Can You Paint Roof Shingles? What to Know About Painting Asphalt Shingles

If you’re ready to freshen up your home’s exterior, painting your asphalt shingles can be a good first step. It’s also a medium-term solution to touch up faded shingles or match a new addition’s roof with your larger home. But while you can paint roof shingles, most pros don’t recommend it. Once painted, your shingles require a lot of maintenance, and paint can mask important roof issues that lead to big damage. Before you paint, talk to a pro about your roof to see if painting it is the best idea. 

Pros of Painting Roof Shingles

Photo: karamysh / Adobe Stock

There are plenty of potential advantages to painting your asphalt roof. 

Less Expensive Than Replacement

If your shingles are showing some wear and tear but remain structurally sound, painting them can improve the appearance of your house and extend the life of your roof for less money than the cost of a roof replacement. Expect to pay around $1,000 for all the paint you’d need to cover 20 squares of asphalt shingles, while you’d pay between $150 and $1,500 per square for new shingles—and a full roof replacement is a professional job that typically costs between $8,700 and $22,000.

Paint will not only make your roof more attractive, but the additional layer of material will reduce wear on the underlying shingles. Using high-quality acrylic latex exterior paint that’s designed for asphalt shingles will also extend the life of your roof by offering additional UV protection, slowing the damage wrought by the sun.

Energy Efficiency

Asphalt shingles are frequently black, a color that absorbs sunlight resting on the part of your home that is completely exposed to the sun’s rays. On hot, sunny days, all the sunlight absorbed by those black shingles drives up the temperature of your home—and the price you pay to cool it. With enough paint, you can turn those black shingles white, reflecting sunlight and keeping it away from your home, so you’ll require less energy to keep cool. 

Customize Your Home

Asphalt shingles are only available in a wide variety of colors, but gray, black, and tan are the standard shades. Painting them gives you easier access to the whole color spectrum, allowing you to establish a dazzling, unique look for your home with a roof that stands out from any vantage point. 

Paint is also a good option when you want to strike a better balance between asphalt shingles of differing shades; if, for example, you’ve built a new addition to your home and the new shingles don’t quite match the old ones. Just touch up the lighter area with the appropriate shade of dark paint.

Cons of Painting Roof Shingles

If paint were a panacea for asphalt roof woes, the practice would be far more common—but there are some downsides. 

Requires Maintenance 

A coat of paint on asphalt shingles will not remain attractive and durable for very long without extensive upkeep, since the granules that make up the surface of the shingles crumble and detach over time. You should plan to inspect your painted asphalt roof at least once a year, looking for peeling, bubbling, and chipping. Depending on the climate and how much sunlight and precipitation your roof endures, you may need to perform some touch-ups with each annual inspection. 

Even in weather conditions that are friendlier to paint, you will likely need to repaint every four to seven years. That doesn’t just mean adding a new coat but fully stripping the old paint and repairing damaged shingles before fully priming and painting the roof again. 

Risk of Damage

It is safe to paint an asphalt roof, but you must perform every step of the job correctly to avoid damaging it. First, you must use the right paint: 100% latex acrylic paint designed for asphalt shingles. You must also ensure that all the shingles, the full layer of flashing, and the wooden deck beneath are completely dry. Otherwise, the paint will trap moisture, quickly leading to wood rot, mildew, and mold. 

Does Not Solve Deeper Problems

A coat of paint is a great solution if you want to change the color of your roof, make it more energy-efficient, or touch up minor cosmetic damage. However, It is not a substitute for roof repair or replacement if your asphalt shingles or your roof deck is more seriously damaged. If the roof is leaking or you’ve got patches in the shingles, you’ll need to call a local roof company to get a repair or replacement. 

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 that make it difficult for paint to stick. Doing the job requires applying multiple coats of paint in risky conditions.

Tips for Painting Roof Shingles

Walk into this big task prepared—here are some tips to ensure your painted shingles are perfect and you don’t hurt yourself while freshening them up.

1. Get a Roof Inspection

A roof inspection is a necessary first step so you can address any issues with your roof before painting it.

2. Repair Any Damaged Shingles

After your roof inspection, you may learn you have a damaged shingle or two. You should repair (or replace) these as needed so your roof is in excellent shape before its makeover.

3. Clean the Roof

It’s crucial to clean the area you’re about to paint to prevent mixing your fresh coat with dirt and debris. When it comes to roofs, a thorough cleaning is necessary to eliminate moss or algae growth. 

Utilizing a power washer can be an effective tool for roof washing; however, using a lower setting (between 500 and 1,200 PSI) is important to avoid damaging the shingles. If you need to remove algae or moss, apply a mixture of bleach and water in a 1-1 ratio and allow it to sit on the roof for approximately 15 minutes before rinsing it off with fresh water. Ensure that your roof is completely dry before the painting process.

4. Lower Energy Costs by Painting the Roof a Reflective Color

By painting your roof white or another light color, you’ll save on your energy bills. Here’s how: White and other bright, light colors reflect heat, which means your home absorbs less of it, keeping it cooler during those warm summer months.

5. Use the Right Equipment

You’ll need a few pieces of specialty equipment for this project: an extension ladder, a power washer, and a paint spray gun (and pump). You’ll also need safety and protective gear for yourself, like a mask so you don’t inhale fumes, a work jumpsuit to protect your clothing (unless you think the look of paint splatters is très chic), and tarps to cover any ground area you don’t want the paint to get on. You can also use plastic covers to protect plants that might live close to your home.

6. Install Safety Equipment

Securing safety equipment and installing it before painting will help to prevent injuries; a roof is typically 8 feet or higher, and any tumbles can lead to broken bones or much worse. We recommend buying a safety harness, edge protection, and temporary anchor points. It’s also wise to work with a friend who can hold a ladder in place.

7. Use a Primer and a Sealer

Priming the shingles protects the roof from moisture, and the sealant protects against other harmful elements such as UV light. In addition, these layers will help the topcoat adhere well. Make sure to buy exterior primer and sealant specifically made for asphalt shingles.

Painting Roof Shingles Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro

A confident and experienced DIYer can do a good job touching up the appearance of the shingles if they’re willing to do a lot of preparation and apply multiple coats of spray paint. The job requires a lot of equipment: a large extension ladder to get on the roof, a pressure washer to clean it, a spray paint gun and pump, as well as safety equipment like a harness and anchor points. You’ll also need to buy primer, paint, and sealant.

Even if you can do all that, painting your own asphalt shingles involves a lot of risk: painting on a sloped incline high off the ground is a serious challenge for all but the most experienced craftspeople, with serious consequences entailed by any wrong move. Instead of risking life and limb, hire exterior painters in your area to paint your asphalt roof. Expect to pay between $2,500 and $4,500 for a professional roof painting.

Painting Roof Shingles vs. Replacing 

Changing the color of your roof shingles can do great things for the appearance of your home, but paint won’t seal cracks or patches in your roof or protect it from damage in the long run. For issues like that, the only solution is to have the roof repaired by a professional. Give your roof an annual checkup to see if any damage needs addressing. If so, call your local roof pros to get their advice. Once your roof is in top shape, it’s time to paint. 

C.E. Larusso contributed to this article.