Roof Replacement in Stratham, NH - OC Onyx Black w/ Black Drip Edge

What did this homeowner want?

The homeowner came to us with a clear look in mind: a sleek, modern, blacked-out roof — without giving up durability to get it. That is a combination we see a lot, and the answer here was Owens Corning TruDefinition® Duration® shingles in Onyx Black, finished with crisp black drip edge around the entire perimeter. The result is a high-contrast, intentional profile that gives the house real definition from the street.

Why Onyx Black with matching drip edge?

Onyx Black is a true, deep black architectural shingle, and Owens Corning’s TruDefinition color technology gives it enough depth and dimension that it never reads flat. The detail that pulls the whole look together, though, is the black drip edge. Most contractors run a standard mill-finish or white drip edge and call it done. Matching it to the shingles is a small thing that makes a big visual difference — and it still does its real job of shedding water cleanly off the roof edge.

What is actually under the shingles?

A good-looking roof is only as good as what sits beneath it, and on a New England home that matters even more. For this Stratham replacement our crew built a full, layered system:

• Titanium PSU30 ice & water shield in the high-risk spots — eaves, valleys, and penetrations — to defend against ice dams and wind-driven rain
• RhinoRoof U20 synthetic underlayment across the field, far tougher and more tear-resistant than old felt paper
• Ultimate pipe boots at every plumbing penetration, which is one of the most common places older roofs start to leak
• Black drip edge for proper runoff and a clean finished edge
• Full tear-off and careful flashing at every transition

How does a dark roof hold up to New Hampshire weather?

The concern people raise with a black roof is heat. We handle that the same way we handle every replacement — by upgrading the attic ventilation so heat is exhausted properly instead of cooking the underside of the deck. Combined with the ice-and-water protection at the eaves, this roof is set up to handle Stratham’s snow loads, freeze-thaw cycles, and the coastal-influenced storms that roll through the Seacoast.

Where do most contractors cut corners on a job like this?

The honest answer is the parts nobody sees from the driveway. It is easy to lay nice shingles over a roof and have it look great on day one. The difference shows up three or four winters later, at the eaves where ice dams form, in the valleys where water concentrates, and around the pipe penetrations where old boots crack and let water in. Those are the exact places we over-build — ice and water shield where it counts, synthetic underlayment everywhere else, and new boots at every penetration rather than reusing the old ones. The black drip edge is the same philosophy applied to the visible edge: do the detail right instead of doing it fast.

Roof replacement in Stratham, NH

This is the standard we hold ourselves to on every roof: premium Owens Corning materials, waterproofing layers installed in the right places, and finish details like color-matched drip edge that most crews skip. If you want a roof that protects the house and sharpens the way it looks, see more Stratham roofing projects or read about our asphalt shingle roofing.