When we give a homeowner an estimate for a new shingle roof, we generally provide three different options.
Owens Corning Duration, Malarkey Highlander, and Atlas Storm Master Shake.
All three are quality shingles. We install all three, and we’re comfortable recommending all three.
But they aren’t identical, and the most expensive option isn’t necessarily the one you should choose.
One of the first things I like to find out during an estimate is what the homeowner’s long-term plans are for the house.
Are you planning to sell in five years? Is this your forever home? Are you hoping to eventually pass the house down to your kids?
Those answers can make a big difference in which shingle makes the most sense.
Owens Corning Duration: A Good Choice for Most Homeowners
Owens Corning Duration is our standard architectural shingle option.
It’s a traditional asphalt shingle with a Class 3 impact-resistance rating and Owens Corning’s SureNail technology, which reinforces the area where the shingles are fastened.
It’s a good product from a well-established manufacturer.
And for a lot of homeowners, it’s all they really need.
If somebody tells me they’re planning to sell their house in the next five to ten years, I’m probably not going to push them toward the most expensive shingle we offer.
Why spend additional money on features whose biggest benefits may not become apparent until much later?
That doesn’t mean Duration is a cheap or low-quality shingle. It means there’s a difference between purchasing a good roofing system and paying extra for a premium one.
For homeowners looking for a balance of quality and price, Owens Corning Duration is a strong starting point.
Malarkey Highlander: Where SBS Technology Comes In
The next option we offer is Malarkey Highlander.
Like Owens Corning Duration, Highlander carries a Class 3 impact-resistance rating.
But there’s an important difference in how the asphalt is manufactured.
Malarkey uses polymer-modified asphalt, incorporating SBS technology.
SBS stands for styrene-butadiene-styrene.
That’s a mouthful, and I usually joke with customers that they shouldn’t ask me to pronounce it.
What matters is what it does.
The polymers modify the asphalt, giving it a more rubberlike consistency and allowing it to remain more flexible.
Think about what a roof goes through in Michigan.
We have freezing temperatures in the winter, hot temperatures in the summer, and plenty of temperature changes in between.
Roofing materials expand and contract as temperatures change.
The flexibility of polymer-modified asphalt is intended to help shingles withstand that movement and resist damage.
It can also improve impact performance and help the shingle resist cracking.
That’s why I like SBS technology, especially when we’re talking about a roof someone plans to keep for decades.
Is Malarkey Worth the Extra Money Over Owens Corning?
That depends on how long you’re planning to own the house.
When I explain the difference to homeowners, I tell them that the longer-term benefits of Malarkey’s modified asphalt may become more meaningful as the roof ages.
I generally look at it as a decision that could become more valuable around the 20-year mark and beyond.
That’s not a promise that one shingle will last exactly 20 years or that the other will fail at that point.
Roof life depends on installation quality, ventilation, weather exposure, maintenance, and other factors.
But if you’re planning to stay in the same house for the next 25 or 30 years, I think it’s worth considering the additional investment in a polymer-modified shingle.
If you’re selling in five years, that calculation looks different.
Atlas StormMaster Shake: Our Premium Shingle Option
Atlas StormMaster Shake is the premium shingle we regularly propose.
It’s a Class 4 impact-resistant, polymer-modified asphalt shingle designed for enhanced protection against hail and severe weather.
It also incorporates Atlas’s Core4 technology and 3M Scotchgard Protector to help resist algae staining.
This is a very high-quality shingle.
But I don’t recommend spending the extra money on it simply because it’s the most expensive option on our proposal.
There are three situations where I think it makes particularly good sense.
1. Your House Is Exposed to Strong Winds
If your house sits next to a large open field, or you’re in an area where your roof takes a lot of direct wind exposure, StormMaster is worth looking at.
Atlas StormMaster Shake carries a manufacturer wind warranty rated up to 150 mph, subject to the manufacturer’s installation and warranty requirements.
That’s an impressive rating.
The shingle also uses a double sealant-line design intended to improve wind resistance.
Of course, a wind rating doesn’t mean a roof is indestructible. The installation still needs to be correct.
Nailing placement, starter shingles, flashing, and the rest of the roofing system all matter.
But for a home with significant wind exposure, I like the added protection that StormMaster provides.
2. Your Roof Has a Lower Pitch
Another situation where I like StormMaster is a lower-pitched shingle roof.
For example, a roof around a 3.5/12 pitch deserves extra attention.
Water doesn’t move off a lower-pitched roof as quickly as it does on a steeper roof. That makes proper installation, underlayment, and shingle sealing especially important.
StormMaster’s sealant design is one reason I like it for those applications.
However, I want to be very clear about something.
A premium shingle does not eliminate the need for the correct underlayment or make it acceptable to install shingles below their permitted slope.
On lower slopes, we have to follow the applicable building code and the manufacturer’s installation instructions. Depending on the pitch, that may mean special underlayment requirements or choosing a different roofing system entirely.
We’ve seen roofs leak because another contractor didn’t install the appropriate underlayment for the slope.
That’s not a problem you solve simply by buying a more expensive shingle.
3. Your House Has Significant Tree Coverage
This is probably one of the most overlooked reasons to consider Atlas.
If your house is surrounded by trees, you’ve probably seen roofs develop black streaks over time.
Those streaks are often caused by algae.
In most cases, algae staining is primarily a cosmetic issue, although significant biological growth and the conditions surrounding it can contribute to other roof maintenance concerns.
Atlas StormMaster Shake includes 3M Scotchgard Protector, which uses copper-containing granules to help resist algae-related staining.
Atlas also offers a lifetime limited algae-resistance warranty when the required qualifying roofing components are installed, subject to the warranty terms.
That’s a meaningful feature for homes surrounded by trees or located in shaded areas where moisture tends to linger.
If you’re spending a substantial amount of money on a new roof, it’s reasonable to want it to keep looking good for as long as possible.
What Do Class 3 and Class 4 Impact Ratings Actually Mean?
You’ll hear these terms quite a bit when comparing roofing shingles.
The ratings come from standardized impact testing.
Class 3 indicates that a shingle meets a specified level of impact resistance.
Class 4 is the highest rating under the UL 2218 test.
That doesn’t mean a Class 4 roof is hail-proof.
A sufficiently severe storm can damage any asphalt shingle.
But it does mean the product has passed a more demanding impact-resistance test.
Some insurance companies offer discounts for qualifying impact-resistant roofing systems, so that’s another thing worth checking before choosing a shingle.
The potential insurance savings will depend on your insurance company, policy, and the specific product.
Does Shingle Color Affect the Price?
This is one of the questions we get most often.
Homeowners will ask whether black shingles cost more than gray, brown, or another color.
Within the same shingle model and standard available color selection, the answer is generally no.
The price is determined primarily by the manufacturer and shingle model, not which standard color you choose.
So if you’re choosing Owens Corning Duration, you can select from its available standard colors without worrying that one is automatically going to cost more than another.
Special-order or specialty products can be different, but that’s something we’d explain in the proposal.
What About the Warranty?
All three manufacturers offer roofing warranties, but the exact coverage depends on the shingle, the other roofing components installed, and the warranty program.
It’s important to understand the difference between a manufacturer’s material warranty and a contractor’s workmanship warranty.
A manufacturer warranty addresses covered product issues under its terms.
A workmanship warranty addresses covered problems with the installation.
At Midland Roofers, we register the applicable manufacturer warranty after the final invoice is paid and send the homeowner a copy of that warranty along with our own labor warranty.
Our lifetime labor warranty applies to the original homeowner for as long as they own the home, subject to the warranty terms. It does not transfer to a new owner.
Manufacturer warranty transfer provisions vary, so we explain those separately.
A 50-year or lifetime warranty doesn’t mean absolutely everything that could happen to your roof is covered for 50 years.
It’s worth reading what the warranty actually includes.
So Which Shingle Would We Recommend?
Here’s how I generally approach it.
Owens Corning Duration: A good choice for homeowners who want a quality architectural shingle at a reasonable price, particularly if they don’t plan to own the home for several more decades.
Malarkey Highlander: Worth considering for homeowners who plan to stay in their house long-term and want the benefits of polymer-modified asphalt without moving all the way into our premium option.
Atlas StormMaster Shake: My preferred premium option for homes with substantial wind exposure, heavy tree coverage, or certain lower-slope conditions where its design offers useful advantages.
And if someone tells me they’re planning to stay in their house for the rest of their life and eventually leave it to their children, that changes the conversation.
The extra upfront investment may make more sense when you’re thinking 30 years into the future instead of five.
The key is understanding what you’re paying for.
We Give You Options Without the Sales Pressure
Midland Roofers is the exterior division of Chad Moody Building & Remodeling, a family-owned construction company with more than 40 years of construction experience through Chad Moody.
We install Owens Corning, Malarkey, and Atlas roofing systems throughout Midland, Bay City, Saginaw, and surrounding Mid-Michigan communities.
When we provide a roofing estimate, we explain the differences between the products, discuss the condition of your existing roof, and help you determine which option makes sense for your house.
We’re not going to pressure you into purchasing the most expensive shingle.
And we’re not going to tell you that you have to sign before we leave to get a special discount.
A roof is a major investment. We want you to be comfortable with the decision.
If you’re considering a roof replacement in Midland, Saginaw, Bay City, or the surrounding area, contact Midland Roofers for an estimate. We’ll walk you through your options and help you decide which roofing system makes the most sense for your home.