Latest / RoofersCoffeeShop / Color Trends Contractors Need to Know
Transcript
- Karen Edwards: Hello everyone. Welcome to this RLW today. Really exciting topic, all about color trends that all you contractors and industry professionals need to know about. I'm Megan Ellsworth here at Roofers Coffee Shop. And today's RLW is brought to you by Sherwin Williams. And we're talking about color trends that contractors and all industry professionals need to know right now. And I have my friend Bryn here, the absolute expert. On colors. So, Bryn, welcome to the show. Can you please introduce yourself? Yes, well, thank you for having me. so I'm Brynn Wildenauer. I'm the senior architectural color designer for Sharon Williams ⁓ in the coil coating division. ⁓ so I work out of the Sharon Williams design house in Minneapolis. I've been here about six years, ⁓ and I do all the things around kind of color design, color development, kind of with all that. ⁓ sort of nerdy resins and pigments and technical stuff along with the marketing and ⁓ sales. So I work on all of our sales tools internally ⁓ as far as color cards and collections and color of the year and trend forecasts, but then also projects similar to like color cards and things for our customers. Amazing. Amazing. Quick question do you get to help choose the color of the year? That's good question. So I am on the color mix committee. So there is a committee of color leaders throughout the whole company that get together and talk about the color mix forecast. So we talk about kind of the bigger program that our store group puts together. And then the store group will take that and pick their color of the year from there. So how fun. Sort of. Sort of adjacent. You're part of it. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Well, we're here to talk about ⁓ kind of going off of that, the shift forecast. ⁓ what is it and why it matters to contractors and kind of what it outlines in terms of color trends. So can you give us just an overview of what the shift forecast is? Absolutely. So at the design house, we ⁓ constantly are researching color trends and kind of how they come about, where they are at in, you know, where colors are at in the different life cycles and things of that nature. in we kind of take all of this, I call it big brain research, and we publish it every couple of years. So this is our kind of way of showing all of our research and what we're finding ⁓ in the different color spaces throughout different industries within the coil ⁓ market, along with all of our factory applied coatings that we do at Sherwin. ⁓ so this is 18 colors that we have put together that kind of go through a lot of different color spaces for different industries, but show kind of the more forward thinking aspects of those colors. So, you know, when we're we're looking at it, which we'll we'll show later, ⁓ later on here, but ⁓ it kind of shows a lot of different options as far as effects and different color spaces, ⁓ and it really just kind of captures where we see color going in the next three to five years and beyond. So we we publish it kind of ahead of its time. So we expect it to be, you know, kind of more accepted in the market in about three years. But we do that on purpose. So then you as you know the product manufacturer or the end use customer will get that product in time for that colors to start to start taking off in the industry. So it's all kind of a strategic initiative for us to Help our customers be ahead of the curve as far as color. That's so cool. How long have you been ⁓ personally a part of the shift forecast team and helping ⁓ put it together? Yeah. So I did it on my first day when I started at Shirt One in 2020. Wow. So I yeah, this is I think my fourth forecast. that I've been a part of. So we we kind of ⁓ have shifted the cadence in how long we put or how often we publish it due to market needs. So especially in the coil world, color doesn't move that fast. So we want to make sure that it's meaningful and impactful and we're not just reiterating the same information year over year. So we've kind of slowed down with our launches and just made them a bit more meaningful and robust. ⁓ but yeah, I think this is my fourth forecast. Amazing. Amazing Well, and color really does influence purchasing decisions for home and building owners. I mean, it's what everyone sees. It's it's in a lot of times a roof is the first thing people see from the curb. ⁓ and it's so important for all you people out there listening to be, you know, kind of on the pulse of w what are the trends right now? What should you be offering your customers? What you should what colors should you be adding to your offerings? All that stuff. So let's get into that right now. And Ryn, I'd like to ask, what are some of the biggest color trends you're seeing in metal roofing today? So there's a there's a couple of different themes that I've started to see taking off. One is the movement away or the desire to move away from stark black. So we've seen We've seen some some people, you know, for a while we saw White House black accents just all over the place. That high contrast color scheme has started to dwindle pretty quickly. So the market is now ⁓ kind of pushing or moving towards either lightening that up or adding some color into roofing, which is really great. We've seen bronzes pop off recently. Yeah, like it's amazing. Yeah coppers and bronzes, that color space and browns. also just really really popular along with texture. So, you know, we're we're still seeing, you know, those those neutrals kind of stay steady. some of those like tried and true colors kind of stick around. Yeah. However, adding some interest and dynamic with ⁓ like a crinkle type texture. Okay. Nice. And then what about I mean let's talk about copper itself because the just the color in the bronzes Because ⁓ I was just at the Western Roofing Expo and so many people were saying that they have homeowners asking ⁓ about copper roofs and cot like copper metal roofs. And as we all know, that is very expensive. So a lot of contractors are looking for ways to give them that effect without the price tag. So can you just dive into that a little bit? Absolutely. So ⁓ typically roofing that we're talking about in this setting is gonna be our WeatherXL platform. And in WeatherXL we have one mica option. We have other platforms with lots of mica options, but in this one we have one and it's copper. And it's because the market has been asking for it for so long, because that sort of, you know, warm neutral, really interesting kind of look has become so popular. So I think a couple of years ago we added it to our standard collection for Weather Excel. So then we could offer it more widely for customers. But it's a really great kind of really standard expected tried and true copper color where, you know, there's there's lots of ⁓ kind of ranges of coppers in the world. So ⁓ we kind of narrowed it down to the one that's gonna hit the most mark ⁓ across all of the different, you know, people that would like it. ⁓ So from there we kinda came up with this one option and that is on the market now. So we have a really great copper copper penny option. Love it. And yeah, as someone that lives in Colorado, the mountain towns here are huge on copper roofs and ⁓ obviously metal just in general. ⁓ but I've r I've seen so many this fall since going into the mountains to see the leaves and whatnot. So many copper roofs then ever before and I didn't quite realize the trend until I had people asking about it at Western States. So it's so cool that you guys offer that. You know, that's another interesting shift that I've seen is like the the sort of mountain towns and like Montana and everything were really heavy on the dark green roof for a while. And now that's moving towards that copper or warm neutral space. So that's another kind of interesting regional trend that we're seeing. ⁓ and and we're seeing the shift like kind of pretty slowly, but it's definitely happening. So just a little fun, fun niche regional regional variations, really interesting. Absolutely. Okay. So kind of going off of that, speaking of regional variations, what are some of the driving changes in color preferences? Like why do you think people have gone Away from the white and black high contrast and maybe to more neutrals or even just adding fun colors to their houses. Like, what do you think is driving that? So there's a lot of factors that are driving that. Some of which is ⁓ there's a there's a concept I really like to talk about that's talking about either complementing or contrasting the surrounding, the nature around the building. And we're when we're talking about residential, that's mainly gonna be like green landscaping or trees and flowers and things that are more of a natural hue, where that high contrast color scheme in that setting starts to feel a little artificial or a little forced, ⁓ maybe a little bit aggressive. So ⁓ we're seeing the the desire for more like warmth and welcoming colors. ⁓ and you know, we've seen that in ⁓ our store group we get ⁓ data from all of our divisions within Sherwin, but specifically from the store group ⁓ we've seen a very stark change from high contrast neutrals into lower contrast neutrals and the warm neutrals over the last few years and that's translating pretty heavily to the exterior. And then we also see just like people wanting some ⁓ like warm fuzzy feeling. You know, there's there's a lot happening in the world right now. So having the the kind of like inviting, welcoming ⁓ type color scheme that feels very comfortable ⁓ is something that's becoming more and more important, along with having that like kind of stamp of individuality. So, you know, colorful ⁓ front doors are gonna be, you know, back and better than ever. Totally. I worked on a couple recently that were ⁓ very bright. So I think people are really excited to kind of get the opportunity to have something be so uniquely theirs. Yeah. I I completely agree. I mean, this might be a little off topic, but there is that that trend of like whimsy in whimsy maxing, whimsical, ⁓ decor. That is, I think somehow gonna find itself into roofing. Absolutely. Well, and that's that's a big thing is, you know, how can we take, you know, the bones of the the structure and make it approachable, welcoming and all of that and then add on to it with like, you know, maybe different angles or, you know, there's there's s some nuances where like the materials themselves aren't necessarily whimsy, but it's how you use them that can be like whimsical and just really, you know, people want to be excited when they come home. We're like, hey, come over and look at my house. Look at how cool this is. Like that's something that's becoming more and more important. Yeah. And we're also seeing just, I mean, now a shift in who's buying houses and who is the buying decisions. And that's a lot of the, you know, Gen Z people ⁓ are starting to buy and be a bigger player in the market. So and and they're the people that are w are have those trends and have those wants and desires of ⁓ you know, a little whimsy in their everyday life. I would love to ask everyone out there that's ⁓ tuning in. I put in the chat, what colors are you all seeing getting popular? What colors are your customers asking about or interested in when ⁓ they're looking at root their roof options? I'd love to know. So let us know in the chat. ⁓ Okay, Bryn. So Reasons for increases in color interests. Let's keep talking about like what are the opportunities for contractors when it comes to helping their customers add color? That's a really good question because there's there's a lot of areas, you know, we we ⁓ when Megan and I talked last week, we had talked about, you know, ⁓ homeowners getting decision fatigue. There's so many like opportunities for a decision when they're building. So if we have kind of some opportunity to inspire people to add color, I think that's a really great option because some people are like, well, I want it to be really cool and unique, but I'm not sure where to start. So, you know, having to see, you know, some like slate blues in roofing, it's not gray, it's not charcoal, it's not black, but it's it has a blue tone to it. Like that would be really unique and and cool. So it's kind of making those micro shifts into ⁓ something that's a little bit more interesting. So, you know, when we have, you know, these really bold choices of, hey, I want a bright yellow front door, which is one of the colors I had recently. Love it. Like, how do we maximize, you know, the kind of fun and playfulness or, you know, the modern, you know, mid-century modern or just true modern aesthetic, kind of balance all of that with the like most important thing, which might be the front door color or might be the roofing color. So I think we have A lot of opportunity to inspire people and just show them like, hey, these are these are options. Like you don't have to come up with everything in your head. You don't have to follow anything on Pinterest or what you can. You obviously can't. But there are options to kind of branch out from the norm and see where we can maximize our color opportunities in these spaces. Because there are a lot of people that are kind of sick of the cook the cookie cutter. So if we can kind of show You know, hey, here's a really cool red roof. You can have a red roof in a suburban neighborhood, and that is not weird. Like that's it's gonna be cool, I promise. So yes. So going off of that, what do and this might let me know if this isn't in your realm, but HOAs. How do people how are you seeing people kind of, you know, still have that personal touch, that whimsical touch, but live in an HOA? That's a good question. So a lot of times there are kind of cookie cutter options when you live in an HOA. However, what I've learned living in an HOA myself, ⁓ there are ways to kind of push that boundary. So hey, I'm gonna stick with these ideals, like my siding is going to be this color, my trim is going to be this color, but hey, would I have the option to change my roofing color? And I mean you're not gonna be able to put a hot pink roof on your HOA home. You wouldn't anyway. But there are some some some opportunities to kind of push and just ask the question. So we we have a team that work in the paint store group ⁓ that work exclusively with HOAs to try and get them to push color into a different kind of realm or even have like, hey, here's the standard colors that you can stick with. Here is like an expansion pack is what I'm calling it of options. ⁓ so we have we have a team that's kind of trying to help kind of change the d ideals and dynamics of HOAs as far as color goes. That's so great. And it it's cool too to see that Sherwin Williams is doing that because I know so many contractors that, you know, HOAs aren't always their favorite to to do to deal with. And because they can be kind of, you know, stuck in their ways, a little stringent. ⁓ so to to hear that Sherwin such a big company as Sherwin Williams is kind of helping them loosen that a little bit and add some ideas is cool to see. For sure. Love it. ⁓ Okay. And I love the the chat going on here. So hi Heather. ⁓ just saw you in person and now on the computer. also seeing contrasting colors for metal roof and trim. That's interesting. ⁓ charcoal gray and medium bronze in South Florida. And then navy blue and and dark gray in the Midwest. Yeah, there's that navy blue. I think that would be so beautiful on a house. I have not seen it in with my own ⁓ two eyes, but I'm hope to see it soon. Yes. Absolutely. Okay. So Bren, going back to the shift forecast, what were some of the color trends that ⁓ you reported in there that were most relevant ⁓ for the roofing industry? So I love the bronze comment a couple of times in here because that is one of the areas that we see the mo most growth opportunity for metal roofing. ⁓ so there are a couple different bronze browns in the forecast that we specifically put in there for metal roofing. So there are there are a couple browns, like not no effect in them, but they are brown and then there's a bronze. And those are our dark neutrals. So when we look at the color scheme on the next slide, I believe it's the next one. But when we look at that, you'll see there's no black and there's no stark white. And that's for a very good reason because we're seeing the the market kind of move away from that. Yes. So, you know, the Kindred and the Restore, there's sort of an oxblood tone to the restore. Kindred is more of a true brown. And then bronze door has a mica to it, but that one is our true bronze. Those are gonna be the ones that are like, these are the staple, you know, this is kind of where we see things moving for the next, you know, five to seven years. ⁓ also in that dark green space builder. is a really great roofing color because it kind of takes that Hartford green we've seen in the industry for so long. And it just adjusts it slightly. It may it grays it out a little bit. It makes it darker. ⁓ and that that kind of adds an interesting element. And then we also have ⁓ equilibrium, which is a green toned kind of slate color. So that one is a yeah, it's a little bit unexpected. It's like a green slate is what I would say. ⁓ that one's a little bit pushing the boundaries maybe a little bit for the metal roofing market, but it would be really easy to pair with other colors, which I think is kind of the name of the game when we're talking about metal roofing, right? Is like we got to look at the whole picture, you know, what's happening in windows and gutters and siding and garage doors and all the different things. So those would be kind of the top five I would say from from the forecast. I love it. I mean, all of those, that equilibrium, that's the bottom left one, right? Yes. Yep. Gorgeous. That is so beautiful. And okay, so in the chat here, shout out your favorite. I'm curious. I can zoom in maybe. Maybe not, actually. But everyone go ⁓ check out the shift forecast because I mean I'm sure Brian, it's a lot of work and it looks just beautiful. So congratulations on this really cool Thank you. Yes, it was about two and a half years of development. So A lot of good research went into it, a lot of great product development with our partners at our our lab in Garland, Texas. ⁓ a lot of people went into it, which is great because it turned out really well. And we've had a lot of great responses with kind of people being like, ⁓ yeah, this all makes a lot of good, a lot of sense. And, you know, through the brochure, we kind of explain the why behind every color ⁓ and kind of where it comes from, which I think is also very valuable information because a lot of people don't really understand the forecasting. ⁓ kind of process. So it kind of goes through like what happens and all the trend life cycles and like the data behind it. That's that's fascinating. I think trend cycles are so fascinating. ⁓ we have a question here from the audience and that is what is the best way to present, you know, out of the box color options without overwhelming the customer? It's a really good question. It's something that we've been working on over the last couple of years. Recently I talked with Karen on I don't remember what platform it was, but we had a little, a little session about talking about some ⁓ Metal View Color schemes that I had put together. So we have ⁓ you know, a resource that Megan and the team talk about all the time, which is fantastic. But part of that is ⁓ having this resource where we can have a starting point. Right. So, you know, if I look at this this house and it kind of looks something like what I would like, but I want to swap out a color here or there, you kind of have a starting point. So having something visual to show your customer, hey, this is what a navy blue roof would look like or or could look like, or this is what, you know, are is more common. Here are the bronze kind of color spaces that we're seeing a lot of kind of showing that visual starting point kind of puts everybody on the same page with. without having to like in your brain kind of try and make something happen. Yeah. I think also, kind of to our point on one of the previous slides of like the next this next generation of homeowners are kind of built different. They're obviously they're, you know, they're finding their contractors online. They're finding ⁓ getting online instant estimates for the roof. They they kind of know already what they want. So having Fun colors and options that make sense for that home that you've like picked out personally for them, I think is really cool. and also, like we said, like the whimsical, ⁓ whimsy maxing trend that's going on is something that I feel like will eventually affect roofing in the sense of the decision makers being a lot of the women in the household. ⁓ Are the ones making the decisions and they want a fun, beautiful house. And the other interesting part about the next generation of homeowners is a lot of them are not looking for resale value. They want their home to be for them. And when the day comes to sell it, that's great. But for right now, we're gonna live and make the best of it and make it mine. So I think that's a really different way of looking at it than what we've seen in the past. A lot of people like Tons of, you know, my friends and family have been like all about resale. And it's that's not the the most important part right now, which I think is great. That is such a good point. That's such a good point. Cause I think a lot of times this this generation, I'll just say it our generation and below it is exactly to your point, not looking for the resale value and also kind of like not wanting to play the real estate game necessarily. ⁓ so They this could be a house that they're in for a long time. If they're if they're putting all their cookies in this basket, they want it to be a beautiful basket. Absolutely. A hundred percent. 'Cause I mean, the reality is like maybe this is your forever home. So why not love it? Why not have a hot pink roof? Exactly. Just kidding. Maybe not. Yeah, okay. Maybe not. we have a really fun question here from Heather, and it is what Are there are you seeing any color differences between single family homes versus multifamily homes? I think from a color perspective, the the general themes are kind of similar, pretty similar, I would say. However, I wouldn't say in multifamily homes, a lot of them are adopting sort of more of a monochromatic color scheme faster than residential homes. So you'll see like, you know, all tones of blue on a multifamily, like an apartment building type thing. ⁓ where, you know, the residential homes are still looking for that kind of material breakup or color breakup a little bit more still. ⁓ but we'll see that start to translate into residential homes. So typically multifam ⁓ adopts to kind of more trend forward concepts ⁓ faster than a single family home. Totally. Yeah, cause ⁓ that's a good point too, because almost to our point previously, like the multifamily home is a lot of times Obviously a group of people or a management company and they're trying to get people in there, whereas the single family home is someone that's like really trying to make that home theirs, like exactly like you said, Bryn. Yep. Okay. Another great question here from the audience. How do you recommend thinking about color trade-offs interactions when a homeowner chooses a mixed material roof? For example, shingles plus metal. So that's a good question. And this is this is where I get into more of the technical conversation. So again, with, you know, younger homeowners and purchasers, they're looking for the long game more more often than not right now. So when you're talking about, you know, material trade offs, the metal makes a lot more sense because it's gonna last a lot longer. And another benefit of a metal is you have a lot more color opportunity. You can make a metal roof. A lot of different colors. I'm not gonna say any color you want because that's not necessarily true. However, you know, when you have shingles and asphalt roofing, there's like four color options in the market. Maybe five. And with metal roofing, typically on our customer color cards, we have at least 16 colors. So there are and the opportunities go even a lot further than that. So ⁓ when we talk about materials. That makes a lot of sense for metal, but then also the color opportunity is so much greater with metal. Yeah. It's it's And I will say like the the profiles as well. You could get, you know, a stamped look with metal roofing. You could get standing seat. Like there's just so many opportunities to get a different look. And again, that can be a part of that individualistic kind of conversation as well. How would you re what would you recommend like if they do want it like part of their roof is shingles and then maybe they have like an overhang that's like metal. What are some of the color combos that you've seen popular? Honestly, with that, I see copper the most common is, you know, those little overhangs and things of that nature. Coppers and bronzes are going to be the ones that I see the most. And I think that'll continue as well because they complement so many other finishes so easily. And it again brings in that warmth into whatever kind of area that metal roof is in. Yeah, I love it. I love it. Ugh, I love talking about color. This is one of the my the best RLWs. So we've already talked a little bit about the sales process, but how does Sherwin Williams specifically, how do you all help your contractors use color in the sales process and help their customers get exactly what they want? So yeah, we had talked about kind of this metal roofing ⁓ metal view asset that we have recently published, which I think is a really great starting point. And also we have a lot of resources from our paint store group as far as, you know, different color palettes, different color themes, things of that nature. We've got like it broken down into regions and, you know, HOAs or you know, multifamily housing. We have tons of different ways that our color experts in all of our divisions have broken down where color is going, where color is at right now. ⁓ and that I think is just it's great to have a lot of inspiration to start. So then when it comes time to, you know, sign your name down on a decision, you feel very confident in that because you've seen it out in the world. ⁓ because I think it can be hard and it's very intimidating when you're committing to a a metal roof that's gonna be on your house for 30 years to make sure that you're having the right you're you're making the right call and and gonna be happy with it for a long time. Yeah. Yeah. Well said. Well said. Okay. Common mistakes customers make when selecting roof colors. I mean, I guess the obvious one is hot pink. Yes. I will say, like the biggest thing the that I've heard of people not being super happy with their color choice is picking a color that they think is right instead of what they actually want. So making sure that it's something that you feel excited about and fulfilled by is gonna be the number one thing. ⁓ there's there's a lot of opportunities again for color and you know, people to make suggestions, but I think kind of bringing it back to what you really want is going to be the most important thing as the end user. and I think, you know, like we had talked about earlier, you gotta consider the whole thing. If you, you know, are on, you know, a lake or something of that nature, you're you're gonna kind of wanna take all of that into consideration along with, you know, what are the window options? What are the gutter options? What are the siding options? You know. the deck or you know, we even take a look at oddly enough, like grills, like outdoor grills and outdoor front. Interesting. So when we take a look at the whole picture, it's really the whole picture. Wow. That is the whole picture. Yeah. And you help contractors. You you you help contractors do that? That's amazing. Yeah. So we it's a part of our kind of like research process. So when we work with product manufacturers and things of that nature, we put together a whole report. based off of where they're at with color and then where everything around them is at with color. So that doesn't mean just direct competitors. It means like everything. Wow. Wow wow. And then talk a little bit more about the Metal View program and how color kind of ties into that and and and contractors can become a part of the Metal View program and and and color is obviously like one of the main things they can they can they can leverage. Yeah. So when the Metalview program came out, it was very much material focused. How can we, you know, do the bids and the the measurements and get all of our partners together and you know have assets and things online. And now that we've kind of mastered that, we've got that really well down pat, now it's time to add resources into the program that help make decisions easier. And help give contractors easy resources to come in and say, hey, you can have whatever you want. However, here's a great starting point. So we've kind of taken that into consideration more and more with the Metal View program, ⁓ which is only strengthening like the overall package that the Metal View team and all of the kind of tools in the toolbox kind of bring to the table for contractors and also end users. So this isn't kind of like a contractor only type. ⁓ asset, but it is something that we we have out there for ⁓ contractors to use with the end users. Amazing. Okay, we have a question here from the audience. And it is ⁓ are there different lead times with the varying colors? So it all depends on a lot of things. So the supply chain is quite lengthy when you're talking about getting a metal roof from start to end. ⁓ so it depends on a couple of variables. So mainly the biggest thing is what product manufacturer you're using, ⁓ because they will typically have a standard palette from a coder, a coil coder that they will have. ⁓ and so the standard colors that they offer, no big deal. That's gonna be kind of a standard lead time standard costing. ⁓ if you wanna go custom, that's where it can get a little expensive and take a little bit longer. ⁓ but it all depends on kind of the size of the project and kind of what the most important things are within the project itself. Amazing. Amazing. Okay. So working together when introducing new colors, how do you all so what's some of the market research you do amongst contractors when you're putting together this shift forecast and like what are the questions you're asking them? And how do you work with contractors and your customers to kind of get a t a t a pulse check on what colors are popular. Yeah, it's a really good question. So kind of we start with some internal data. So we'll look at what contractors and product manufacturers both what samples they're ordering, custom color matches. And those don't always translate into paint orders. So that's why I kind of focus on the samples first is to see what are like the wants, the desires. They might settle for something that's more in like the stock realm. But what are what are people actually wanting? Wanting enough to order a sample. ⁓ but then also going to contractors and saying, like, hey, do you think that whites are changing? And they're gonna think about it and be like, What do you mean? White is white. It's it's not. But like we're we're seeing from our angle that neutrals are warming up and that includes whites. So when a customer wants, you know, white siding or whatever, ⁓ are they picking that white because it's the only option or because it's the right option? So we're we're seeing kind of some of these themes of like, ⁓ well, they're not going stark white anymore. They're going towards the tan. Maybe we need something in the middle that would make more sense to be what they actually want instead of just an the only option. ⁓ so it's a lot of those conversations around like, you know, where are we seeing gaps in the market? Where are you getting questions? ⁓ how can we help support these sort of color conversations? And I think that's where this sort of inspirational tool came from. is kind of having, you know, that that conversation of like, what are some tools and assets we can help inspire people, but n in that in a very approachable way to keep it less intimidating than maybe even the shift forecast. Because the shift forecast is a lot of information. So we kind of just adjusted it a little bit to make it a little bit more digestible for ⁓ contractors and and users. I have a a question here, and it is what are some of the questions that I, a contractor, should be asking manufacturers before promoting a newer or trendier color? Like is there kind of a waiting period but between trends that they should be aware of? So that that's an interesting question because I don't really have a great answer. Because it's it's all variable. We we saw Matt Blacks and and Blacks kinda feel like they came out of nowhere. They didn't, but I don't think the market was ready for it. Mm-hmm. however, now we're seeing the bronzes move into that space and we're a little bit more prepared this time. But there wasn't really a hard stop of black. Black is still being sold all the time right now. It's still one of our top-selling ⁓ Weather XL colors. However I do think that there is ⁓ a ⁓ good a good excuse or a good reason to kind of be an early adopter. So I think saying, you know, we do have Matt Black, we do have black options, but here is where we're seeing the market move pretty quickly is into this bronze space. That will give you kind of a competitive edge rather than waiting too long. ⁓ because then you're just gonna be kind of following the rest of the pack. So I I I like to push to be an early adopter, which takes some confidence, but I think it's worth it in the end. Yeah, I think it totally is worth it. And I'm sure the the homeowners a lot of times will will think it's worth it as well because it's something that they can just fall in love with. This beautiful color. Yeah. ⁓ okay. And then we have a question here. Are there certain colors that tend to perform better depending on climate? I mean, obviously, you know. in high heat areas, maybe a lighter color, but how does that depend with Sherwin? That's a another really fantastic question. So ⁓ yes, the answer is yes, different colors perform better in certain climates. However, ⁓ we have a team of very brilliant scientists and chemists that have come up with ⁓ ways to kind of help counteract some of the heat. ⁓ so we have solar reflective pigments that we can include and we do include in all of our dark colors that we formulate. ⁓ so then it actually reflects the sunlight rather than absorbing it in dark colors. So you can get I think it's like up to forty percent cooler. Don't quote me on that stat, but it is a very big a big ⁓ jump in the reflective value. So you can have a dark roof without kind of sacrificing your heating and cooling bills. Yeah. That's huge. That is massive. Okay. So what are I know we've talked a ton about bronze and coppers and those neutrals that are warming up. ⁓ but what are some of the other color trends you're seeing that down the pipeline, even for the next shift forecast that contractors should be aware of? So we're seeing okay, so we saw black, like I was talking about. We're seeing the bronze right now. Kind of complementing that, we're seeing greens move into a slot that's like kind of more of a neutral in mindset rather than ⁓ a c a chromatic color. So yeah, having the green is sort of that foundational color and building everything off of that and seeing it more as a neutral is what we're seeing it the next evolution being in parallel with the bronzes. Yeah. So kind of kind of an interesting play. We've never seen that before in the metal roofing industry. We've seen people really stick heavily towards the neutrals. ⁓ or, you know, kind of the standard Hartford green type color. So yeah. ⁓ excited to see that. But the the green that fits that bill is a little bit different than the Hartford green that we've seen in the past. Yeah. Yeah. David said that is an accurate number, 40%. Thank you for validating. Hi, David. ⁓ okay. So another question here. How do I how do contractors talk to homeowners that want something bold, want something unique, but are a little worried that they'll regret it in, you know, three to five years and that it is just a trend. What would you say to them? I would say focus on the the more bold choices on ⁓ options that are more easily changed. So thank you for your Central States confirmation. Appreciate you. ⁓ so we have a kind of a a rule of thumb, like the shorter the lifespan of the product, the easier it is to change. So if you're ⁓ committing to a metal roof, commit to something that you're you're gonna be comfortable with for thirty years. However If you wanna have a really fun bold front door and you can paint it yourself in two years, that is the that is the option where to go bold. ⁓ along with siding, you know, if you have siding that you can paint, that'd be great. You know, even a garage door. I've painted my parents' garage door like three times and it's so fun to change it up. So you know, that's that's kind of the places where I would say have a little bit of fun. But like roofing and windows, I would kinda probably lean towards more of the safer option. Yeah. Amazing. Okay. Fabulous. Great advice. Okay, people. This is your time to ask all the questions. So keep them coming. so okay, here's one. What colors are actually selling right now, not just trending in forecasts? Interesting. That is a good question. Cause to your point, to that point, we're seeing the the forecast is three years ahead of its time right now. But we are seeing I just did an analysis, a very interesting analysis, ⁓ comparing the top-selling exterior paint store color from 2024 to 2025. And blacks and stark whites were still pretty popular then. And now it's almost all warm neutrals. And we're seeing that translate into different areas within the coil business. And I have different kind of paces that all of our platforms move. So Our PVDF is moves a bit faster because that's typically used for higher ed architecture. And then the Weather Excel space and then the sort of polyester and acrylic space move the slowest. ⁓ so the PVDF space, we're seeing those bronzes, like we're talking about, like they're actually selling a lot more than they were last year. So, and we're seeing the same thing in the Weather Excel space. ⁓ we're seeing bronzes move up pretty quickly. We're seeing the the crinkle. ⁓ the texture in a lot of different color options move up in popularity. ⁓ so that sort of visual texture and tactile texture is becoming more of that ideal rather than just the high contrast sort of texture thought process. And that might be too designer brain for this audience, but I think that's great. Yeah. I it's good to know what's actually selling right now too and what people are buying actively. And ⁓ as well as something like the shift forecast and seeing what's coming down the pipeline. It's good to know both. So that was a great question and great answer. ⁓ okay, we have one here. Are there certain metal roof colors that tend to show dirt, fading, or wear more than others over time that we should be aware of? So I would say, you know, we kind of don't see a lot of light neutral metal roofs. Right. In the market for that reason. And also, they can be a little bit bright when the sun is really bright. Yeah. ⁓ so from an aesthetic standpoint, we don't see that very often because they can, you know, show a little bit more, but that's not really what's popular right now. So that's not a huge concern of ours. But I mean, all of our products are very easy to clean and we've got like a ton of resources on that. So if that is ⁓ something that you would like to learn more about. You can reach out to Megan or I and we can point you in the right direction. ⁓ but I would say the the lighter colors, ⁓ for roofing specifically, are gonna show ⁓ dirt a little bit more. But they all are we have a fantastic team in Fort Myers, Texas or Fort Myers, Florida that do all of our weathering testing. So they're all ⁓ kind of slated to last a very long time. They all have, you know, data behind them where they're gonna they're gonna be ⁓ technically up to snuff for a very long time. Yeah. Love that. And I think also to this point, w going back to the SRI, the solar reflective index, I mean all of your all of your ⁓ coil coatings have that in there, ⁓ that forty percent SRI. So I think you don't have to necessarily go with a a light color. ⁓ and then but also a part of the Metal View program, you guys ⁓ partner with Watts removal products. So, and he's great. Paul Watts is a hoot and a half. And ⁓ he has these really amazing products that can get graffiti off anything and clean ⁓ any surface, including a metal roof that has like a coil coating on it won't take the paint or anything or any of the coatings off. So ⁓ lots of options there. Yes. Okay, wow. Keep the questions coming. I love it. ⁓ Okay, how much should regional style or neighborhood trends factor into my homeowners decisions or recommendations we make? So that's that's a good question because that kind of comes down to personal preference. Yeah. You know, if you if you want to have a ho a home that blends in with the neighborhood, kind of take the those ⁓ kind of existing homes into consideration and maybe build it off of that. However If you have a vision in mind, if you have, you know, something that you would like that's outside of that, that's also totally okay. ⁓ and something that we really encourage because again, we want you to be super happy with the end result of your home. So it's something that that we it's kind of a a personal preference. ⁓ but I always kind of gear towards what's gonna make you the happiest. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Okay. I am gonna do one more question. How early should color selection be brought into the overall sales conversation? I I like to say as soon as possible. Yeah. I mean, ⁓ you know, most of the time it probably doesn't change the cost of things unless you're getting a custom color or, you know, a mica or whatever. I still think it's really important to have in the beginning of the process. So you know, throughout in all of the decisions being made, you have confidence behind I'm still gonna have the bronze roof at the end of the day. So, you know, kind of baby stepping through all of those decisions and making sure you're keeping again that whole picture in mind. ⁓ we would we we've learned from some people that, you know, making decisions in a silo of like, I like the bronze roof and then I'm gonna go rogue elsewhere because that's what I like, ⁓ doesn't necessarily turn out super well. So having that sort of total picture in mind, I think helps a lot. ⁓ especially when you're you're having to make all those decisions. Yeah. And then do do you guys have like any visual visualizers that contractors have access to or anything? So within the the Metal View program, there are some visualizers. I believe Central States is has a really good one ⁓ as well. So there are ways to kind of see the color palette or the color options. ⁓ it within some of these visualizers, but we're we're leaving that to some of the experts and we're giving ⁓ inspiration via PDF because I think i in some ways it's just it's too much technology. So we wanted to sort of take a step back and, you know, let's go a little bit old school here and just show some good inspiration. You can say, Hey, I love this, but I want a different color siding or a different color roof and kind of plug and play from there. Yeah. Amazing. Well Brynn, this has been so much fun. I love talking about color with you. You're such a blast. So thank you for being here and teaching all of us all about color. Thank you so much. It's been great. Yay. And thank you all out there for tuning in and listening to us just yap about color. This has been such a blast. And everyone can go to the Metalview directory on rooferscoffeeshop.com to learn more about the Metal View program. All the coil coatings, color options that Sherwin Williams provides, the shift forecast, everything that you want to know will be there on the Metal View and Sherwin Williams directory. This episode will be available to watch again later within 24 hours on Roofers Coffee Shop underneath the read, listen, watch tab. You'll find it right there. ⁓ and you'll also be receiving an email with the on-demand version. So stay tuned for that. And thanks again, Brent. This is a blast. Thank you so much for having me. Absolutely. All right, everyone. Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you on next month's RLW. Have a great day.