Cool roof shingles are specifically designed to reflect the sun’s heat. Quite simply, they repel the heat and keep your house cool.
The cool roof shingle you pick for your home significantly affects the entire roofing project, including the installation, cost, and warranty.
Like most property owners, you are probably considering going with asphalt roof shingles. But do you know there are various brands and types?
Well, if you don’t, you aren’t alone. There are several asphalt shingle brands to pick from. But which to choose?
It’s tough to say a particular cool roof shingle is better than the rest, as all brands manufacture excellent products.
However, some are considered superior by roofing contractors and offer homeowners greater variety to create the roof they desire.
To help you wade through the sea of options, we are analyzing the best cool roof shingles you can choose for your home.
The Main Types of Roof Shingles
Before we discuss the best cool roof shingles for your home, let’s explore the basic types of roof shingles on the market today.
They include:
- Asphalt shingles: They combine an asphalt layer, a fiberglass mat, and ceramic granules. Due to their cost-effectiveness and ease of installation, they’re the most popular on the market.
They are available in a variety of colors and styles, allowing for aesthetic customization. - Composite shingles: These are made from recycled materials like rubber and plastic. They can last up to 50 years, thanks to their high weather and impact resistance.
- Metal shingles: They are highly advantageous due to their fire and algae-resistance capacity. Also, they are easy to maintain.
- Slate shingles: They are made from slate, a natural and durable stone. If maintained well, these shingles can last up to 200 years.
- Solar shingles: Besides being a roofing material, solar shingles are also a clean energy system.
Therefore, they are ideal if you want access to solar energy without installing the traditional solar panels. - Wood shingles: They are made from trees such as Pine, Redwood, and cedar. These shingles come with a distinctive rustic look and feel that’s hard to reflect with the other shingles.
Also, they are highly durable and can last between 40 and 50 years.
Best Cool Roof Shingles
With several materials and style choices, it is pretty straightforward to find the most suitable cool roof shingles.
Here is a quick overview of some available options.
1. Landmark Solaris Gold by CertainTeed
Landmark Solaris Gold asphalt shingles offer a classic look to residential properties.
In addition, they are cooler than ever thanks to advanced roofing granules that reflect radiant heat and solar energy better than conventional cool roof shingles.
With more dramatic dimensions and deeper colors, these cool roof shingles are as fantastic as they look, offering 25 percent solar reflectivity.
2. Landmark Solaris Platinum by CertainTeed
Landmark Solaris Platinum cool roof shingles give your house a radiant and brilliant look.
These shingles are available in three different colors and give your home a dynamic and unique appearance while providing the maximum advantage of cool roof reflective technology.
As a result, your home will appear cool, and you will feel cool inside it!
These cool roof shingles might offer up to 40 percent of solar reflectivity—an incredibly high level in the asphalt shingles market.
3. Presidential Solaris Gold by CertainTeed
All asphalt shingles don’t need to be light-colored.
The Presidential Solaris Gold is designed to look similar to wood shakes while offering all the advantages of cool roof asphalt shingles.
Keep in mind that cool roof shingles don’t always have to be light-colored. The cool roof technology works well for darker colors too.
This shingle offers 25 percent solar reflectivity and will keep your house cool while showcasing its deep dimension and color.
4. Timberline® CS Shingles by GAF
Timberline CS Shingles are highly reflective, cool roof shingles that can help reduce temperatures in your attic so that your home stays comfortable during the summer months.
This way, you can successfully save on air-conditioning costs.
According to the Cool Roof Rating Council, cool roof shingles can help you save an average of 7 to 15 percent of your total cooling costs.
The Timberline CS Shingles are designed with Advanced Protection Shingle Technology that minimizes the use of natural resources yet offers great protection for your house.
Plus, these shingles come with a lifetime limited transferable warranty with Smart Choice® Protection (installation labor coverage and non-prorated material) for the first ten years.
These Specialty Architectural cool roof shingles by GAF use Dura Grip™ Adhesive that seals all the shingles tightly and minimizes the chances of shingle blow-off.
In addition, they are designed to withstand winds of up to 130 mph.
The shingles are available in 3 different colors, all of which are CRRC-rated and meet the Miami 21 (Florida Building Code), Title 24 (California Energy Commission), and LA Green Building Code.
The StainGuard Protection also protects your roof’s beauty from unsightly algae.
Lastly, the Timberline® CS Shingles use Seal-A-Ridge® Ridge Cap Shingles or Ridglass® Premium Ridge Cap Shingles to add a great finishing touch.
5. Timberline® HDZ™ RS by GAF
Timberline® HDZ™ RS shingles have rich and bright color blends that haven’t been seen in a cool roof before.
The vivid color blends combine with the improved shadow effect of these shingles to create an appealing look that’s unmatched by other brands.
In addition, Timberline® HDZ™ shingles offer reliability and proven performance along with potential energy cost savings!
Additionally, the Advanced Protection® Shingle Technology offers excellent protection.
If these cool roof shingles are installed using the correct GAF accessories, they qualify for a wind impact warranty with no upper limit on wind speed.
Another great thing about these shingles is the LayerLock technology, a proprietary technology that mechanically synthesizes the bond between overlapping layers of shingles.
However, there are two downsides to these cool roof shingles. First, they don’t offer protection from algae stains, and second, they aren’t rated for extreme weather impact.
6. TruDefinition Duration COOL Shingles by Owens Corning
TruDefinition Duration COOL Shingles are specifically designed and manufactured to offer beautiful and rich colors that reflect sunlight and make your home energy-efficient and comfortable.
The heat-reflecting granules help to keep roofs cool and might result in reduced energy use and increased roof lifespan.
TruDefinition® Duration® COOL Shingles use patented SureNail® Technology to offer the same excellent durability, style, and performance you can expect from any Duration® Series shingle, all while keeping up with cool roof requirements.
Through independent third-party testing labs, Owens Corning certifies its shingles to meet industry-recognized wind resistance standards.
7. Cambridge Cool Colors by IKO
IKO Cambridge Cool Color shingles comply with California Title 24, Part 6 cool roof requirements, reduce your house’s carbon footprint, boost property values, and possibly cut down on cooling bills.
IKO’s NEW COOL and COOL PLUS have a solar reflective index of 20 or higher and can increase a roof’s reflectivity by 25 percent.
The brand’s COOL PLUS shingles offer the ultimate combination of sought-after dark color blends and solar reflectivity of 20+, in compliance with the strict LA County and city cool roof reflectance requirements.
Moreover, their Natural Cool Colors shingles are available in their lightest color blends. They remain a budget-friendly choice in California locations where roof reflectance requirements demand a solar reflective index of 16 or higher.
The Dual Grey color offers the added advantage of resistance to blue-green algae.
All three IKO Cambridge Cool Colors shingles share the benefits of the widely popular Cambridge line.
For instance, IKO Cambridge shingles have a resilient fiberglass mat designed to lie and stay flat and protect your home from the elements.
Thanks to IKO’s particular “Advantage” size, these laminated cool roof shingles are more extensive than many of their competitors, meaning they go down easily and quickly.
The higher-than-average size also means increased exposure, which offers a textured and visually striking appearance for your roof.
Their unique color blends and dimensional profile are going to create a brilliant, high-end look that will be the talk of your neighborhood.
8. Ecoasis™ NEX® by Malarkey
Manufactured using industry-leading NEX® Rubberized Asphalt and engineered in the architectural style, Ecoasis™ NEX® shingles offer excellent all-weather resilience and have granules that keep your house’s roof cool, eliminating emission pollutants from the air.
These shingles have a solar reflective index of 16 and effectively comply with the California Energy Code.
Ecoasis™ NEX® shingles have 50 percent stronger adhesive bonds and two times the rain seals of standard shingles.
When it comes to performance, the Ecoasis™ NEX® shingles by Malarkey offer up to 10 percent higher tear strength than the industry standard and 65 percent higher granule adhesion than standard options on the market.
The best thing about these shingles is that they are made with sustainable materials. Every roof that uses them diverts the equivalent of nearly four rubber tires and almost 2,900 plastic bags from a landfill.
Lastly, these roofs come with a limited lifetime shingle warranty and a 10-year non-prorated period.
9. Metal Cedar Shingles by Interlock
Interlock Cedar Shingles is essentially a 4-way interlocking roofing system made with aluminum.
Every shingle is coated with the Alunar® Coating System and stamped with a heavy cedar texture to create an attractive, highly-durable surface.
In addition, the metal cedar shingles are available in several colors, opening up a vast palette for designers and homeowners.
The most unique characteristic of the Interlock® Cedar Shingle is its design.
Every shingle comes with an interlocking edge on all four sides. However, they can also be nailed onto the roof’s surface.
The Cedar Shingles aren’t just energy-efficient. They are also Cool Roof Rating Council-rated.
In addition, they are resistant to the elements and offer superior durability.
The aluminum used for these shingles is durable yet lightweight. It is almost one-third the weight of steel, yet equally strong.
10. PABCO Premier Radiance
PABCO’s Premier Radiane shingles have solar-reflective granules that effectively reflect the sun’s heat-producing UV rays back into the atmosphere, minimizing heat transfer into your house.
Premier Radiance is available in multiple vivid colors, so you won’t have to compromise on your home’s style.
By using PABCO®’s proven cool technology, Premier Radiance solar reflective shingles are great for warmer climates where AC use is high.
In addition, these cool roof shingles meet Class A Fire Resistance Standard, and specific colors are also equipped with Algae Defender technology.
11. Golden Cedar by CeDUR
Golden Cedar is a cool roof-rated product which makes it perfect for use in Los Angeles County and California.
With Golden Cedar shingles, the roof stays cooler, minimizing heat transferred to the building below.
12. GlassMaster 3-Tab Shingles by Atlas
Both beautiful and durable, this line of shingles is designed to reflect most of the sun’s hot rays, keeping your roof cooler and helping it last longer.
Some of the features of GlassMaster 3-Tab include:
- The beauty of a 3-tab shingle backed by a 60 mph wind limited warranty.
- A long-lasting, 30-year limited warranty.
- A beautiful look with built-in algae resistance for many years.
Cool Roof Costs
When it comes to determining the cost of cool roof shingles, you need to consider a couple of factors.
The first and foremost is the size of your home’s roof. Of course, the more roofing material is required, the more you will need to spend on your cool roof solution.
Another factor that impacts cost is the type of material used.
For example, there’s a cost difference between the light-colored coating and the reflective, cool roof shingles and between their manufacturers and vendors.
The table below summarizes the average cost of roof shingles:
Type of Shingle | Average Cost in U.S. Dollars/sq ft |
Asphalt | 4 to 15 |
Metal | 4 to 30 |
Wood | 6 to 18 |
Composite | 7.50 to 13 |
Slate | 15 to 30 |
Solar | 20 to 30 |
Last Few Words
It is essential to know what a cool roof is and how it can help.
Cool roofs are an excellent solution for hotter climate areas that depend heavily on air conditioning systems.
By installing a cool roof, you can save thousands of dollars in cooling costs each year and even be eligible for energy rebates.