Phoenix Home Hosts Highlander® NEX™ Smog-Reducing Roofing Shingles

By Malarkey Roofing Products.

Contractor says working with Malarkey products helps him stay competitive.

“It is competitive out here,” said roofing contractor Paul Foote about working Phoenix, Arizona. “There’s a lot of fly by roofing contractors that work at the fraction of the price.” As a career roofer, and the owner & operator of Diamond Designs for the last five years, Paul has seen contractors come and go. Born and raised in Arizona, both Paul and his brother run roofing companies after working for many years for a friend’s father. Today, Paul’s business is approved by the Better Business Bureau, licensed, bonded, insured.

“Everyone wants to be their own boss, so there is a decline in laborers, too, which makes things tough for dedicated contractors,” he said. “The upside however, is that there’s a lot of cleaning up and fixing of junk messes,” he added.

The #RoofingExcellence Advantage

Recently, Paul and his crew completed a project with the installation of 70 squares of Highlander® NEX™roofing shingles in Midnight Black. Working with Malarkey Roofing Products additionally helps him stay competitive in his area.

Paul’s team also took advantage of selecting products that worked in unison as part of the Malarkey Secure Choice™ residential roofing system. “I like to use the whole system together,” said Foote. “I really like the UDL, since it works well for tile roof as well” which is especially popular in the Southwestern U.S.

“I also like the taper on the Malarkey architectural shingle products. The Zone® nailing area makes it ‘near dummy proof,’ Paul laughed. “We’re fast like sub machine guns up there,” he added. The Zone® nailing area was developed by Malarkey Roofing Products to ensure the contractor has the opportunity to install the roof correctly every time. On the average roof, there are about 7,920 nails. Each of those nails must be installed correctly. Any exception is the weak link that will cause a leak or defect.

Polymer Modified Asphalt Roofing Granule Retention

Traditional methods to alter asphalt for roofing diminish its natural, rubber-like characteristics that retain granules and protect homes.

“Competitor shingles have too much granules loss,” said Foote.

To produce shingles that retain granule adhesion over time, Malarkey has engineered and innovated polymer modified asphalt for more than three decades.  Over the years, Malarkey has continually advanced the development of polymer modified asphalt using new technologies to refine the physical characteristics desired for quality shingle performance.

Today, NEX™, a blend of Flexor™ asphalt with polymers from repurposed materials, is the latest result. The use of polymers from repurposed materials is the next step in the ongoing effort from Malarkey to promote sustainable roofing materials while maintaining a high level of quality. This progressive approach improves asphalt flexibility, granule adhesion, cold weather installation, and UV resistance while promoting sustainable product design.

Benefits of Smog-reducing Granules at Scale

The Highlander® NEX™ architectural shingle is fortified with sustainable NEX™ polymer modified asphalt technology, as well as 3M™ Smog-Reducing Granules (featured in TIME Magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2018). These granules are engineered to harness sunlight to photocatalytically convert smog (NO, NO2) into water-soluble ions (NO3), actively reducing air pollution. One roof has the same smog-fighting potential as 2 or more trees (assuming standard roof of 30 squares). This project roof, at 70 squares, is more than double the average roof’s smog-reducing capacity.

Finding Success with Highlander® NEX™

In the end, “this job was a basic reroof – real simple,” recalled Paul. “My guys do average-sized houses in a day. This roof layout was a little tricky, and we found some severe wood work issues that needed replacement, so this project took about two days. Overall though, no significant delays,” he added.

Highlander® NEX™ turned out to be an excellent choice for both the homeowner and contractor on this roof. It serves, among many others, as an example of what is possible for the future of asphalt roofing when selecting the right tool for the job.

Learn more about Malarkey Roofing Products.