A coordinated whole-home palette
Roof, siding, trim, door, and gutter as one decision instead of five.
How this changes the home
The roof is up to half of what you see from the street — the right profile and tone settle the whole exterior.
A roof assembly that dries itself between storms, with the vulnerable junctions handled before they can start trouble.
Clean edges and resolved transitions — the difference between a roof that was installed and one that was finished.
What you’ll choose
Architectural shingles
Layered tabs with dimensional shadow — the standard that looks right on most homes.
- Choose it when
- You want proven performance and a texture that suits nearly every style.
- Think twice when
- The roof is a major design feature you want to make a statement — designer profiles exist for that.
The default for most Central Ohio roofs, in blacks, charcoals, and weathered browns.
Designer / luxury profiles
Heavier, more sculpted shingles that imitate slate or shake shadow lines.
- Choose it when
- The roof is highly visible from the street and the architecture deserves the weight.
- Think twice when
- Budget is tight — the premium buys appearance, not more decades.
Steep, prominent roofs on period homes.
Color and contrast
The roof is up to half the visible exterior — its tone sets the register for everything below.
- Choose it when
- Choosing siding and roof together — the pairing is one decision, not two.
- Think twice when
- Matching a roof to siding that is itself due for replacement within a few years.
See the coordinated whole-home palette study.
From the studies
How Westmere helps you choose
You will not be handed a catalog and left to guess. Westmere walks the options with you against your actual house — what suits the architecture, what solves the problem, what can wait — and puts the recommendation in one clear written plan before any work begins, with one point of contact from the first visit to the final walkthrough.
Why homeowners choose Westmere.
- Help choosing products that fit the house — not a pitch for whatever’s on the truck.
- One clear written plan before work begins.
- One accountable point of contact, first visit to final walkthrough.
How we install it correctly
The technical detail, for readers who want it.
Protection begins below the shingle.
A roof is more than shingles. Decking, underlayment, ice protection, flashing, ventilation, roof edges, and the covering work in one sequence.
The visible covering is one part of the roof. The written scope identifies what comes off, what is inspected, which protective layers return, and how the vulnerable edges and transitions are handled.
Behind the finished work: eave protection, valleys, wall and chimney flashing, pipe penetrations, ridge caps, drip edges, and roof-to-wall kickouts.
What the roof assembly includes.
The field of the roof and the places where it changes direction need different layers. Both belong in one scope.
Across the roof field
Sound decking supports the work. Ice protection covers vulnerable cold edges and valleys, underlayment covers the remaining field, and the selected shingle and ridge components complete the weather surface.
At edges and transitions
Drip edge, step flashing, counterflashing, pipe flashings, wall connections, and balanced ventilation handle the places where water concentrates or the roof meets another part of the house.
A roof is eight layers, not one
Most roofing conversations start and end with shingle color. But the shingle is only the top layer. Underneath it: the deck (the wood everything is nailed to), an ice barrier at the eaves and valleys where meltwater backs up, underlayment across the rest, starter strips at the edges, the shingles themselves, ridge caps, and flashing everywhere the roof meets a wall, chimney, or pipe. Skip any one of them and water finds it. On tear-offs we walk the deck before anything new goes down and replace wood that will not hold a nail — we do not paper over it.
Ventilation decides how long it lasts
A roof needs to breathe from below: vents at the soffits pull air in, and a vent at the ridge lets it out. Get that wrong and you see it by season. In winter, a warm attic melts snow from underneath, and the water refreezes at the cold edge into ice dams that push water back under the shingles. In summer, a sealed attic bakes the shingles from below and ages them early. We measure your attic’s intake and exhaust instead of guessing, clear blocked soffit vents, and make sure the ridge is actually cut open — a ridge vent over an uncut ridge does nothing. Most shingle warranties require good ventilation, so this is not optional.
Wind and hail ratings, plainly
A shingle’s wind rating only applies if the nailing matches how it was tested — the right number of nails, in the right spot, driven flush. We nail to the printed spec, because the rating is meaningless otherwise. For hail, Class 4 is the toughest impact rating. It means the shingle passed a controlled impact test, not that it is hailproof — severe hail can damage any roof. Some insurers factor impact ratings into pricing; that conversation belongs between you and your carrier.
The paperwork is part of the roof
Manufacturer warranties generally require that the product went on according to their instructions, with matching components from the same system. So we document the job: photos of the deck after tear-off, a written scope naming each layer, and installation per the book. Materials we specify include GAF shingle systems among others, matched to your roof and budget. Ohio weather will test the work either way — we would rather it find flashing done right and a deck that was checked before it was covered.
FAQ
Questions homeowners ask
- Should I repair my roof or replace it?
- A limited problem may be repairable when the surrounding roof is still in good condition. Widespread wear, several leaks, or damage to important areas may point to replacement. We look at the roof before recommending either.
- How long does a tear-off and replacement take?
- It depends on roof size, pitch, number of layers, valleys and chimneys, hidden repairs, and weather. The written plan explains the work involved before scheduling.
- What is ice and water shield?
- It is a self-adhering layer used at eaves, valleys, and other vulnerable areas. It adds protection where ice or concentrated water could move under the shingles.
- Can a roof be installed in winter?
- Sometimes. Roofing products have temperature and weather requirements, so the conditions and the manufacturer’s instructions determine whether work can proceed.
- What happens if deck rot is found mid-job?
- The damaged area is documented and shown to you. The repair and price change are discussed and put in writing before the roof covers the area.
From the field Practical notes before you decide
Look beyond the shingle.
Westmere will review the roof and explain the removal, protection, and transition details.