If you are looking for a good brand to purchase your roofing shingles from, then you have quite the decision to make, mainly because there are so many options to choose from. With that being said, two of the most popular shingles brands at this time include Malarkey and Owens Corning.
Today, we want to do a side-by-side comparison of both to see which one is better for your needs. There are some pretty big differences between them, and we are about to find out what they are.
Malarkey Overview
First, we have Malarkey, which is one of the most popular roofing and shingles brands in the world. It was founded in 1956 in the United States, and it is at this time roughly 65 years old.
Professional builders love Malarkey as a brand because it is viewed as producing very high-quality products. The Malarkey brand name is often considered to be premium.
These are very expensive shingles, but they also come with absolutely amazing impact resistance, wind ratings, algae resistance, and more. The bottom line is that if you are willing to pay premium prices, Malarkey has super high-quality shingles for you.
Something interesting to take note of however is that regular people are not allowed to buy Malarkey shingles directly from the brand name. These are shingles that have to be purchased by professional contractors and installed by them. Unless you purchase these things through a certified contractor, you will not have access to them.
Owens Corning Overview
We then have Owens Corning, which is an even older brand, as the company itself was first started in the 1800s, although it didn’t start producing shingles until 1930. To this day, the Owens Corning brand name is one of the largest and most popular names in the world of asphalt shingles.
Not only does this brand produce fairly high-quality shingles, but they also come in at an affordable price, and there are plenty to choose from. Many people respect Owens Corning for this reason.
Now, this is often not considered the number one brand in the world when it comes to durability or quality, but there’s really nothing to complain about considering the more than reasonable prices they come in at. One of the most popular shingles from the Owens Corning name is the Duration lineup, as it is seen as being one of the best.
Malarkey vs. Owens Corning: How Do They Compare?
Now that we know what both Malarkey and Owens Corning are, let’s take a closer look at what makes these two shingles manufacturers different from each other.
Product Lineup
If you want a brand name that is going to offer you plenty of variety in terms of the types and styles of shingles they have, it is likely Owens Corning that you want to go with.
This brand features no less than 10 different shingles on its website, and this includes all major types, including asphalt shingles, 3-tab shingles, architectural shingles, and more. The product selection from this brand name is what many people love.
On the other hand, we have Malarkey, which only has a few main shingles to choose from, no more than four types. This limited product selection is something that many don’t like, but that said, all of the products they do have are generally considered very high quality.
Overall Quality
As for the overall quality of all of the shingles from both brand names, Malarkey is the clear winner.
There is simply no denying the fact that, across the board, Malarkey shingles are considered some of the best in the world. They are extremely durable, impact-resistant, and their ratings on both fronts are very high.
If we are talking about Owens Corning shingles, these are seen as being pretty decent, but nothing special. Of course, one of the reasons why many people prefer them is because they are good considering their low prices.
Durability
With Malarkey shingles, you can expect them to last for well over a full decade, if not two. They have world-class impact resistance, fire ratings, wind ratings, and more. There are all sorts of technologies used to ensure that these shingles stay in one piece and don’t lose any granules no matter what kind of conditions they are exposed to.
We then have Owens Corning, which is regarded as having fairly durable shingles, although they do have some issues.
They may suffer from minimal granule loss, and their impact resistance could be better. That said, once again, for the low price they come in at, we don’t see much to complain about.
Wind Rating
All of the shingles from the Malarkey brand name have a 130 mph wind rating, as is also the case for the vast majority of the shingles from Owens Corning. There are even a select few shingles from both brands that can handle winds of up to 150 mph.
Algae Resistance
What is interesting to note about Owens Corning is that this brand name does use a variety of special technologies, such as Scotch guarding, to ensure that shingles do not suffer from algae buildups. This tends to work quite well, especially for the first five or six years.
However, if you want extreme long-term durability as far as algae resistance is concerned, it is Malarkey that you want to go with. There’s simply no denying that this brand is top-notch as far as algae ratings are concerned.
Energy Efficiency
All of the shingles from the Malarkey brand name are Energy Star certified, so they should help you save a good deal of money on heating and cooling costs.
As far as Owens Corning Duration shingles are concerned, as well as most of the other shingles from this brand, they are also Energy Star certified. This means that they should all help you save at least 15% in terms of energy costs.
Fire Rating
All of the shingles from the Malarkey brand name feature a Class A fire rating, as is the case for the shingles from Owens Corning.
Warranty
Both brand names appear to have fairly comprehensive limited lifetime warranties on all of their products, although it would seem that Malarkey has less fine print, with the warranties being a little more comprehensive and a little harder to void.
Price
For Owens Corning shingles, expect to pay anywhere between $2 and $4 per square foot, with Malarkey shingles costing you up to $6 per square foot, if not more.
Malarkey vs. Owens Corning: Which Offers Better Roof Shingles?
What it really comes down to here is how much money you are willing to spend. If you want a super high-quality shingle that is installed by a professional and will last for decades to come, then it is Malarkey that you want to go with. However, if you are working on a relatively tight budget, and you need something durable enough for a low cost, then Owens Corning is likely the better option for you.
As you can see, both of these brand names are fairly different as far as their features, lineups, and quality are concerned. However, both have their advantages worth considering and now it’s up to you to make a choice.
How Do Malarkey and Owens Corning Compare with Other Shingles Brands?
See how Malarkey compares with: Atlas | CertainTeed | GAF | IKO | TAMKO
See how Owens Corning compares with: Atlas | CertainTeed | GAF | IKO | TAMKO