That’s funny, I hadn’t heard about Tamko and the chicken coop before—kind of wild to think about, considering how much these brands have grown. I’m with you on the weather swings being brutal. I moved in just before winter last year, and the first thing I noticed was how much the roof seemed to “move” with the temperature. Some mornings it sounded like popcorn up there.
I’ve got those builder-grade shingles too, and they’re not holding up great. A couple already look warped after our last cold snap. My neighbor swears by synthetic underlayment—he did his addition with it, and even after a nasty windstorm last month, everything stayed put. Meanwhile, my felt patch job on the shed is already curling at the edges. Makes me wonder if paying more upfront for synthetic is just one of those things you regret not doing later.
I’m eyeing Malarkey for when I finally bite the bullet on a full replacement. The flexibility in cold is appealing, but I’m a little skeptical if it’s hype or actually makes a difference long-term. Guess I’ll find out soon enough...
- Same boat here—builder-grade shingles just don’t seem to last.
- Looked into synthetic underlayment, but the price made me pause. Not sure it’s worth it on a tight budget, but seeing the felt curl up after one season is annoying.
- Malarkey’s cold weather claims sound good, but I wonder if it’s more marketing than real-world difference.
- For me, paying more up front is tough to swallow, but fixing leaks every year isn’t great either... kind of a lose-lose either way.
That’s exactly the dilemma I ran into—paying more up front feels rough, but patching leaks every year just wears you down. I tried saving a few bucks with felt underlayment last time, and it was curling by spring. Kinda wish I’d just bit the bullet and gone synthetic, even if it stung at the register. As for Malarkey, I’ve seen some of their stuff hold up better in cold snaps, but I’m not sure it’s night-and-day different from others. Sometimes it really does feel like you’re stuck picking your poison.
Funny how saving a few bucks up front always seems to bite you later, right? I’ve seen felt underlayment just disintegrate after a couple nasty storms—it’s wild how fast it can go downhill. Synthetic’s not perfect, but at least you’re not out there every spring with a bucket of tar. As for Malarkey, I get what you mean. Their stuff does handle freeze-thaw cycles a bit better, but honestly, most shingles are gonna struggle once the weather gets wild enough. Sometimes it’s less about the brand and more about the install and what’s underneath. If you’re in a spot that gets hammered by storms, I’d lean synthetic and make sure whoever’s putting it on actually knows what they’re doing… that’s saved me more headaches than anything.
I get where you’re coming from about synthetic underlayment, but I’ve actually seen some of the newer high-quality felts hold up better than expected, especially on steeper pitches. Not saying they’re perfect, but if installed right and kept dry during install, they can surprise you. Sometimes it’s less about the material and more about how quick the crew gets the shingles on after the underlayment’s down… at least that’s what I’ve noticed on a few jobs.
