CHOOSING BETWEEN COLORBOND ROOFING COLOURS
Choosing your roof’s ColorBond colour is about showing your community who you are. Coordinating with the rest of your home as well as the homes in the neighbourhood is essential to maintaining and in some cases increasing your property value.
ColorBond roofs have quickly become an Australian staple. Not just for residential, but for commercial properties as well. With over 22 ColorBond colours to choose from, how do you make a decision on something that’s going to be shown to the world for years to come?
In this article, what ColorBond is, how to properly clean it, and finally we’ll give you some criteria to think about when choosing from all the ColorBond colours.
What is ColorBond Roofing?
ColorBond roofing is simply roofing made from ColorBond steel. ColorBond is a brand of steel created by BlueScope that’s specifically manufactured for roofing, walling, guttering, and other home building tasks. As a result, you can expect it to be tailored to the unique challenges of protecting your home.
ColorBond is designed for all of your Australian weather needs:
- Highly durable.
- Heat resistant.
- Cold-resistant.
- Waterproof.
- Debris and dust resistant.
ColorBond technology is constantly being updated to adjust to the ever-changing environmental conditions in Australia which makes it a low maintenance cost-to-quality option.
Let’s take a closer look at ColorBond steel.
Signature ColorBond Colours
One of ColorBond’s signature values is its clean, sleek appearance. Providing a contemporary and smooth aesthetic, the Colorbond range comes in over 22 ColorBond roofing colours.
ColorBond’s diverse selection of colours means you can match it to any property. This is really helpful when upgrading the roofs of older, more traditional properties which can raise their value significantly.
They break their 22 colours down into 5 ColorBond colour schemes:
- Contemporary
- Classic
- Matt
- Fencing
- Ultra
They also offer the ability to order swatches-a sheet sample mailed to you–of any colour or colours so you can test the coordination with the rest of your property before investing in the complete roof.
What to Consider When Choosing From the ColorBond Colours
Your Environment
Depending on the location of your property, your environment may influence the ColorBond colour you choose. All ColorBond roofs are made to withstand the unique climate of Sydney, so having your colour decision be influenced by the environment around isn’t mainly about function. It’s about the aesthetic value you want to bring into your community as well.
Whether your property is located in a coastal, rural, suburban or urban area, Colorbond has colours that will match with any backdrop. For coastal areas, you can mimic the blues and beiges of the ocean and sand. For rural areas, you might try Earthy tones of greens and browns. And for the suburban and urban areas, dark, sleek colours from greys, blues, and blacks.
Thermal Efficiency
Which ColorBond colour you choose can make a difference in the thermal performance of your roof.
Though Colorbond steel is uniquely engineered to withstand the hot, sunny climate of Sydney, Australia, it’s impossible to combat simple physics. Darker colours are always going to be less efficient at reflecting the Sun’s rays compared to lighter colours.
Lighter roof colours include higher reflective capacity and are less heat absorbent, which will affect the general energy efficiency of your home. If you live in an area that gets a lot of sunlight, you might want to strongly consider choosing a lighter ColorBond colour for your next roof renovation.
Your Local Council
There are a lot of state and local councils in Australia that celebrate local architectural history by declaring neighbourhoods or towns: heritage listed areas.
This means there are special regulations and restrictions on repairs, renovations and houses being built in these areas. It’s sort of like an American Homeowner’s Association. There are certain rules that dictate the style, size, patterns, and colours of valid property renovations.
For existing heritage-listed houses, often there is a limited range of ColorBond colours as options. If you’re not sure if this is your case, reach out to your local councilperson or Sydney Town Hall for more information before making your decision.
How to Clean ColorBond
The most common cause of preventable damage to a ColorBond roof is the build-up of particles and moisture. Airborne dirt, small sticks and leaves, pollen, and mould will naturally wear your roof down.
It’s important to regularly maintain your roof. Here’s how:
Chemical Washing
Known as a “soft wash”, this method can be easily used to clean your ColorBond roof. In fact, many chemical cleaning products which are designed for general roof cleaning can be used for Colorbond roofing. There are also ColorBond products specifically designed for roof maintenance.
These cleaning agents-which are typically chlorine and sodium solutions–help break down the build-up of moss and algae on your roof without harming the steel.
This method involves:
- Clearing and brushing any debris off of your roof to prepare for the chemical solution
- Mixing the cleaning agent with water in a soft wash pump
- Spraying the chemical solution evenly across your roof–no need to oversoak
- Either rinsing the solution off with a soft wash water pump or letting the rain wash it off
Pressure Washing
Pressure washing is a high-strength method that strips away the algae and moss that forms on your roof. It’s possible to rent or use an at-home pressure washer; however, the devices need to be the correct regulation for ColorBond materials.
This method involves:
- Clearing and brushing any debris off of your roof to prepare for the power wash
- Mixing the cleaning agent–very diluted, not as strong as chemical washing–in a pressure washer
- Spraying down the roof
Solvents
Solvents are a solution to remove stubborn non-water elements that may be impacting your Colorbond roof. Stubborn marks include tar, graffiti, paint, and grease oil.
Essentially, solvents are used for specific, problem areas. Not the entire roof. Because solvents are meant for targeted areas, they are extremely toxic. Please use extreme caution when handling these chemicals.
The Best Method to Clean ColorBond
When cleaning your Colorbond roof, adhere to the directions on all cleaning products and only use products that are certified ColorBond friendly. ColorBond materials are extremely tough but should be cared for appropriately.
The method you choose to clean your roof is ultimately up to you. There are eco-friendly solutions and chemically powerful and less powerful solutions on the market. Which you choose depends on your budget, environmental concern, and comfort level.
If you’re at all doubtful in your abilities to clean your own roofs, please reach out to a professional. In fact, we absolutely recommend you hire a professional. Any mistakes in cleaning your roof properly can lead to wasted time, money, and maybe future damages from unchecked algae and moss or damages to your surrounding property.
It pays to let professionals handle your roofing tasks. We are the best providers of roofing and gutter cleaning services throughout New South Wales so please don’t hesitate to call our trusted team of roof and gutter experts. We’re here to help.