Malarkey Roofing Contractor in Minnesota — Certified Pro Installer

Why We Offer Malarkey Shingles in Minnesota

Most asphalt shingles are made with oxidized asphalt, which gets stiff and brittle as it ages — exactly the wrong trait for a roof that goes from −20°F in January to 150°F on a July afternoon. Malarkey builds its shingles with NEX® polymer-modified (SBS “rubberized”) asphalt, which stays flexible in the cold and springs back instead of cracking. On a Minnesota roof, that flexibility shows up in three places we care about:

• Hail and impact. Malarkey’s Vista® AR, Legacy® Scotchgard™ and Windsor® Scotchgard™ carry a UL 2218 Class 4 impact rating — the highest available for asphalt shingles. Highlander® AR is Class 3. Class 4 is not “hail-proof” (nothing is), but it is the rating insurers look for, and Malarkey publishes up to 25–40% greater tear strength than the ASTM D3462 industry standard depending on the line.
• Granule adhesion. Granules are the shingle’s sunscreen. Malarkey publishes up to 65% greater granule adhesion than the ASTM standard, which matters when hail, ice and roof-rake season all try to scrub them off.
• Seal strength. Up to 50% more adhesive bonds, twice the rain seals, and a wider nailing area than standard shingles — the details that keep wind-driven rain and spring gusts out.
• Sustainability that isn’t a sticker. Each Malarkey roof uses upcycled rubber and plastic (roughly 5 tires and 3,200 plastic bags per 30-square roof of Vista, per Malarkey) and 3M™ smog-reducing granules. See the sustainability section for the numbers with their qualifiers.
• Warranty leverage you can actually use. As a Certified Pro Contractor, when we install a complete qualifying Secure Choice™ system we can register Malarkey’s enhanced Pro warranty — which extends the non-prorated period to 50 years on every residential line. Details and requirements are below.

Honest caveat: there is no universally “best” shingle. The right choice depends on your roof’s pitch and complexity, how long you plan to stay, your budget, the color you want, and what your insurance carrier will or won’t do for a Class 4 roof. We install Owens Corning Duration, CertainTeed Landmark, IKO and TAMKO systems too, and we’ll show you where Malarkey wins and where it doesn’t for your specific house. That’s the job.

Malarkey Vista® AR vs. Legacy® Scotchgard™ — Plain-English Comparison

This is the comparison most of our Malarkey customers actually make, so here it is without the brochure gloss. Both are architectural (laminated) shingles, both are built on NEX® rubberized asphalt, both are Class 4 impact-rated and Class A fire-rated, both carry limited lifetime coverage against manufacturing defects, and both share the same nine Minnesota colors. The differences are in the build weight, the algae protection, and the standard warranty terms.

Vista AR tends to suit homeowners who want Class 4 protection and a clean architectural look at the more accessible price point, especially on a roof they may not own for 30 years, or when the difference in cost is better spent on ice-and-water coverage, ventilation or gutters.

Legacy Scotchgard tends to suit homeowners settling in for the long haul, north-facing or tree-shaded roofs where algae streaking is a real concern (the lifetime algae coverage is the standout), and anyone who wants the heaviest, most tear-resistant architectural shingle Malarkey makes.

Neither is a wrong answer. If a salesperson tells you Vista is “cheap” or Legacy is “overkill,” they’re selling, not advising. Official spec sheets: Vista AR tech data · Legacy Scotchgard tech data.

What “Malarkey Certified Pro Contractor” Actually Means

Malarkey’s Certified Contractor Program has tiers. Certified Pro — Northern Exteriors’ tier — means the company met Malarkey’s vetting (licensing, insurance, standing with the BBB and the state, years in business), completed in-person product and installation training with a Malarkey representative, and passed the Pro-level certification test. You can verify our listing on Malarkey’s Find a Contractor directory.

What it unlocks for you: when we install a complete qualifying Secure Choice™ roof system — Malarkey shingles plus at least three Malarkey accessories (from underlayment, ice & water barrier, starter shingles and hip & ridge shingles) — we can register Malarkey’s enhanced Pro warranty in your name. The headline difference is the non-prorated period: 10–20 years on the standard warranty becomes 50 years under the Pro warranty, on every residential line. Enhanced wind coverage (130 mph; 140 mph on Windsor) is included when Malarkey starter and hip & ridge are used with proper nailing.

Warranty documents worth reading before you decide: Malarkey warranties overview · Certified Pro warranty comparison chart · Certified Pro warranty sample. (We link to Malarkey’s copies so you always see the current version.)

Malarkey and Minnesota Hail

What Class 4 means: in the UL 2218 test, a 2-inch steel ball is dropped from 20 feet onto the shingle; if it doesn’t crack or split front or back, the shingle earns Class 4 — the top rating. Malarkey’s Vista AR, Legacy and Windsor pass it; Highlander AR is Class 3. The rubberized asphalt is why: it absorbs the strike instead of fracturing.

What Class 4 does not mean: it is not “hail-proof.” A severe enough storm — the 2–3.5″ stones that have hit Woodbury, Monticello and Ramsey County in recent years — can damage any roof, and Class 4 shingles can still take cosmetic granule loss. What the rating buys you is a much better chance of coming through the typical 1–1.5″ Minnesota hail event without a claim.

On insurance: many Minnesota carriers offer a premium discount for a documented Class 4 roof, and some now apply cosmetic-damage exclusions to impact-resistant roofs in exchange. Discounts, exclusions and underwriting rules vary by carrier and policy, and we cannot promise you’ll receive one. Ask your agent before you buy; we’ll give you the product documentation they’ll want. If you’re already dealing with storm damage, start with a free hail damage roof inspection — and read our Class 4 shingles guide and cheap vs. Class 4 comparison for the longer version.

Sustainability — With the Fine Print

Malarkey pioneered upcycled rubber and upcycled plastic in shingles and launched the first smog-reducing shingle. Its published, third-party-verified figures (Environmental Product Declarations from UL Solutions, GreenCircle® waste-diversion certification) are more specific than most roofing “green” claims, so here they are as Malarkey states them, with the assumptions attached:

• Per roof: approximately 5 rubber tires and 3,200 plastic bags diverted from landfill, and smog-reducing granules equivalent to ‘planting’ about 2 trees — assuming a 30-square roof of Vista shingles. Legacy: ~6 tires / ~4,000 bags. Windsor: ~7 tires / ~7,100 bags. (Malarkey product pages; tree figure sourced to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and 3M.)
• Cleaner air: 3M™ smog-reducing granules use sunlight to photocatalytically convert nitrogen-oxide gases into water-soluble ions that wash off with rain. It’s a modest per-roof effect; Malarkey’s claim is cumulative, and they say so.
• Longer life = less waste: the same NEX® asphalt that resists hail also slows the aging that sends roofs to the landfill early. That, more than the recycled content, is the sustainability argument we find most persuasive on a Minnesota roof.

Run your own roof through Malarkey’s Sustainability Calculator (enter your squares — we’ll tell you the number from your estimate), or read the 2026 Malarkey Sustainability Report and EPDs. We’re not going to tell you a roof saves the planet. We will tell you it’s one of the few roofing choices with real numbers behind it.

Malarkey Roofing FAQs for Minnesota Homeowners

Compare Malarkey With Other Leading Shingle Options — Free, No Pressure

Northern Exteriors gives free roof inspections and estimates to homeowners in Cottage Grove, Woodbury and across the Twin Cities metro. We’ll walk your roof, photograph what we find, and show you Malarkey side by side with Owens Corning, CertainTeed and other systems that make sense for your home — with the warranty each one actually qualifies for spelled out in writing.

Northern Exteriors Minnesota Inc · MN Residential Building Contractor License #BC297099 · Based in Cottage Grove, MN 55016 · Serving Washington, Ramsey, Dakota and Wright County · Malarkey Certified Pro Contractor · LP® Remodelers Edge™ contractor and VSI certified installer · A+ BBB.