All this to say, I’m not convinced yet that premium shingles alone make a big enough dent in attic temps or energy bills to justify the price jump, especially if you’re already tackling venting and insulation.
I’m with you on this. I swapped to “cool” shingles (lighter color, supposed to reflect more heat) and honestly, the attic temp barely changed compared to when I beefed up insulation and sealed up air leaks. The shingle marketing sounds great, but in my case, venting and insulation did way more. Radiant barrier was a pain to install and didn’t move the needle much either. If your attic’s still hot, I’d look at air sealing and insulation before dropping extra cash on fancy shingles.
Radiant barrier was a pain to install and didn’t move the needle much either. If your attic’s still hot, I’d look at air sealing and insulation before dropping extra cash on fancy shingles.
I get where you’re coming from, but I actually noticed a difference after switching to Malarkey. Not huge, but my upstairs AC didn’t run as hard last summer. Maybe it’s more noticeable in hotter climates? Still, insulation’s definitely the bigger factor.
Curious—did you notice any difference in attic temps, or was it just the AC load that changed? I’ve seen cases where shingle color and material made a small impact, but attic ventilation and insulation usually have a bigger effect overall. What’s your attic setup like—ridge vents, soffits, anything unusual?
I’ve seen cases where shingle color and material made a small impact, but attic ventilation and insulation usually have a bigger effect overall.
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same—swapping to lighter shingles barely nudged my attic temp, but after we added ridge vents and beefed up the insulation, it felt like a different house. My setup’s pretty basic: ridge vent, soffits, nothing wild. If your attic’s roasting, I’d look at airflow before stressing too much over shingle brand or color. Malarkey’s cool and all, but ventilation does the heavy lifting.
- Noticed the same thing—ventilation changes made way more difference than shingle swaps at my place.
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“If your attic’s roasting, I’d look at airflow before stressing too much over shingle brand or color.”
- Curious if anyone’s measured before/after attic temps with different vent setups? I’ve seen numbers all over the place, but rarely any real data from homeowners.
- Also, anyone running powered fans? Wondering if they’re worth the hassle or just another thing to break...
