Roofing with TAMKO

This is a sponsored post, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Many of you know, we have been focusing on exterior renovations. Our roof has been an eye sore since we purchased our home last year with the cracked and faded shingles, but we had held off replacing it. After a strong wind storm came through this past spring though, it quickly became a top priority.

We had a significant amount of wind damage and decided to replace the entire roof verses just our main home where most of the shingles were gone. Mat patched the damaged areas with tarp while I started researching shingle manufacturers and shingle color options.

A new roof was going to be a big investment (51 squares) and we knew if we selected a quality and visually appealing shingle it could transform the entire look of our home. We also knew we wanted to work with highly recommended local contractor, Ron Smith, and his first recommendation was a TAMKO^® shingle.

Call me stubborn, but I wanted to continue to do my own research. I didn't want to pick a shingle color too quickly and end up hating our new roof every time I drove up our driveway. The more I talked to family and friends, the more I heard horror stories about the shingle color they selected ended up looking totally different than they thought it would. Some people ended up getting used to it, but others regretted their decision a lot.

If you are considering a new roof, listen up! I'm going to share 4 TIPS that made all the difference in selecting the perfect shingle manufacturer and shingle color for us. 

1) Research shingle manufacturers

Talk to your contractor, friends and family, and local lumber stores. They will be quick to share which manufacturers have quality shingles and honor their manufacturer warranties. Our contactor recommended TAMKO^® and after doing my own research I learned they had been in business 75 years. Quality and continuous improvements are top priorities for them. I also loved their commitment to community support. Not to mention their Limited Lifetime Warranty on shingles!

2) Utilize online tools

Since our contractor recommended TAMKO^® the first thing I did was visit their website. I was pleasantly surprised to find several images of homes with various shingle options. What I was most impressed with though was their StyleSelect™ Color & Style selector.

I was actually able to upload an image of our home and try various color and style options.

You guys!! This was a GAME CHANGER!! I'm such a visual person and this tool was exactly what I was looking for to try different color options on our home. It was so user-friendly. I couldn't help but think how this tool would have helped my friends and family in their decision making process before making such a big investment in a new roof.

Below were a few TAMKO shingle colors options I tested...

Rustic Black, Harvest Gold and Rustic Evergreen (for fun)

Initially, I thought I wanted a dark roof, but after seeing these options I tried one more - Heritage Weathered Wood (below).

It felt perfect for our home. My research didn't stop there though. 

3) Request shingle samples

I can't stress this enough. Go see the samples in person after you've done your online research. Ask to bring them home. I would even recommend buying a few packages and laying them out on your roof (like we did). We have a Bedford stone home and seeing the different color options in person made such a difference and helped us be confident in our decision. 

4) Do a drive-by

If you are like me and want to know for sure you are making the right decision, I would do a drive-by of homes with the shingle you select. Like I said before, we have a lot of roof so this was going to be the largest investment in our home. I normally make design decisions pretty quickly, but this was one I knew I couldn't change. We wanted to be sure we made the best choice. Since we knew we were using R. P. Lumber locally, their assistant manager gave us addresses and roof colors so we could drive by and see in person how the entire roof looked verses just seeing it on a small square area. This confirmed our selection of TAMKO Heritage Weathered Wood was right for us. 

The removal of the old roof, decking repair, and new roof installation went very smoothly thanks to our amazing contractor!

R.P. Lumber delivered on time and was able to boom the shingles up to help our contractor and his team work efficiently.

Within no time, we had a brand new roof! We were SO pleased with the transformation that we decided to also go ahead and paint our exterior trim to complement the fresh new look.

Overall, we couldn't be happier with our new shingles! They work with our French Country style and we love driving up our driveway now. Locally, we've had so many compliments on the transformation too. It is amazing how making the correct shingle color choice can greatly enhance a home's curb appeal! 

As always, thank you for following along on our renovation journey. We hope you found this information on shingle manufacturers, shingle selection and the roof transformation process helpful! 

Xx,

Amy