# Time For a New Roof-Diamond or Rectangular Shingles?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-roof-diamond-or-rectangular-shingles/730664>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 11, 2015, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-roof-diamond-or-rectangular-shingles/730664 "2015-09-11T12:48:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-roof-diamond-or-rectangular-shingles/730664/1 "2015-09-11T12:48:16Z")

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Most people here use the rectangular shingles…i always liked the diamond shaped ones. Are there any advantages to the diamond shingles? Do they cost more? also, white versus black-is it better to have a hot roof (black) or a cool roof (white)?

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-roof-diamond-or-rectangular-shingles/730664/2 "2015-09-11T13:01:21Z")

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I don’t know the answer to your question, but we just had a new roof put on yesterday.

We used rectangular shingles.

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**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-roof-diamond-or-rectangular-shingles/730664/3 "2015-09-11T15:03:21Z")

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> [@ralph124c](#):
>
> also, white versus black-is it better to have a hot roof (black) or a cool roof (white)?

Where do you live? Assuming that the color of the roof actually matters, do you spend more on heating in the winter or cooling in the summer?

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-roof-diamond-or-rectangular-shingles/730664/4 "2015-09-11T19:37:32Z")

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It depends entirely on the type of house. Most of the time when I have seen diamond shaped shingles they are on older type homes, like a white shingled farm house.