Shingle color helps some, but if your attic can’t breathe, it’s still gonna roast.
That’s been my experience too—ventilation is king. Out of curiosity, did you notice any difference in shingle lifespan after adding all that airflow? I’ve seen some roofs where poor venting cooked the shingles from underneath, even with the “cool” ones. Also, how’s your insulation holding up? Sometimes folks focus so much on shingles and vents, they forget the attic floor. Texas heat finds every weak spot...
I’ve managed a few properties where folks thought lighter shingles would solve everything, but without solid ventilation, they still had to replace shingles early. Once we added ridge vents and made sure soffits weren’t blocked, shingle wear slowed down a lot—especially on the south-facing slopes. Insulation’s another story... I’ve seen attics with fancy vents but barely any insulation, and you could feel the heat pouring in. Texas summers really test every shortcut. You’re right to look at the whole system, not just the shingle brand.
- Lighter shingles help, but yeah, they’re not magic.
- Ventilation + insulation = biggest difference for attic temps in my experience.
- Malarkey’s cool roof options are decent, but if your attic’s got gaps or poor airflow, you’ll still get cooked.
- Ever tried radiant barrier? I’ve seen it drop attic temps by 10–15 degrees, even with basic shingles.
- Curious—anyone here actually measured attic temps before/after adding insulation or venting? Always wondered how much it really changes things in Texas heat...
I keep seeing radiant barrier come up, but I’ve got mixed feelings about it. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve seen a couple houses where the install didn’t really move the needle—maybe 5 degrees cooler at best, and that was with decent insulation already in place. Not saying it’s snake oil, but if your attic is already venting well and has solid insulation, I’m not convinced radiant barrier is worth the hassle or cost.
As for Malarkey, their cool roof stuff is fine, but I feel like folks sometimes expect too much from “cool” shingles alone. Had a customer last summer swap to a lighter shingle (not Malarkey, but similar) and honestly, the attic still hit 130+ on those brutal July days. They finally added a couple ridge vents and that made way more difference than the shingle color ever did.
Curious if anyone’s actually tracked temp drops with just radiant barrier or shingle swaps—seems like there’s a lot of hype versus real-world results. Texas sun just doesn’t mess around.
