By Joe | Modern Exterior Systems | Updated March 2025

When you're standing on your roof picking a shingle brand, it feels like you're making the most important decision in the world. And honestly? For a 25-30 year investment, it kind of is. But here's what I've learned after installing both Malarkey and Owens Corning shingles for over 20 years: there's no single "winner." Both are excellent. The choice depends on your priorities, your budget, and what Minnesota's weather will throw at you.

At Modern Exterior Systems in Minnetonka, we install both brands regularly. This comparison comes from real roofs we've installed, not marketing brochures. Let's break down what actually matters.

Why you should trust this comparison: Modern Exterior Systems is a licensed, full-service roofing contractor serving Minnetonka, MN and surrounding areas. We've installed hundreds of roofs with both Malarkey and Owens Corning shingles over 20+ years. This isn't a brand endorsement—it's an honest assessment based on installation experience, warranty claims, and long-term performance in Minnesota's freeze-thaw climate.

In Minnesota, durability comes down to surviving hail, extreme cold, and freeze-thaw cycles. Both brands hold up extremely well. Malarkey's upcycled rubber base makes it incredibly hail-resistant—we've seen Malarkey roofs take beatings from large hail and show minimal damage. Owens Corning's SureNail technology (a strip of adhesive that seals faster and stronger) means fewer wind-related blow-offs during storms.

Real talk: I've seen both brands last 25-30 years in Minnesota without major issues when installed properly. The difference is marginal. What matters more is installation quality and proper ventilation. A poorly installed Malarkey roof won't outlast a well-installed OC roof, and vice versa.

Both offer limited lifetime warranties, and both pro-rate after 10 years. There's virtually no difference here. Most homeowners in Minnesota never use the warranty anyway—it becomes worthless after you sell the house (it's non-transferable on most policies). Warranty is nice to have, but don't let it be your deciding factor.

Malarkey edges out slightly here. The upcycled rubber in Malarkey shingles is genuinely more flexible and impact-resistant. During the 2020 hail storms in the Minneapolis area, we saw Malarkey roofs with minimal cosmetic damage while some traditional asphalt shingles showed visible bruising. That said, Owens Corning's Class 4-rated Duration Storm variant also performs excellently and may qualify for insurance discounts in Minnesota.

This is where Owens Corning has a slight advantage. The material handles repeated contraction and expansion better than Malarkey, which can become slightly more brittle in sub-zero temperatures. Both survive Minnesota winters fine, but if you're in an area that sees repeated freeze-thaw cycles (like the Minnetonka area where we are), Owens Corning has less risk of cracking over time.

Malarkey wins here, but with caveats. Malarkey Vista and Legacy shingles contain recycled rubber and other upcycled materials, which appeals to environmentally conscious homeowners. However, both brands are recyclable at end-of-life. If environmental impact matters to you, Malarkey is the greener choice—but it's not a massive difference.

Malarkey is typically $30–$60 cheaper per square than Owens Corning, though prices vary by market and retailer. For a standard 2,000 sq. ft. roof (20 squares), that's $600–$1,200 in total savings with Malarkey. Whether that justifies any trade-offs depends on your priorities and budget.

Owens Corning's color-hold technology is superior. Their TruDefinition granules resist fading better, especially in high-sun exposures. Malarkey shingles will fade slightly more noticeably after 7-10 years, particularly in south or west-facing areas. If aesthetic longevity matters, Owens Corning keeps its color longer. OC also offers more color choices and more varied color patterns on the roof, which gives you more options to match your home's style.

• You want top-tier performance. Malarkey consistently tests among the top 1-2 shingles in independent testing across nearly every performance category. If raw shingle quality is your priority, Malarkey is hard to beat.
• You're in a hail-prone area (south/west metro Minneapolis). The impact resistance is genuinely superior.
• Environmental impact matters to you. The recycled rubber content is a real differentiator.
• Budget is tight. You get outstanding performance at a lower cost.
• You want maximum flexibility. The rubber makes it more forgiving in installation and handling.

• You want more color choices and more varied color on the roof. OC offers a wider palette and more visual depth in their color blends. If the look of your roof is a top priority, OC gives you more to work with.
• You value long-term color consistency. It won't fade as quickly.
• Freeze-thaw durability is your priority. It handles Minnesota's temperature swings slightly better.
• You want the most recognized brand. Owens Corning is the industry standard; insurance companies often know it well.
• You're keeping the roof 30+ years. The long-term fade resistance justifies the premium.

I've installed hundreds of both. If I were picking a shingle for my own home in Minnetonka? I'd go Malarkey. It's that simple. Malarkey consistently ranks at the top in independent testing—top 1-2 in virtually every performance category. For raw durability, hail resistance, and overall shingle quality, Malarkey is the better-performing product.

That said, if color selection and varied color patterns on the roof are important to you, Owens Corning is the stronger choice there. OC gives you more options and more visual depth in their color blends, and the colors hold up better over time. That matters to a lot of homeowners—and it's a perfectly valid reason to choose OC.

Either way, both brands will serve you well for 25+ years. The bigger factors are installation quality, ventilation, and maintenance. If a roofer doesn't install either brand correctly, you'll have problems with both.

A: Yes. Malarkey Vista and Legacy shingles use upcycled rubber (often from tire waste) mixed with asphalt, along with other recycled materials. It's a real sustainability advantage, not greenwashing. Owens Corning is working on similar products but their standard lines are traditional asphalt.

A: Possibly. Some Minnesota insurers offer 5-15% discounts for Class 4 impact-rated shingles, but it varies by company and coverage type. Check with your insurer before choosing—it could save you $200-$400 per year and actually make Owens Corning's Duration Storm the cheaper option long-term.

A: In our experience, 25-28 years with proper installation and ventilation. Owens Corning typically lasts 25-30. Both are excellent. The difference is minimal.

A: Malarkey's rubber base makes it slightly more flexible and forgiving during installation. Owens Corning requires more precise nailing (SureNail is sensitive to nail placement). A professional roofer won't notice the difference, but it's another small point in Malarkey's favor for DIY enthusiasts.

A: Technically yes, but we don't recommend it. Color matching becomes difficult, and if you ever need a repair, finding matching shingles years later is harder. Stick with one brand for the entire roof.

A: Neither—you don't use asphalt shingles over metal roofs. If you're considering a metal roof, that's a different conversation. Both Malarkey and Owens Corning are designed for standard asphalt roofing systems.

Minnesota's climate is brutal on roofs. We get extreme cold (sub-zero), extreme heat (95°F+), hail storms, heavy snow, and ice dams. The freeze-thaw cycle—where water gets into small cracks, freezes, expands, and creates bigger cracks—is especially hard on shingles.

Both Malarkey and Owens Corning are excellent choices for Minnesota specifically because:

• Both carry Class 4 impact ratings, which matter when hail storms roll through the metro.
• Both are rated for high wind, which protects against the spring/fall storms we get.
• Both handle freeze-thaw well (though OC is slightly better at this).
• Both are widely available locally, so repairs and re-roofing are always possible.

If you're in the Twin Cities metro area (Minnetonka, Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Wayzata, etc.), you can trust either brand. The difference is refinement, not fundamentals.

If you're still torn between Malarkey and Owens Corning, we can help. Modern Exterior Systems installs both brands regularly. We can show you physical samples, discuss your specific exposure (wind, sun, hail risk), and help you make a choice that fits your budget and priorities. We don't have a financial incentive to push one brand over the other—we just want your roof to perform well for 25+ years.

If you're in the Minnetonka, Minnesota area and ready to move forward with a new roof or replacement, reach out for a free inspection and quote. We'll tell you honestly which shingle brand makes sense for your home.