Purpose:  This guideline is established to ensure that roofs are in compliance with the Covenants, blend with their surroundings, and do not reflect nuisance levels of light into nearby properties. Project and site-specific considerations, and the negative impact of low Light Reflectance Values on energy efficiency will be considered in the context of the site and the spirit and intent of the Covenants. This guideline establishes standards for the selection and approval of roof colors and finishes. 

1.       COLOR – NO WHITE:

          a. White objects tend to stand out from, rather than blend with, their natural surroundings and are thus in conflict with Covenant restrictions. Many of the Covenants prohibit white roofs. Therefore, the ACC has adapted the Light Reflectance Value (LRV) as a standard to measure whiteness. The LRV scale ranges from 0 (black) to 100 (white).  Dark colors tend to have an LRV of less than 30.  Light colors tend to have an LRV of more than 70. Whites tend to have an LRV of more than 90. 

          b. Roofs that are exposed to view from nearby properties shall have a LRV of 60 or less. A LRV of 60 is comparable to a "tan" color.

          c. Flat roofs that are screened by parapets and are not exposed to view from nearby properties shall have an LRV of 90 or less wherever it can be demonstrated that a lower LRV would have a significant negative energy impact. A LRV of 90 or less is considered to be a color.

          d. The LRV of a roofing material can be verified by the paint or roofing material           manufacturer’s data sheets or by comparing a sample to standards maintained by the ACC in the SHHA office.

2.   GLOSS – NO HIGHLY REFLECTIVE FINISHES:

          a. A high gloss finish has the potential to reflect nuisance levels of light into nearby properties. Gloss is a measure of the degree to which a surface functions as a mirror. The ISO and ASTM specular gloss scales include <10 (Flat) and >85 (High Gloss). In descriptive terms, the scale runs as follows:

                        Description                                          Gloss

                        Flat (matte, velvet)                              <10

                        Eggshell (suede)                                 10 - 20

                        Satin                                                    20 - 25

                        Silk                                                      35 - 50

                        Semi-gloss                                          35 - 65

                        Gloss                                                   65 – 85

                        High Gloss                                          <85

          b. All roofing material shall have a "flat" or "low sheen" appearance. Finishes with a flat, eggshell, or low sheen designation are usually acceptable.  Finishes with a semi-gloss or gloss designation are not acceptable.  This gloss or sheen selection criteria especially applies to metal roofs.  The gloss of a proposed material may be verified by the manufacturer’s data sheets or by comparison to the standards maintained by the ACC in the SHHA office.

3.  SUMMARY DESIGN GUIDELINE:

          a. Roofs that are exposed to view from nearby properties shall have an LRV of 60 or less (indicative of a tan or darker color) and a specular gloss of 20 or less (indicative of a flat, matte, velvet, eggshell, or suede finish). 

          b. Flat roofs that are screened by parapets and are not exposed to view from nearby properties shall have an LRV of 90 or less and a specular gloss of 20 or less, where it can be demonstrated that a lower LRV would have a significant negative energy impact.

          c. The color and gloss of proposed finishes may be verified by the manufacturer’s data sheets or by comparison to standards maintained by the ACC in the SHHA office.