At Roofing Insights, we really believe in making sure that you get the right product on your roof as a homeowner and offer the best possible value to your customers as a roofer.
To help ensure that you’re getting the most out of different products and to ensure that your roof is properly taken care of, our team puts out regular reviews of different roofing products and shingles.
Our annual roofing shingles review video often makes for some of the most engaging and informative content available.
If you want a full breakdown of every product in the video, then watch it in full. Today we’re breaking down the Malarkey Highlander shingles and structuring what we found in our study throughout this video.
Our Shingle Test: All the Details
When putting on these shingle tests, we want to be as scientific and methodical as possible. While there are several different tests that we can perform outside of physically putting shingles on a roof, we’re looking for the best performing shingles based on these criteria.
- Packaging
- Weight
- Nailing zone
- Pull test
- True coverage
- Consistency
- Reputation trend
- Granule loss
- Feedback friendly
Many roofers will argue that several elements within this test are subjective. However, we believe that this is the most accurate and well-rounded test that we can best perform regularly and annually.
We gather roofers from across the country to join us and help perform the tests that produce the results you’ll see here. Real roofers, sharing real feedback, performing real tests that help you see what your shingles are made of.
Throughout this test, a scale of 1-5 is used. 1 is the worst possible, and 5 is the best possible score in this test.
Packaging: Scored 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Packaging is crucial to the health of shingles before they are ever installed on your roof. The better the packaging, the less chance of damage before the shingles are even installed.
We’re looking for packaging that can hold up against the everyday wear and tear of carrying the shingles up and down the roof for our test.
The big part of the packaging that we’ve found important was when the packages were sealed. This helped keep moisture out and ensured the shingles lasted in the packaging for the optimal amount of time.
Weight: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The weight of the shingles is more important than many realize. The heavier the shingle, the studier, and longer a shingle will last. This usually means a longer lifespan for the shingle and added protection from extreme weather conditions.
The Malarkey Highlander shingles scored well on the weight test with a solid 4 out of 5. The shingles were heavy but not as heavy as others in our test.
Nailing Zone: Scored 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a roofer, you know that you’ll be left to your own demise and ability to try and guess where best to shoot the nails without a good nailing zone. Most shingles will have instructions somewhere on the packaging that explains the best way to nail them, but others aren’t so explicit.
Malarkey has the nailing zone down, and they know exactly what their customers want. This is especially important for the homeowners that want to ensure all their shingles are installed correctly.
If the roofer isn’t careful to nail things in the right way, it could lead to blown-off shingles or leaks.
Pull Test: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This test is often considered irrelevant by many roofers, but we think it’s a good representation of how well-built shingles are and how well they’ll be able to hold up against the elements when strong storms and wind hit.
To perform this test, we pull on the shingles and measure the amount of weight that we can pull with before damage is done to the shingles. The Malarkey Highlander shingles did well in this test. Not the best in our group, but we’re still impressed.
True Coverage: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
True coverage refers to how much of the roof can be covered with one bundle of shingles. This is an essential part of the test because it makes the difference when you’re roofing 100 or more roofs every year. By covering more of the roof with one bundle, you’ll be saving money as a homeowner and being more profitable as a roofing company.
Malarky has been manufacturing shingles in Portland, Oregon, since 1956, and they’ve got a good system down for ensuring their shingles provide good coverage. Again, their score wasn’t the best in our test but was well above average.
Consistency: Scored 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Shingle manufacturers advertise that each roofing square is made up of three bundles. The best way to adjust and know how much to order for your next job is by ordering per square. Unfortunately, some manufacturers don’t evenly measure out each bundle of shingles.
Malarkey has got their manufacturing down, and instead of shorting roofers when you order a bundle, they consistently ensure that the same number of shingles is in each bundle.
Reputation Trend: Scored 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
We spend a lot of time with roofers here at Roofing Insights. Whether it’s our Roofing Business School, work with the Directorii, or the Roofing Process Conference, we talk to roofers.
While chatting with roofers, we’ve found that Malarkey shingles have an A+ reputation. Customers of theirs not only love working with these shingles but have found that Malarkey is very responsive, supportive of their product, and provides great customer service when things go wrong.
Granule Loss: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Shingles lose granules. It’s just the way that it is. But, manufacturers should be doing everything that they can to ensure the least amount of granules are leaving shingles during installation.
We replicated some of the conditions and situations that shingles would face before being nailed down to test for granule loss. Lifting, carrying, and dropping the shingles while they were all still in the bundle. Then we weighed the granules that had fallen from the shingles.
Granule loss is no small thing. Shingles that lose many granules pose a danger to roofers while installing and make a homeowner’s roof less protected in the end.
Feedback Friendly: Scored 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When we’re reviewing these shingles, we want the manufacturers to take note of things that we found, whether it be the shingles poorly performing in the granule test or creating a more reputable brand by working more closely with roofers.
We share all of the information that we find from roofers with the brands and gauge how receptive they are to the feed. Brands like Pabco have completely turned around their shingles by listening to our roofer-approved tests.
Malarkey did well on this test and was receptive to our feedback for a solid 4 of 5 score.
Malarkey Highlander Final Score: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Malarkey highlander shingles came in third place overall during the shingle test. It’s an impressive match-up when you consider all that’s gone into the test and how well these shingles are built. We’re impressed with the manufacturing, durability, and brand reputation especially, and look for Malarkey to continue to provide a superb product for years to come.
What Shingles are Best for You?
It’s hard to know what shingles are best for you as a homeowner. As a roofer, you can use resources like this one and the opinion of other roofers in your area to find the best possible service for your company.
If you’re looking for a way to get more connected to the greater roofing community, check out our Roofing Process Conference. And, if you need more business or help to find a reliable roofer in your area, be sure to check the Roofing Insights Directorii.
Reach out to our team to learn more about the tests that we perform on roofing materials and tools or read some more of our blogs.
This was a great video. I only wish you would have given the actual weight of the shingles, especially the Malarkey Vista and Highlander which both got a 4.5, but Vista received a 5 while Highland received a 5.
My roofer recommended Malarkey shingles. I opted to spend the extra money on class 4 hail resistant Legacy shingles. Forget the hail, every time it rains, there’s a pile of granules at every downspout. I complained first several times. Wasted breath. Totally ignored on complaints. Now 4 years later, we had a good rain 2 days ago, still new piles of granules at every downspout and a collection at the bottom of the driveway. The life of the roof washes right off. Expensive garbage. Buy anyone else’s product.