“What is the best roofing material for the Pacific Northwest climate?”
Summary:
Jeremiah calls this a debatable question but names rubber roof systems as the best fit for the Pacific Northwest. He describes EuroShield, made from recycled rubber tires and manufactured in Canada, which withstands extreme heat and cold and is designed to expand and contract with the climate rather than fight it. The drawback is cost, so he only recommends it for homeowners planning to stay long term who want to absorb the investment up front. For shingles he points to Malarkey roofing products, which apply similar technology by bonding recycled rubber with asphalt. The rubber additive delivers thirty percent better granule adhesion and is designed to expand and contract with the climate, holding granules longer than standard composite shingles. He chose Malarkey as his go-to manufacturer specifically for sustainability rather than warranty marketing, asking whether homeowners would rather have a product that lasts or a warranty written by a lawyer for the manufacturer's benefit.
Answer:
The best roofing material for the Pacific Northwest climate is a very debatable question. Now, my opinion on it, and this is over the years of using lots of different manufacturers as far as the composite realm to even fancier material, I would say that the best material for the Pacific Northwest climate is a rubber roof system. Now, there are two types of that. There is what's called EuroShield. It's a recycled rubber tire. What's more durable than those tires? Now, they withstand extreme heat, they withstand extreme cold. They're designed to expand and contract with the climate system. EuroShield is manufactured in Canada, so they're not new to the extreme weather patterns. It's a great roof here. The one downside with it is it is an expensive roof. So the only time I would encourage that type of roof system is when somebody plans on staying in the house long term. They want to deal with the investment up front and not have to worry about it in the future. Now, there's also Malarkey roofing products. They are a shingle that is specifically designed for the Pacific Northwest and the same technology. They found a way to recycle these rubber tires, bond it with the asphalt, so it holds up to our climate much better than a lot of these standard composite shingles. With the rubber additive, it gives you thirty percent granule adhesion and it's designed to expand and contract in the climate and keep those granules longer term. That's why I decided to use Malarkey roofing products as the go-to manufacturer for installing new roofs, because they're specifically designed for sustainability. They don't have the flashy warranties that all these other manufacturers offer. But my question to people is this. Would you rather have something that you know is going to be sustainable and last? Or would you rather have a warranty that is specifically written by a lawyer for the benefit of the manufacturer and not the homeowner?