When refreshing your style for your home, plenty of solutions aid with this. Whether incorporating water fountains in your front lawn or installing windows to give it an extra dose of flair, there is always a home improvement project to utilize to your advantage. However, there are other ways to give your house a stylish, new look. For example, can you paint asphalt shingles?
Aside from frequent maintenance and upkeep, surprisingly, some homeowners paint their roof shingles. So, if you’re curious if you can paint asphalt shingles, this guide will provide an overview of everything you need to know before considering this home improvement project.
Can You Paint Asphalt Shingles to Make a House Look New?
Yes! You can paint asphalt shingles. Most homeowners incorporate this project if their shingles are worn or faded. This gives their roof a new look and helps strengthen your roof’s longevity. One of the reasons why asphalt shingles are an ideal type of roof to paint on is their durability and waterproof features.
The Advantages of Painting Asphalt Shingles
Several benefits come with this particular exterior project when considering painting asphalt roof shingles.
Cost Effective
Attempting to reshingle your roof can be tedious and expensive. Therefore, one of the primary advantages of asphalt shingle painting is its cost-effectiveness. This way, it refreshes your roof’s look while saving you money.
Another reason it’s cost-effective is that depending on the color you paint your roof, it reflects sunlight away, keeping your home cool and reducing the need for A/C cooling systems.
Helps With Insulation
Another primary advantage that benefits you from painting your asphalt is that it helps with insulation within your home. Asphalt shingles are the perfect insulation material as they reflect penetrative heat. Also, as previously mentioned, painting asphalt roof shingles a specific color can contribute to reflecting and absorbing heat.
Revitalizes Your Visual Exterior
One of the reasons why homeowners frequently paint their roof shingles is that it gives the exterior of your home a fresh look. Over time, your shingles might appear worn or faded, and reshingling your roof can be challenging. So, refreshing your roof with eye-catching colors rejuvenates your overall aesthetic.
Strengthens Longevity
Another advantage of asphalt shingle painting is that it strengthens its longevity. Once you apply the acrylic latex paint will provide your roof protection with its specialized UV radiation resistance layer. Another beneficial factor this advantage offers is its ability to increase safety from weathering.
The Disadvantages of Painting Asphalt Shingles
Since we have answered, “can you paint asphalt shingles,” we should discuss the disadvantages. Below, we will review several drawbacks that come with completing this task.
Requires Extra Maintenance
Even though painted asphalt shingles are aesthetically pleasing, they will require you to maintain them frequently. While maintaining them periodically is necessary for roof inspections, you must ensure that the asphalt shingle paint doesn’t curdle or chip off the shingles. Every month or so, you would have to apply touch-ups and repairs to those shingles affected.
Can Lead to Potential Roof Damage
If you are completing this project on your own, if you need to paint your asphalt shingles correctly, it can lead to potential roof damage in the future. Always ensure that your asphalt shingle paint layers on the shingles, sheathing, and underlayment are dry, or they will trap moisture. Trapped moisture might lead to mildew or mold buildup.
Doesn’t Substitute Repairing Your Roof
Although it helps to rejuvenate your roof, it doesn’t help to resolve roof issues. If your roof is experiencing minor or severe problems, painting asphalt roof shingles will only change the appearance of your roof, but it doesn’t reduce trapped moisture, repair leaks, or seal cracks. If your roof is damaged, we recommend contacting a professional roofing company to fix it.
What Type of Paint Is Used to Paint Asphalt Shingles?
When considering this type of project, the type of paint you should always use for asphalt shingles is acrylic latex paint. It will only be effective if you try to use interior or any other house paint, and it might fade or chip sooner than the acrylic latex paint would. With this in mind, always research what asphalt shingle paint is practical for roof shingles.
How to Paint Asphalt Shingles
Painting your asphalt shingles can be challenging, but fortunately, the instructions aren’t as tricky. Here are the steps when painting asphalt roof shingles:
- Inspect your roof before painting: Before you start painting, ensure that your roof and its shingles aren’t damaged or need TLC. Always ensure that your roof is maintained correctly to avoid issues that might arise during painting.
- Prepping your roof and supplies: Gather the necessary tools after you inspect your roof and clean it off. Those supplies include the following: a tarp (to cover skylights or windows), acrylic latex paint, water-based seal and primer, an automatic spray painter, a ladder, and fall equipment.
- Seal and priming your roof: After you’ve prepped your roof and gathered the proper supplies, apply a coat or two of water-based seal and primer onto the roof, which will help to seal in your layers.
- Start painting: Now it’s time to start painting! When completing this step, ensure that you work from the bottom of the roof to the top. Also, another factor to consider is to apply at least 2-4 coats.
Can You Paint Asphalt Shingles? Of Course You Can!
So, to review, can you paint asphalt shingles? Yes! Several benefits of painting your asphalt shingles would be that it’s cost-effective, strengthens your roof’s longevity, helps with insulation, and refreshes your exterior design.
However, it’s essential to note that only acrylic latex paint works efficiently when doing so. Please feel free to contact us today to start the process of painting your asphalt shingles. We hope you enjoyed reading this article on painting asphalt shingles.
