Hello caustin81,

Actually, although the shingle colors are not easy to see we just specified the barkwood for a client and it will look lovely installed on your house. The charcoal may be a close second, but it may also appear too heavy on top with the deep black of your paved driveway. Honestly, I'm enjoying the texture, but not the conflict, of plain white shutters. You will read all manner of additional color suggestions for the shutters, but for now, perhaps just change out the roof shingles and see what it looks like before proceeding with an alternate shutter color change.



Best of luck and please let us know if we can be of additional assistance,
Elizabeth Cabell, ASID, CID
Cabell Design Studio

You think Barkwood is a good choice for my house? I've narrowed it down to Barkwood and Weathered Wood. The darker Barkwood just looks slightly better with the brick I think but am open to suggestions.

A burgundy color for the shutters would be a more conventional choice.

Honestly, in order to make a better evaluation your picture would have to be different. Take the shingle samples down from the roof and place them in front of the garage doors so that they are close to the brick, but not centered on the garage. Sort of near the bushes. With that vantage point, it would be easier to 'see' the full array of materials working together and a color choice would be easier for you to make. Please don't put up burgundy shutters. Let's move away from that 80's / 90's design trend.

I'll get a better picture after work. Thanks for the help so far though :)

Just wondering...what is your current siding made of?

I have read some great testimonials about Hardi siding when it came to house fires. (not that I'd wish a fire on you!) But the truth is, it is a reality we all have to consider.

Interesting video about the side by side by side test of vinyl - Hardi - wood. While this was put out by the Hardi company, there's no denying that vinyl has an extremely low flash point, and once it ignites it melts quickly and gives off a toxic gas.

http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/fire_testimonials.shtml

An independant article on Vinyl siding: http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/repair/vinyl-siding-lethal.htm

Excerpt: "So far, the most studied danger of vinyl siding comes when it is burned, as in a house fire. As PVC burns, the chlorine in the material escapes, creating an acid smoke that contains hydrogen chloride. When hydrogen chloride enters the lungs, it becomes hydrochloric acid, an extremely caustic acid that can result in internal chemical burns in a person who inhales it. This acid smoke is so potent that it can kill a person inside a house fire before the flames or carbon monoxide does [source: Montreal Home Inspection]."

Got kids? Pets? Just something to consider.

Lastly, I do not work, or ever have, for any of these product manufacturers. I'm an Audio/Visual / IT Engineer. I have just known of the nasty issues associated with vinyl and try to at least educate, if not deter, whenever possible.

I would love Hardi, I actually have a sample sitting next to me. The problem is this is part of an insurance claim (for hail damage) and I recently bought the house and don't have a lot of extra money to spend. I'm not a huge fan of any kind of siding to be honest I wish I had real wooden planks that I could paint.

Currently I have aluminum, but plan on replacing it with vinyl siding since it's thicker and will withstand hail better.

Can I ask where you're located? Just wondering where you are to get so much hail?

Do you know what is underneath the siding??

One more thing...from the pics you have, it appears that your shutters are actually functional. Are they?

It just looks like the house is a bit older than the garage. Which isn't a bad thing! :0)

Ok...one final question...that last pic of the brick. Is that hail damage??? :> 0

Sure, I'm in Palatine, IL. I live on a lake so there's not much to block the 4 sides of the house from the hail when it comes. Almost everyone on my street has had to get a new roof/siding because of this.

Not sure what's underneath the siding other than TIVAC.

The shutters are not functional, they are screwed to the house I believe. The house needs some TLC, as the previous owner didn't keep up with all the painting of the trim, windows, etc. The house is 20 years old.

The last pic is a picture I took of the brick close up (to give a good idea of which roof/shutter colors I should go with).

We chose weathered wood for our roof and we love it. It's not dark and it's not light,
it is a great neutral. The barkwood has a yellow undertone that I don't think you need.

Thanks for the comment. The fear I guess I had with the weathered wood is it will be too light with the brick and linen siding. I'm still considering it though. I'm going to take a cpl better pics after work and then post them up next to the brick so you guys can see better. Thanks!

Ok...if I were you, for the roof color, I think I'd stick with a charcoal color. It will go with any other colors you choose. When you start getting into reds or browns or anything with undertones, then your color choices are limited. Not just for now, but for years.

I see what you mean, but I wanted something that would give me that "dimensional" look. I fear a plain black/charcoal roof will just take over the look of the house and everything won't really "blend" together. My goal was to get something that matched the brick well, also looked good on the linen siding, and was different than the red I have now. I understand that charcoal will go with everything but I question how well it will all come together. I'll have the pics of the brick/shingles up in about 2 hours tops so hopefully then you can get a better idea of what I'm working with. Thanks for the suggestion though :)

I was able to snap a cpl pics before the downpour came! Let me know which one looks best, I have to have my decision by tomm, thanks a bunch!!

GAF Barkwood

GAF Weathered Wood

GAF Charcoal

Owens Corning Driftwood

VERY helpful pictures! Weathered Wood has my vote completely. Completely. Great match to the tones in the brick. The yellow undertones in Barkwood are very apparent when close to the brick and will be as well on top of the roof. The charcoal is very very dark and will be just too overwhelming. Driftwood is blah. Can't wait to see what others have to say and also would love a picture when completed ! Good luck, Elizabeth

Elizabeth, thank you so much for your opinion and explaining it to me. I was worried the weathered wood would be too light or "choppy" looking like the brick but that's a relief to see you like it so much. I guess I didn't see the yellow in the Barkwood. So with the Weathered Wood + Linen siding + White Shutters + White trim I think it will look nice. Do you agree on that combo?

Yes, I think it will look very nice together as a material combo. The weathered wood choppiness that you refer to is enhanced when you are viewing it up close. When up on the roof it will provide a more dimensional look, which is what it sounds like you are shooting for anyway, and will provide additional texture rather than a solid wall of color, which is also what the charcoal would do, provide you with a solid swath of black. Might not be what you want.

To see the yellow in the Barkwood take a close look at the pictures of both Barkwood and Weathered Wood on your computer screen. Do you see how yellow the mortar looks in the Barkwood pictures? That is a direct result of the yellower foundation in the Barkwood shingles. The weathered wood keeps both the mortar and the highlights in the brick much whiter. Cleaner look. Okay, now I have to go to work! Good luck!

You rock Elizabeth, such great advice you have given me. I will make sure to get some pictures for you when I get this job done. I agree with you on the white shutters as well, it sounds like we have similar taste in design!

curious to see if anyone has any other opinions on the shingle colors?

Barkwood vs Weathered Wood (GAF Timberline series)

Here's the pic

I still prefer weathered wood!

Contact professionals in the Shutter business: they could help..

http://www.houzz.com/pro/timberlaneshutters/timberlane-inc