I get the logic behind air-sealing, but I’ve seen folks go overboard and still end up with attic heat issues—especially if the venting isn’t up to snuff. Did you notice any change in your shingle lifespan or just the temp drop? Sometimes I wonder if it’s more about airflow than insulation type.
- Totally agree, venting can make or break it.
- I went heavy on air-sealing but didn’t see a big shingle lifespan change—just a cooler attic.
- Ended up adding more soffit vents after noticing some mildew.
- For me, insulation type mattered less than getting airflow right... especially in our humid summers.
Funny thing, people always ask me about shingle brands like they’re picking a new car. I’ve put on plenty of Malarkey—solid shingle, but honestly, if your attic’s a sauna, even the fanciest shingles will throw in the towel early. Venting and airflow are where it’s at, especially when summer turns my shirt into a sponge before noon.
I had a job last year—customer wanted top-shelf shingles thinking it’d fix his “oven attic.” Turned out he had all of three tiny soffit vents and enough insulation gaps to make a raccoon jealous. We fixed the airflow first, THEN swapped the shingles… whole house felt cooler and the mildew smell finally gave up.
Insulation’s great, but if you’re in the Southeast or anywhere humid, just cramming more up there can backfire. I’ve seen folks get fancy with spray foam and then wonder why their roof deck started sweating.
Long story short—Malarkey’s good, but if your venting’s off, you’ll still be baking cookies up there.
I get where you’re coming from about venting being the real game-changer, but I’m not totally convinced shingle choice doesn’t matter at all. I live in central Georgia—brutal summers—and after switching from a dark, basic shingle to a lighter “cool roof” asphalt (not Malarkey, but similar class), my attic temps dropped about 10 degrees even before I touched the vents. Maybe it’s not a miracle fix, but it wasn’t nothing either.
I do agree that just piling on insulation or spray foam can backfire if you don’t have airflow dialed in. Seen a neighbor’s roof deck rot out because he sealed everything up too tight. Still, I’d say if you’re already re-roofing, picking a shingle with good solar reflectance is worth considering—especially if your house bakes in the sun all day. Not saying it replaces proper venting, but it’s not just window dressing either.
I’m with you on the shingle color making a difference, especially in the South. I’m in Alabama, and when we replaced our old dark shingles with a lighter “cool” asphalt (not Malarkey either, but similar idea), it was like night and day in the attic. Didn’t solve everything—still had to mess with the vents and add a bit of insulation—but it definitely took the edge off those brutal July afternoons. I’d say it shaved maybe 8-10 degrees off up there, which made a noticeable dent in our AC bill.
Funny thing is, my neighbor went all-in on spray foam without thinking about airflow, and he ended up with moldy rafters after just a couple years. That was a mess to fix. So yeah, venting’s huge, but I wouldn’t write off shingle choice either if you’re already re-roofing. It’s not magic, but every little bit helps when your house feels like an oven half the year.
