I hear you on the attic heat. I swapped out my old shingles (they were basically black tar at that point) for some lighter Malarkey ones about three summers ago. Did it help? Yeah, a bit. But honestly, it wasn’t the night-and-day difference I’d hoped for. The attic still felt like a sauna if the sun was out and the air wasn’t moving.
What actually made a bigger dent was when I finally got around to adding more vents up there. I put in a couple of those whirlybird things—nothing fancy, just the basic ones from Home Depot—and suddenly the air wasn’t just sitting there cooking everything. It’s not exactly “cool” in July, but at least I don’t feel like I’m melting when I have to go up and drag down the Christmas lights.
I’ve never tried a radiant barrier myself, but my neighbor swears by his. He did both the barrier and lighter shingles at once, and he claims his AC bills dropped a chunk. Could be true, or maybe he’s just bragging because he finally finished a project before me for once.
If you’re already due for new shingles, going lighter can’t hurt, especially if you’re in one of those places where summer feels like living on the sun. Just wouldn’t expect miracles unless you tackle the ventilation too. The combo seems to be where folks see the real payoff.
And yeah, picking shingle colors is weirdly stressful. I spent way too long holding up little samples and squinting at them in different light... only to realize they all look kinda gray from the street anyway.
Man, I totally get the stress over shingle colors—felt like I was picking paint for a spaceship or something. I went with a lighter gray Malarkey too, hoping it’d make a big difference, but yeah... attic still felt like a bread oven until I added more vents. It’s wild how much just moving the air helps. Haven’t tried radiant barriers either, but I’m always a little skeptical when someone claims their AC bill dropped in half overnight. Still, every little bit helps, especially if you’re already re-roofing.
attic still felt like a bread oven until I added more vents. It’s wild how much just moving the air helps.
That’s the key right there—ventilation does way more than shingle color alone. Lighter shingles help a bit, but if you don’t have enough intake and exhaust vents, heat just builds up. I’ve seen folks spend big on “cool” shingles and still end up with hot attics because airflow was ignored. Radiant barriers can help, but only if installed right and paired with good venting. If you’re re-roofing anyway, double-check your vent layout before worrying too much about shingle brand or color.
I’ve managed a handful of properties with everything from dark, ancient three-tabs to the newer “cool roof” shingles, and honestly, I’m always surprised how much folks focus on shingle brand or color first. Not saying Malarkey isn’t a solid product—heard good things about their impact resistance and warranty—but if you’re hoping for a miracle drop in attic temps just by swapping brands, you might be disappointed.
Had one building with light gray “energy efficient” shingles and another with basic dark brown ones. The kicker? The attic with better venting (ridge plus soffit vents, nothing fancy) ran 10-15 degrees cooler in summer, even though the shingles were darker. The other place, despite the lighter color, was basically a sauna until we added more intake vents. It’s wild how much difference that makes.
Radiant barriers are another thing people get excited about, but I’ve seen those botched more often than not. If they’re not installed with an air gap or get covered up with insulation, you’re basically throwing money away. And don’t get me started on powered attic fans—they can help in some setups but sometimes just pull conditioned air out of the house if your attic isn’t sealed up right.
If you’re re-roofing anyway, definitely worth looking at your vent layout. Sometimes contractors just slap on what’s “standard” for the area and call it good, but every house is different. I’d rather have a mid-range shingle and great airflow than the fanciest shingle on the market with poor venting.
One last thing—if you’re in a spot that gets hail or crazy wind, Malarkey’s rubberized shingles do seem to hold up better than some others. But for pure heat control? Ventilation’s still king. Shingle color and brand are more like the cherry on top... nice to have, but not the main event.
I’ve seen the same thing with attic temps—ventilation is way more important than most folks realize. I used to think shingle color would make a huge difference, but after managing a couple buildings with totally different setups, I’m convinced airflow is what really matters. Had one place with dark shingles and proper ridge/soffit vents, and it stayed way cooler than another with “cool roof” shingles but barely any venting. It’s kind of wild how much that changes things.
Malarkey’s a decent shingle, especially if you’re in a spot that gets hammered by hail or wind. The impact resistance is legit, and I haven’t had issues with warranty claims (which is honestly rare in this business). But if your main concern is attic heat, I wouldn’t expect miracles just from switching brands. The difference between brands or colors is there, but it’s not night and day unless you’re going from jet black to bright white or something.
Radiant barriers are hit or miss too. I’ve seen them work, but only when installed right—and that’s not as common as you’d hope. Most of the time, people just staple them up wherever and call it a day, then wonder why it’s still roasting up there.
If you’re re-roofing anyway, definitely take a hard look at your vent layout. I’ve had contractors try to talk me into “standard” setups that just don’t cut it for some houses. Every attic’s different—size, shape, insulation, even how much sun hits it during the day. Sometimes just adding a few more soffit vents or making sure nothing’s blocked can drop temps way more than any shingle swap.
One other thing—if you’re in a humid area, watch out for powered attic fans. I’ve seen them pull conditioned air out of the house if the attic isn’t sealed up right, which just runs up your AC bill.
Long story short: Malarkey’s good if you want durability, but for heat? Make sure your vents are dialed in first. Shingles are just the icing on the cake.
