Roof and Accent Tiles

        As we started to think about the exterior finish of our new home, we inquired about roof type and color as well as accent tiles.  For the roof, our architect suggested we take a look at KMEW's Colorbest Basic Line which includes three series: スペリアル、セイバリー and コロニアル.

 

       Having read a bit about roof color and its impact on energy consumption, we were immediately attracted to the lighter tones, especially the Silver White Roof from the Colonial Series.  According to some of the articles we've read, roofs are responsible for up to 50% of a home's cooling load.  This translates into higher air-conditioning bills... 



Silver White

      A light-colored roof might also help maintain the loft area at a more pleasant temperature.  We've also been able to verify from various sources that a light-colored roof makes sense even during the colder months.   Granted, we will have very good insulation, but that alone will not guarantee a more energy-efficient home as it doesn't really play a role in decreasing the house's exterior temperature.    Anyway, we think it'll be a nice change from the darker roofs that are usually the norm.

  

       To match with this light-colored roof, we've been looking a tile samples from Nagoya Mosaic.  Our architect suggested two patterns to add accent to the our home's exterior.  One is to cover the balcony with tiles, the other is to cover the lower part of the house in tiles as in these images:

      We of course discussed costs, and decided to choose option A where tile coverage is only one fourth that of option B.  Leafing through the Tile Catalog, we were easily able to confirm the soundness of our choice: tiles are not cheap and prices vary tremendously.  The more affordable tiles cost about 3000 yen per square meter, while the costlier ones are priced anywhere between 12,000 to 20,000 per square meter.  

      We found one type of tiles that was priced just right for our budget, and that we immediately loved.  The color is a crispy greyish-beige, which is just perfect because we want to keep the overall feel of the house very light.  We may have to adjust our preliminary choices later on, as we discuss exterior wall paint and finish, but it's good to know we have options we like. And like everything else, the fate of all of these extras will be decided on Budget Review Day!