In article , mm says...

It's late in the year but my ex's roof is leaking and she isn't sure
what color the new one should be. She has a one story house with a
pitched shingled roof.

IIUC, black is bad in both the summer and winter. In the summer
because it absorbs heat and makes the AC work harder.
In winter because it radiates heat, and makes the furnace work
harder.
Even if the attic is insulated from the first floor
Is this all true?

Around here in upstate NY black can be bad in winter because it melts snow too
quickly when it's still below freezing, leading to ice dam problems. But I
still see them. Indeed most new McMansions seem to have them.


IIUC white always ends up looking dirty, although one roofing company
said they had a new kind of white that stayed clean. Is this
possible?

I have a white shingled roof that looks really nice still. Partly I think
because it always gets sunlight at some time during the day, discouraging fungus
and molds. Also, my chimneys are both on the south side of the house - when
they're running the most the wind is blowing emissions away from the house. But
most white roofs I see do look dirty.

I'll go with a light brown when I replace (some years down the road still, it
looks like.)

Banty