mx has to consider is the "feel" and look he is going after. If he wants "rustic' than he should define rustic and use that as a criteria. MX the copper metallic is beautiful but will never colour down to a green copper roof that is historic appropriate vis-a-vis what would have been used with early brick housing - either cedar shake or copper standing seamed roofs. There's a house here that has the new copper metallic roof. I've driven by it over the last 25+ years and it looks 'new' will never age. It's exciting to see and when the sun hits it at the correct angle it can be seen for miles! Again it's an interpretation - looks great but is not timeless.

If you use history as a criteria you can't go wrong. All of the styles we strive for can be reduced to half a dozen that repeat over the centuries. Another tool to use is the concept of environment/materials at hand to dictate design; ie: stones houses vs cedar shakes vs clapboard - all had their reason - based on availability of materials. But I would still look seriously at historic homes for reference...

Heck no I ain't going to paint my brick....:laughing: I spent too much money and time looking for just the right mix and colors for what I wanted at the time. The only thing that is different now is that a lot of the trees that were here when I built here are gone but I already have plans to replace the huge oaks with something else that is native to the area. We have what is called Mountain Laural and it is a bushy evergreen that will get to 20' high if left alone. I say if left alone......by that I mean if you are able to keep the deer from eating it to the ground. I have several huge hollies next to the house but I'm afraid I will lose them when I take out the last 4 oaks that are left next to the house. I have decided that the risk of these trees falling on the house over rides the effect that they have provided for the past 20 years. I don't think my wife can survive another storm like the last two so they have to go. It will take a few years for these new trees and bushes to grow up but I still have a few years left to enjoy just watching them grow up. I'm 64 and plan on living to about 120 so I have time.:laughing:

 

[mx842]

Based on my experience with a Chase credit card, and a friend's with a Chase checking and IRA accounts; I think they are the most incompetent boobs in the banking industry. They still send me privacy notices every now and then for a credit card account I closed years ago.

Chase = Idiots!



Yep, terracotta = puppy puke brown.


Another thing to consider with a metal roof in snow country are those little tabs designed to minimize avalanching. One usually sees these roof tabs over entry ways. I've seen them used on houses with and without gutters.

Chase = Idiots!......That's a big 10-4 there good buddy! I have a few more adjectives I could use but it may not be a good idea to use them here. I'm in VA and we don't have that much snow here but every once in awhile we get one that hangs around awhile. That is another reason I wanted medal it should slide off the roof better as in the front of the house where the main roof transitions to the porch sometimes when we do get one of those big snows the snow and ice piles up there and it does cause a lot of problems. I have had to actually go up on the roof before and shovel it off for fear it would crash the porch in. This has only happened once or twice in the past 20 years but the next time I might be too dang old to go up there and shovel it off.

 

[mx842]

The company that my metal came from is out of business now. They used to be in Grapevine, TX, but were bought out and their old factory site now manufactures flooring products. Anyhow, my metal is 26 ga. and very close to the Deep Green color in this photo from the Mueller Inc. website.

Also, you asked about the basement under my deck. The photo before is actually the back side of my house and under the deck is the garage. On the other side of the house, is a walkout basement. My house is very much a multi-level house. In the last couple of years we've added decks to wrap around all of the house and added a bathroom onto the lower walkout basement/rec room. Attached is a partial shot of the front side just as construction was completed.

Yeah, I'm still kicking myself for not doing the same thing. Oh well we live and learn I guess. Thanks for the pics.

 

[mx842]

Well I have it narrowed down now to the charcoal grey with light grey trim and the gutters a shade or two darker than the trim but not as dark as the roof. # 2 green roof with grey trim and gutters. #3 Coco Brown with grey trim and gutters. The more I think about it the more I'm thinking the charcoal grey colors. That is unless someone has a better idea. I need to order the medal in the next couple days.

I plan on doing the barn with the same roof color with the terra cotta red siding to match the house colors. I can't think about it anymore my brain is fried.:laughing:

 

[KennyG]

Take a look the "Indiana Pole Barn" thread now active. He put red siding with black wainscoting on the pole barn and it's really striking. I'm guessing you are looking a less bright red, but taking the roof color and adding wainscoting might look pretty good.

 

[mjncad]

Well I have it narrowed down now to the charcoal grey with light grey trim and the gutters a shade or two darker than the trim but not as dark as the roof. # 2 green roof with grey trim and gutters. #3 Coco Brown with grey trim and gutters. The more I think about it the more I'm thinking the charcoal grey colors. That is unless someone has a better idea. I need to order the medal in the next couple days.

I plan on doing the barn with the same roof color with the terra cotta red siding to match the house colors. I can't think about it anymore my brain is fried.:laughing:

Based on your description, I'd go with what I highlighted with one minor change....keep the gutters the same shade as the trim.

Next choice in my opinion is your second one.

Avoid the coco (e.g. ****) brown with gray over red brick.

 

[mx842]

Take a look the "Indiana Pole Barn" thread now active. He put red siding with black wainscoting on the pole barn and it's really striking. I'm guessing you are looking a less bright red, but taking the roof color and adding wainscoting might look pretty good.

Yeah that looks good. I have a friend that has all his buildings done in white siding with black wainscoting and that really looks good. I'll probably do the barn siding in the terra cotta red with the dark grey roof to match the house. My brain is fried from thinking about this and it is time to get off the pot and order the medal.

 

[mx842]

Based on your description, I'd go with what I highlighted with one minor change....keep the gutters the same shade as the trim.

Next choice in my opinion is your second one.

Avoid the coco (e.g. ****) brown with gray over red brick.

Yeah I have made up my mind and am going with the dark and light greys. I just can't keep thinking about it any longer, it's time to act. I'll post pics when it is done.

 

[Army grunt]

Slate grey.
Army Grunt