I went down the “cool shingle” rabbit hole last year—almost pulled the trigger on Malarkey, but the price made me pause. Ended up spending half that on better attic vents and sealing up gaps around the soffits. Honestly, my upstairs feels way less stuffy now, and my AC isn’t running nonstop. I’m in a humid area, so airflow made a bigger difference than I expected. Anyone else notice that insulation can get pushed over the eave vents? I had to pull mine back after a home energy audit pointed it out.
You nailed it—airflow is way underrated. I see so many folks obsess over shingle brands and colors, but then their attic’s basically suffocating. I’ve had the same issue with insulation blocking my eave vents, especially after a contractor “helped” with extra batts. After fixing that, temps dropped fast upstairs. Not sure I buy the hype on “cool” shingles if your ventilation’s a mess. Would love to see more people prioritize green upgrades like you did, honestly.
Not sure I buy the hype on “cool” shingles if your ventilation’s a mess.
I get where you’re coming from, but I actually noticed a difference after switching to lighter shingles, even before I fixed my attic vents. Maybe it’s just my house (1950s ranch, low slope), but the upstairs felt less like a sauna in summer. Ventilation’s huge, no doubt, but I wouldn’t write off shingle color or type completely. Sometimes it’s a combo of small changes that adds up.
I’ve got a similar setup—older house, not much pitch on the roof, and I’ll admit I was skeptical about shingle color making any real difference. But after swapping out my old dark shingles for a lighter shade (not even the fancy “cool” ones, just a basic light gray), I swear the upstairs temp dropped a couple degrees in July. Didn’t touch the vents until later, either.
That said, once I finally got around to adding a ridge vent and some soffit vents, it was like night and day. The combo really helped. I think you’re right—it’s not just one thing, but a bunch of little tweaks that add up. Shingle color, attic insulation, ventilation... they all play a part.
Haven’t tried Malarkey myself, but I’ve heard good things about their impact resistance. If you’re in hail country, might be worth the extra bucks. Just don’t expect miracles if your attic’s still a hotbox—no shingle can fix that on its own.
I switched to Malarkey last year after a nasty hailstorm shredded my old shingles. They’re definitely tougher—I haven’t seen any new dings since. But honestly, the attic still got pretty toasty until I beefed up the insulation and added better vents. Shingle color helped a bit, but it’s really the whole system working together that made a difference for me. If you’re just banking on one fix, you’ll probably be disappointed.
