Deciding on the colour of the Colorbond roof is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in the re-roof or new build process, and it’s one that you’ll live with for the next few decades. The colour you choose will influence the appearance of your house from the street, as well as the heat inside the house on a Queensland summer’s day. The colour you choose will also influence the extent to which the colour of the roof coordinates with the colour of the facade, gutters, and fascia. With 22 core colours in the current Colorbond steel colour palette, offered in multiple finishes, the decision can be overwhelming if you’re not sure where to begin.
This guide will walk you through the entire range and show you what really matters when you’re making the decision, and what matters to a roofer before they commit to a colour. If you have narrowed down the list and want some specific advice, then feel free to give us a call on 1300 12 ROOF, and we’ll be happy to help.
The full COLORBOND® colour range
The new colour palette offered by BlueScope consists of 22 colours, which are further divided into pale, mid, deep, and saturated colours, all of which are derived from the environment in Australia. The 22 colours are available in the Classic finish, but the Matt, Ultra, and Metallic finishes are available in selected colours only. Each of these finishes will give the steel a different appearance, so it is worth knowing what you are choosing from before you request colour swatches.
Classic finish
The Classic finish is the standard Colorbond steel product and is the most popular choice among homeowners. It has a low sheen finish that looks good on all different styles of homes, whether it be a Queensland-style home or a more modern home with rendered finishes. All 22 core colours are offered in this profile, and all colours except Night Sky have BlueScope’s Thermatech technology, which helps to reflect more of the sun’s rays instead of absorbing them.
Classic is what you will predominantly find on most residential homes throughout South East Queensland. It weathers well, retains its colour, and lasts for many years, and this finish is what BlueScope’s standard warranty conditions are based on. Unless you have a reason to use a different finish, Classic is the safe choice for most roofing applications. If you are considering how Colorbond performs compared to other materials, our article on Colorbond roofing vs tile roofing provides a comparison of the two.
Matt finish
The Matt finish is an upscale option that provides the steel with a soft, low sheen finish with a textured appearance. It also diffuses light rather than reflecting it, thus reducing glare and providing the roof with a more subdued, modern aesthetic. There are currently six colours available in the Matt finish: Monument®, Basalt®, Dune®, Shale Grey™, Surfmist®, and Bluegum®.
Matt is great on modern designs, especially if the architect or homeowner wants the roof to recede rather than stand out. It looks great with raw materials like concrete, timber cladding, stone, and brickwork, too. Something to consider: the Matt finish is the same as the Classic in terms of durability, but the texture is more prone to scratches, especially when installing, so the roofer must have experience with the material.
Ultra finish
Colorbond Ultra steel is designed for properties located in a harsh marine or industrial environment, generally between 100 and 200 metres of breaking surf. It has a superior corrosion-resistant substrate which provides additional protection against salt spray and humidity. Colorbond Ultra steel is available in seven core colours in a Classic finish, with other colours available on request from your supplier.
If your property is on the Gold Coast beachfront or in an area with direct exposure to the coast, then Ultra is worth the extra money. While Colorbond can withstand most conditions, constant exposure to salt-laden winds requires an extra layer of protection to ensure longevity. To give you an overview of the durability of Colorbond steel compared to other metallic roof types, check out our Colorbond vs Zincalume article.
Metallic finish
The Metallic finish includes six colours, each of which has metallic particles strategically integrated within the paint system. These metallic particles are capable of catching the light, which then gets reflected back. This creates an effect which, while subtle from a distance, can be noticed when one gets close, especially in the case of wall cladding and feature elements.
Metallic finishes are more commonly used in commercial buildings or high-end homes rather than standard re-roofing jobs. Metallic is available in a range of profiles, including corrugated and standing seam, among others. If you are looking for something unique, perhaps for a feature roof or facade, the Metallic range is worth considering, but it is not a common choice for a re-roof in Brisbane.
How to choose the right roof colour for your home
While the colour chart appears to be quite simple, selecting an appropriate roof colour is more than just an issue of choice. The climate in your location and the materials used on the exterior of your home are also quite important.
Match your colour to your climate
In South East Queensland, during summer, temperatures often reach and exceed 35°C, and exposure to the sun is extreme. Therefore, roof colour plays a critical role in ensuring comfort inside the building. Surfmist® and Dover White™, which are light-coloured roofs, have lower solar absorptance values, and they reflect more and absorb less heat into the roof structure. Dark-coloured roofs, such as Monument® and Woodland Grey®, absorb a lot of heat, and this could result in increased costs if the building is not well insulated.
This doesn’t mean you can’t have a dark colour for your Queensland home. There are many homes throughout Queensland sporting a Monument roof or a Woodland Grey roof, and they all do quite well, especially if they have good insulation and ventilation underneath. If you want to be more energy-efficient, or if you are building without air conditioning in some areas of your home, you will find it makes a big difference if you go for a lighter colour. One of the best ways to combat the heat (no matter what colour you have) is to have good roof insulation.
Work with your facade, not against it
The colour of your roof also has to fit in with whatever is currently happening on the front of your house. A dark charcoal colour on a cream-rendered house with timber features is a world away from a charcoal-coloured roof on a red brick 1970s-era house, for example. The roof is one of the biggest surfaces on your house, and if it clashes with your brick, paint, or cladding, your house can look like a mess.
A practical approach: stand outside opposite your home, and observe what is already there. What is the colour of the brick, render, or weatherboard? What is the colour of the window frames? What is the colour of the fence? What is the colour of the driveway? Are there any stone or timber features? Then select a roof colour that complements these colours rather than fighting with them. If your exterior is a cool colour, such as grey render or blue-grey brick, then select one of our cool roof colours, Shale Grey™ or Bluegum®. If your exterior is a warm colour, such as cream brick, sandstone, timber, and natural stone, then select one of our warm roof colours, Dune® or Paperbark®. If in doubt, order some colour swatches from BlueScope and see how they look against your exterior in natural light.
Popular COLORBOND® roof colours and where they work best
Five or six colours make up most Colorbond roofs you will encounter in South East Queensland.
Monument®
Monument® is the darkest colour in the standard range, which most homeowners consider for roofing. It is a deep, near black charcoal colour, and it gives any home a bold, modern look. You will often find this colour on new homes with dark window frames and smooth render finishes, especially new homes in modern residential areas on Brisbane’s north and south sides.
The trade-off with Monument® in Queensland is temperature, and its absorptivity means that it will be much hotter than a similar colour with a lower absorptivity. If you decide to use Monument®, make sure your ceiling insulation is in good condition and think about whether whirlybirds or roof ventilation might be a good idea to reduce the temperature in summer.
Shale Grey™
Shale Grey™ is a true neutral grey that goes with any facade combination. It is deep enough to appear purposeful, yet light enough that it does not overwhelm the roofline. It is literally right in the middle of the tone scale on the BlueScope colour chart, and that is one reason why this colour is so popular.
For homeowners who want a modern colour without going too dark, Shale Grey™ is a safe choice. It looks great with grey render and white trim, and it works well with all colours of brick. It is also available in Matt finish for a more subtle appearance and in the Ultra range for coastal homes.
Woodland Grey®
Woodland Grey® is a dark, slightly greenish grey colour that complements its surroundings when used in a natural setting. This colour is ideal for homes with acreage and those in semi-rural areas, especially if there are established gardens and/or tree cover. This colour has an earthy tone, allowing it to blend into its surroundings rather than standing out from them.
On suburban homes, Woodland Grey® provides a strong, defined roofline without the intensity of Monument®. It also works particularly well with warm-brick and timber cladding materials. In terms of heat absorption, Woodland Grey® is positioned between the mid-tones and darks, so insulation does play a part, although it is a bit more forgiving than the darker colours in the range.
Dover White™
Dover White™ is another relatively new addition to the Colorbond colour chart, and it was included as part of the renewed colour palette offered by BlueScope Steel. Dover White is a very bright, clean white colour with the slightest hint of warmth. It is also slightly lighter than Surfmist® and provides a nice contrast against darker colour schemes and landscaping features.
If you’re after the highest level of heat reflection, then Dover White™ is about as good as it gets from the standard Colorbond palette. It’s also useful if you’re after a Hamptons-style design or a coastal look where a white or near-white colour scheme is part of the plan. It should be noted, though, that if you’ve got a light colour like this, then dirt and leaf stains will be more noticeable, so if you’ve got a lot of trees around your house, be prepared to give it a wash now and again.
Surfmist®
Surfmist® has been one of the most popular colours of Colorbond in Australia for years. This is an off-white roof colour with a slightly creamy undertone. This roof colour reflects a high percentage of solar heat while providing a softer alternative to white. Surfmist is versatile and suits different types of homes, from weatherboard cottages to modern homes with rendered finishes.
In Queensland, Surfmist® is a popular choice for anyone looking to save on cooling costs without making a bold statement with a stark white roof. It works well with light-coloured gutter and fascia materials and is available in Classic and Matt finishes, as well as Ultra for coastal areas. This is why you see it on everything from houses to carports and even the occasional shed!
New colours in the refreshed COLORBOND® palette
BlueScope has introduced a renewed colour palette, where some new colours have been added to the palette, including Dover White™ (which has already been discussed above) and two others: Southerly® and Bluegum®. Cove® and Mangrove® have been added to the secondary palette, along with Terrain®. These newly added colours aim to match current design trends, keeping in view their connection with nature, which has been a source of inspiration for the Colorbond palette.
Southerly®
Southerly® is a light, cool grey that is positioned between Surfmist® and Shale Grey™ in tone. Southerly® has the neutrality of concrete or pale render, and this is what makes it an obvious choice to go with the ‘grey on grey’ schemes that have been fashionable in domestic architecture. It works well with pale timbers and light brickwork, picking up white window frames without being as stark as white.
For re- roofing in South East Queensland, Southerly® is a viable alternative if you prefer a light roof (good for thermal properties) but find Surfmist® too warm or Dover White™ too bright. Southerly® sits nicely in the middle of the pale range of colours.
Bluegum®
Bluegum® is a mid-tone blue-grey with a slightly different character to the palette. It’s a very calming colour with a slightly coastal feel without being a blue colour at all. It’s a very comfortable colour between the warm greys and the cool greys. BlueScope describes Bluegum® as a relaxed colour with a versatile character suitable for rural areas, coastal areas, and suburban streets.
Bluegum® is also one of the few new shades that is available in the Matt finish, and this is a good match for modern themes that use honed stone and dark timber with grey paving. It also works well with darker accent shades such as Deep Ocean® for a stacked coastal theme.
How your roof colour affects energy efficiency
All colours in the Colorbond steel core range (apart from Night Sky®), contain Thermatech® solar reflectance technology, which is incorporated into the paint system to enable a portion of the sun’s infrared rays to be reflected by the roof. However, the difference in colours also plays a part. For instance, a Surfmist® roof may have a solar absorptance value of 0.32, while a Monument® roof could have a value of 0.68, effectively doubling the amount of absorbed solar energy.
In practical terms, this translates into real temperature differences in the roof space, and indeed in the home, if the insulation is inadequate. BlueScope provides the solar absorptance and solar reflectance index (SRI) data for all colours, which are then employed by building designers to ensure compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC) requirements for building energy efficiency.
One of the easiest options to reduce cooling load in a Queensland house is to use a lighter colour for the roof. However, colour alone does not solve the problem, and other factors like insulation type and thickness, roof ventilation, ceiling height, and overall building design also influence its performance. For instance, a dark roof with R5.0 insulation and ventilation can perform better than a light roof with minimal insulation.
Coordinating your roof with gutters, fascia and flashings
When having a completely new re-roof, the sheets are just part of what’s visible from the street. Your gutters, fascias, downpipes, and flashings are all made from the same Colorbond steel and come in the same colour range. The way you use these has a greater impact than most people realise.
The most common method is to use the same on everything. This means using the same colour on the roof, gutters, fascia, and downpipes. This is the cleanest method and is also the safe method. Monument® roof with Monument® gutters and fascia is something you will see on hundreds of new homes in Brisbane. This is because there is no visual clash.
Of course, matching everything is not the only approach. You can also use contrasting colours for your gutters and fascia to give definition to your house. For instance, a Woodland Grey® roof, Surfmist® fascia, and gutters can give a clear definition to the roof and the walls. The lighter colour of the gutters and fascia matches the colour of the window frames and the soffit, giving a unified look to the upper part of the house.
Where things go wrong is when the contrast is unintentional, rather than deliberate. Using warm and cool tones, such as Paperbark® gutters and a Shale Grey™ roof, can make the colours look muddy, as the undertones clash. Keeping the colours within the same temperature range, whether warm or cool, will ensure the colour scheme looks cohesive, even when different colours are used.
And flashings and cappings should not be forgotten either. In a hip roof situation (where roof meets wall), the flashing colour is exposed and part of the overall colour scheme. In most cases, it is best if flashings match either roof or trim, rather than providing a third colour. Two colours on all the metal work is probably enough. Three colours can work on some houses, but it requires a bold approach to get it right.
If you are unsure what will work, you can always ask your roofer to bring swatches of the roof colour with them, along with the proposed gutter and fascia colours. You can always test them out against the facade of your home in natural light and see how they look. A.M.J always consults with clients on all of this before anything is ordered, simply because once the steel is cut and rolled, you can’t go changing your mind. The same Colorbond steel can also be used for wall cladding, so if you have this work included in your renovation, it’s always a good idea to coordinate this at the same time.
What a roofer actually checks before recommending a colour
A good roofer does more than give you a colour chart to look at. When A.M.J.’s team comes to your property to give a quote for a re-roof, colour is just part of a much broader discussion, taking into account many other factors that a colour selector on a website can’t possibly consider.
The first element that we take into consideration is the pitch of the roof. The steeper the pitch, the more of the roof is visible from the street level, and therefore the colour is even more prominent in relation to the overall look and feel of the house. With a low-pitched roof on a one-story house, you may only be able to see the roof from a particular angle, and therefore, you have a bit more leeway to get creative with bold colours without overwhelming the house. With a steep-pitched Queenslander or a two-story house, the roof is a major part of the overall look, and the colour is even more important.
Another factor is tree cover around your home. If you have large trees overhanging your roof, especially species like Eucalypts, you will have problems with leaf litter and sap falling onto your roof, not to mention birds’ droppings. If you have a very light colour like Dover White™ or Surfmist®, you will see this more than if you have a mid-tone colour. If you have lots of gum trees overhanging your roof and do not wish to be washing your roof every year, a mid-tone colour like Shale Grey™ or Windspray® will help hide marks on your roof while still providing good thermal performance.
We also examine the state of the existing battens and any other components that might impact the choice of materials. Where older homes have timber battens that are due for replacement, the re-roofing process is an ideal time to evaluate the entire roof package, and the conversation about colours is part of the whole process. The reason for this is that they are all part of the thermal package. The extent of the work is an important consideration, and our roof replacement cost analysis includes the factors that impact the cost.
Council requirements can also play a part. There are some local council areas in South East Queensland where the council has restrictions on the colour of roofs, especially in heritage areas or new estates where there are design guidelines in place. Before you fall in love with the colour, check whether the council or the body corporate has input into the colour of the roofs. The team at A.M.J’s can assist with this when quoting the job, if necessary.
Then, of course, there is the practical consideration of the colours available in the profile you need. While all 22 colours are available in the standard corrugated profile, as well as the most popular profiles, the lead times can vary depending on the colour and the profile you need. We check the lead times before confirming the colour recommendation, as there is no point in recommending a colour that will delay your project if an equally suitable one is available in a shorter lead time.
And lastly, we consider what’s around the property. The colours of nearby houses, streetscapes, fences, and even driveway colours can affect how a roof colour looks. A colour may look fantastic on the BlueScope website, but it can be an entirely different experience when it’s installed over a red brick home next to a neighbour’s cream-colored Colorbond roof. Site context is something you can only see in person, and this is why we always discuss colours on site rather than over the phone.
How to confirm your colour before committing
It is risky selecting a Colorbond roof colour on a screen. Computer and phone screens show colours differently to one another, and the shiny flat images on a website have no relation to how a corrugated steel roof looks in direct Queensland sunlight at noon or overcast conditions at 4pm.
The only way to ensure you’ve made the right decision is to get physical colour swatches directly from BlueScope. They are free of charge and they will post them to you. You can then hold the colour swatch up to the natural light during the morning and the afternoon to see the differences between the sun then and the sun now on the materials of your facade.
If possible, take a drive around your local area and look at houses with the colour you are considering for your roof. This is much more informative than any colour chart or swatch, and seeing how a colour performs in different lighting conditions, and especially in wet conditions, can be invaluable. It is also worth considering how a colour performs on different types of roof profile, as a corrugated profile has more shadow lines than a flat panel, and therefore a colour can appear slightly darker than it would on a flat panel. It is also a good idea to book a roof inspection and talk to a professional about your colour options.
It is also important that your roofer can show you some off-cuts or samples if you wish to see how the colour looks on actual steel before your order is arranged. At A.M.J, we have Colorbond colour samples available and can arrange for them to be brought to you when we quote your work if you wish to see how they go with your home.
Get advice on the right COLORBOND® colour for your roof
Selecting a colour from a colour chart is the easy part. Ensuring it matches your home, your climate, your street, and your existing roofing system is where experience helps. A.M.J Metal Roofing have done over 7,000 re-roofing jobs in South East Queensland, and colour advice was part of all of them.
If you’re considering a re-roof and would like assistance in selecting the perfect Colorbond colour and finish for your property, call us on 1300 12 ROOF (1300 127 663) or arrange a complimentary on-site quote. We consider everything from insulation and ventilation to how the colour complements your facade. Find out more about our Colorbond roofing services in Brisbane.
FAQs
Do COLORBOND® colours look the same on screen as in person?
No, screens portray colour differently depending on the device and settings. Additionally, Colorbond steel has a textured finish and profile ridges, which will impact how colour appears in real life, which cannot be replicated on a flat screen. It’s always best to check your chosen colour against a physical sample placed against your home in natural light.
Are all COLORBOND® colours available in every profile?
All 22 colours are available in the most popular roofing profiles, such as Corrugated and Trimdeck. However, not all colours are available in less popular profiles, such as Matt and Ultra, and Metallic. Your roofing professional or supplier will be able to advise on the availability in the profile you need and the lead times.
Can I change my roof colour during a re-roof?
Yes. Re-Roofing is a good time to change your roof colour because the old sheeting is being replaced anyway. There is no additional cost for changing the colour compared to matching the original colour. The only consideration is that you need to ensure that the new colour works well with your existing gutting, fascia, and other components that are not being replaced.
Does roof colour affect resale value?
A roof colour selection that works with the home’s façade can contribute to kerb appeal, which can ultimately contribute to the resale value of the property. Neutral colours such as Shale Grey™ and Monument® are likely to appeal to a wide demographic of potential buyers, as is Surfmist®. While bold and unusual colours can limit the number of people who find the property attractive, if resale value is a factor, sticking with the neutral colours is a safe option.
What is the difference between Classic and Matt finish on a roof?
Classic is the standard Colorbond Finish, which has a low sheen surface that reflects the sun’s rays softly. Matt has a flat, textured look, which scatters the sun’s rays, creating a soft, contemporary look. Both finishes are made from the same Colorbond steel, which is known for its durability. The only difference is the look they produce. Matt Finish is offered in six colours, compared to 22 colours offered in the Classic Finish, which has a modern aesthetic suitable for contemporary architecture, which features an understated, soft roof look.
