I had a similar experience with Malarkey on my house in the Midwest—really liked the recycled content and hail resistance, but I agree, attic temps didn’t drop dramatically. What actually made a bigger difference for me was adding more cellulose insulation and making sure my soffit vents were clear. The shingle upgrade felt more like a long-term investment, especially with all the storms we get, but if I was planning to move in a few years, not sure I’d do it again either.
Funny, I’ve seen a lot of folks expect new shingles to magically cool down their attic, but in my experience, it’s almost always the insulation and airflow that do the heavy lifting. I remember one summer after a hailstorm, we replaced our old three-tabs with Malarkey (mainly for the impact rating—hail here is like clockwork), and honestly, I didn’t notice much difference in attic temps either. The real game changer was crawling around up there with a leaf blower and clearing out those soffit vents... not glamorous, but it worked.
I do like Malarkey for the storm resistance though. Had a neighbor lose half his roof in a windstorm last year while ours held up just fine. But yeah, if you’re thinking short-term or resale, it’s hard to justify the extra cost unless buyers in your area really care about “green” shingles or warranties. For me, peace of mind during tornado season is worth a few extra bucks, but I get why some folks would skip it if they’re moving soon.
Yeah, totally agree—shingles alone aren’t gonna drop your attic temps much. I geeked out on this a while back and found that unless you’re going with those super-reflective “cool roof” shingles (which are usually white or light gray), the difference is pretty minor. Malarkey’s great for hail and wind, though. I do like that they use recycled materials, but honestly, if your insulation and venting aren’t dialed in, even the fanciest shingle won’t save you from a hot attic. Learned that the hard way after a Texas summer...
if your insulation and venting aren’t dialed in, even the fanciest shingle won’t save you from a hot attic
Yep, learned this after my first summer in the house. I swapped out old shingles for architectural ones thinking it’d help, but attic temps barely changed until I added more blown-in insulation and fixed a blocked soffit vent. Shingles are just one piece of the puzzle. Malarkey’s durability is nice, but if heat’s your main concern, I’d focus on attic airflow and insulation first.
Shingles are just one piece of the puzzle.
That’s been my experience too. I used Malarkey for hail resistance, but honestly, attic temps didn’t budge until I sorted out the insulation and made sure the ridge vent was actually working. Did you notice any difference in your energy bills after fixing the soffit vent?
