Roofline products are essential in protecting houses against the elements, moisture-related damage, and wildlife pests. However, they also offer a crucial finishing touch to a property’s aesthetic, and the right choice can add significantly to kerb appeal and saleability, and help a development stand out for the right reasons.
While designs and colours were limited for many years, the expansion in choice in recent years means new options are increasingly being specified to add visual interest and value to higher-end new builds.
Different shades are selected to match or complement other building elements – not just guttering, but windows, front doors, and even bi-fold and garage doors. The wrong shade or design can stick out like a sore thumb and ruin the overall look.
Roofline products usually include the fascia board, which runs horizontally along the lower edge of a roof where it overhangs the building’s outer walls and soffit boards, which sit on the underside of the eaves, behind the gutter. Together they provide a barrier against wind and rain, improving ventilation to the roof to reduce damp, mould and rot. PVC-U roofline and PVC-UE rainwater are often the norm for many new build developments due to the ease of installation and handling, as well as their durability, offering a low maintenance, long lifetime; protecting a property while keeping it looking smart for years.
Shades of grey
While PVC fascia is available in square leg, ogee, bullnose, square edge and flat designs, colour choices have expanded in recent years. Although white is still the mainstay, black, brown, sable, and pale gold are also available – and greys in particular have become popular following the ongoing trend in interior design (we offer three grey shades, for example – Storm
Grey (RAL No. 7045), Dark Grey (RAL No. 7015) Anthracite Grey (RAL No. 7016). Aidan Harte, CEO of Freefoam Building Products, comments: “Although the overall roofline market has expanded, sales of white roofline products have declined almost year-on-year since 2016 to 2024, by just over 11% overall, while Woodgrain foiled products are up nearly 10% in the same period, and our Colourmax® products (which used patented technology for colour variety and fastness) have also increased. Black and Brown roofline has remained steady. One in five of Freefoam roofline sales are now foil or colour.”
Some options can also be RALmatched to other building elements, and ideally come with complementary accessories for a perfect finish.
PHPD hears from specialist manufacturer Freefoam Building Products on the latest colour trends in roofline products.
Independent housebuilder Morris Homes chose dark grey fascia in its Glebelands development in Leicestershire to complement windows, Juliet balconies, and garage doors all in grey for a coordinated, contemporary look. Phil Shaw, Procurement Manager, explains:
“Glebelands Park is one of our more ‘contemporary’ sites. We’re often driven by planning guidelines and pride ourselves on being able to offer Local Authorities a ‘non-standard’ look that will enhance the local area. One of the ways we achieve this is by using colour instead of white. It immediately raises the profile of a house design and gives instant kerb appeal.”
The perfect foil
Further foiled colours are also now available on the market, including matt black and matt grey, which can be used to complement high-end aluminium (or aluminium-look) bi-folds and windows, while white woodgrain is being specified more often for a softer, more traditional look. This can work better in conservation areas or locations in the countryside.
For example, Annie Ewin, Group Buyer of Croudace Homes specified white woodgrain roofline for the new Ochre Meadows development in Theale, Reading, which features high-spec 3-5 bed homes ranging in price from £595,000-£990,000. An established regional developer, Croudace Homes is supplied by distributor Willmott’s of Reading. “Willmott’s has been supplying us with PVC roofline for over 15 years,” explains Annie Ewin. “We have always been very pleased with the quality of the Freefoam range and wanted to continue using the same brand for the new site. Woodgrain
White gives a slightly matt finish and works well with the style of these thoughtfully designed homes located in a semi-rural setting. We are considering using white woodgrain fascia and soffit on further developments.”
The devil’s in the detail
Colour roofline is one of the details that can be particularly useful for SME and regional developers to differentiate residential estates and offer a higher-end, more custom build. This approach can give a development its own identity but also help it work with the surrounding architecture, whether the project is a brownfield/infill urban or suburban site in between existing properties, or set in a more rural location that requires architects and specifiers to reflect the look of traditional materials used in the area.
One of the key things for developers and architects to look out for is long-lasting guarantees (eg 10-years) against discolouration, blistering, etc, and stockists that have colour products ‘on the shelf’ that they can provide with no lead time. This means the supplier holds the stock so housebuilders can call off what they need, when they need it, without having to store anything on site – which can result in damage or wastage.
