Can I Match Roof Shingles?

Q: A thunderstorm blew a few shingles off my roof. The roof is about 12 years old. I would like to replace the missing shingles with the same color shingle, but I can’t find any that match the old ones. How do I find a match?

A: Your best bet would be to take a sample to a few roofing suppliers and try to get as close as possible. Even if you were to find the original manufacturer and color, your 12-year-old shingles are obviously going to be faded by the sun, so you may not be able to find an exact match.