Can You Paint your Asphalt Shingle Roof

Asphalt shingles are one of the most popular roofing options for good reasons. Some advantages of asphalt roofing include its low price, easy installation and long lifespan. However, if your asphalt shingles look a little worn, or if you just decide to change the color, you may need to paint them.

Continue reading to understand the painting of asphalt shingles, including the advantages and disadvantages of this, whether professionals should be employed, and so on.

Pros of Painting Asphalt Shingles

There are many potential benefits to paint asphalt roofing.

1. Cheap than replacement

If your roof tiles have some wear, but the structure is still intact, painting them can improve the appearance of the house and extend the lifespan of the roof. The cost is lower than the cost of replacing the roof. It is estimated that all the paint required to cover 20 square meters of asphalt shingles will cost about $1000, while the new asphalt shingles will cost $150 to $1500 per square meter. The overall replacement of the roof is a professional work, usually costing between $8700 and $22000.

Paint will not only make your roof more attractive, but an additional layer of material will reduce the wear of the roof tiles' appearance. The use of high-quality acrylic latex exterior wall paint designed for asphalt shingles can also provide additional UV protection, mitigate damage caused by sunlight, and thus extend the service life of the roof.

2. Energy Efficiency

Asphalt shingles are usually black, a color that absorbs sunlight from parts of the home that are completely exposed to the sun. On hot, sunny days, all the sunshine absorbed by these black roofs will raise the temperature of your home, and you will pay for it. With enough paint, you can turn those black roofs into white, which can reflect sunlight and make them far away from your home, thus requiring less energy to keep cool.

3. Customize your home page

Asphalt shingles have only a variety of colors, but gray, black and tan are the standard colors. Painting them will make it easier for you to access the whole color spectrum, so that you can create a dazzling and unique appearance for your home. The roof will stand out in any favorable position.

When you want to achieve a better balance between asphalt shingles of different colors, paint is also a good choice; For example, if you build a new roof at home, and the new roof slab does not match the old one. Just apply the appropriate dark paint to the bright areas.

Cons of Painting Asphalt Shingles

If paint is the panacea to solve the problem of asphalt roof, this practice will be more common, but there are also some shortcomings.

1. Requires Maintenance

Without extensive maintenance, a layer of paint on the asphalt shingles will not remain attractive and durable for a long time, because the particles forming the surface of the shingles will break and separate over time. You should plan to inspect the painted asphalt roof at least once a year to see if there is peeling, blistering and peeling. Depending on the climate you live in and the amount of sunlight and precipitation exposed to the roof, you may need to make some repairs at each annual inspection.

Even in weather conditions that are more paint friendly, you may need to repaint every four to seven years. This does not simply mean adding a new coat of paint, but completely stripping the old paint, then making any necessary repairs to the damaged roof tiles, and then reapplying the primer and paint.

2. Risk of damage

The asphalt roof can be painted safely, but each step must be carried out correctly to avoid damaging the roof. First of all, you must use the right paint: 100% latex acrylic paint, special used for asphalt shingles. You also need to ensure that all shingles, the entire waterproof layer and the wooden deck below are completely dry. Otherwise, the paint will retain water and quickly lead to wood decay and mildew.

3. Unable to solve deeper problems

If you want to change the color of the roof, make it more energy-saving, or repair minor appearance damage, a layer of paint is a good solution. However, if your asphalt shingles or roof decks are more damaged, it cannot replace roof repair or roof replacement. If the roof leaks and there is a patch on your roof tile, you need to call your local roof company for repair or replacement.

4. Difficult Job

One of the main advantages of painting asphalt shingles is saving money, but it’s not a simple DIY. The surface of asphalt shingles is composed of rough granules to which it is difficult to make the paint stick. To successfully complete this work, it is necessary to apply multiple coats of paint under dangerous conditions.

5. Hiring a Pro to Paint Your Shingles vs. DIY

An experienced DIYer can repair the appearance of roof tiles well if they are willing to do a lot of preparation and apply multi-layer paint. This work requires a lot of equipment: a large extension ladder to get on the roof, a pressure washer to clean the roof, a spray paint gun and pump, as well as safety equipment such as safety belts and anchors. You also need to buy primers, paints and sealants.