About Our Roofs

What most people consider a roof is actually just part of a much larger roofing system that protects the top of the building and its contents. That system includes more than just the shingles and other roofing material that most people think about. Those shingles are primarily there to protect the underlayment (the component that provides a water barrier protection of the roof decking from wind-driven rain) from the sun, wind, rain, ice, and snow. Without the shingles or other top-level roofing material, the water-shedding underlayment would quickly deteriorate and leaks would develop. In turn, these leaks will quickly deteriorate the roof decking. Since the shingles are the most visible component of the roofing system, consideration of their aesthetic value should also be taken into account. Other roofing system components include the following:

          • The wood deck on which the roofing system is placed
          •  Special ice and water barriers for areas where ice dams and water may do the most damage (skylights, vents, eaves, valleys, and dormers)
          • Ventilation that allows the whole roofing system to remain dry and free of mold and pests; it also keeps the other roofing components from overheating, which prevents premature aging
          • Gutters and downspouts provide a system for the rain runoff to be channeled to an area where it will not cause damage to the rest of the building or property

Owens Corning and Malarkey offer some great tools to help you with selecting roofing colors and visualizing how those colors would look on your home. Check out our links to these custom design tools

RoofDesigner™ from Malarkey

This tool will help you visualize the color selection on an image of your home or one of the example homes.
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Shingle Color Selector from Malarkey

This tool will help show you the available color selections from Malarkey. Compare shingles colors & styles quickly and easily to find the ideal shingle for your next project.