Malarkey Shingles, Installed in St. Louis
Specification decisions outlast almost everything else about a roofing job.
Malarkey shingles, and what is actually different
Keys Roofing installs Malarkey products. Malarkey is a third-party manufacturer and this site is published by Keys Roofing, not by Malarkey. Nothing here should be read as an endorsement by the manufacturer or as a certification tier.
The relevant difference is the asphalt itself. Malarkey builds shingles with a rubberised, polymer-modified asphalt rather than a conventional oxidised one. In practice that means the shingle stays more flexible in cold weather and recovers better from impact instead of fracturing, which is a property that matters more in a hail market than in a mild one. Several of their laminate products carry a Class 4 impact rating, which is the highest in the UL 2218 test.
Class 4 is worth a specific note for Missouri homeowners: some insurers offer a premium credit for an impact-rated roof. Whether yours does, and how much, is a question for your own carrier rather than for a roofer.
This is not a mild market. NOAA's Storm Events Database logged 125 hail events in St. Louis County between 2020-2025, with stones measured up to 2.5 inches and averaging 1.32 inches. That count is of reported events, not of insured losses, and reporting density tracks population, so a busy county logs more reports than an empty one. Even read conservatively it means a roof in this area takes repeated impact.
Scope of work
Roofing, gutters, downspouts. Nothing else, on purpose. Atlas and Malarkey shingles.
- Roof replacement and tear-off, including decking that has gone soft underneath
- Repair work: pipe boots, step flashing, valley metal, nail pops
- Inspections that end in photographs and a written scope
- On-site formed seamless gutter, guards, realignment and repair
- Downspout extensions, reroutes and underground drainage away from the house
The drainage end of that list is genuinely uncommon for a roofing company in this market, and it is the part that decides whether a well-drained roof ends up protecting the foundation or undermining it.
Call Keys Roofing at (314) 220-2333
Straight through to the office. Roofing, gutters and downspouts only, across greater St. Louis.
Ask about the spec
Straight answers on what suits your roof.
The questions worth asking
Not the price first. Ask who is physically doing the work, employees or subcontracted crews. Ask for the scope in writing, including the per-sheet cost of replacing decking that turns out to be rotten, because that is the number that moves after work starts. Ask who honours the workmanship warranty and for how long, separately from whatever the manufacturer covers on the shingle itself. Ask for proof of insurance covering the people on the roof.
And be wary of urgency. A roof that has lasted through the storm will last through the week it takes to get a second opinion.
Questions people actually ask
How long does this last compared with standard shingles?
Longer, in the general case, though the install matters at least as much as the product. Specification decisions outlast almost everything else about a roofing job, which is why they are worth slowing down for.
Is it worth it on an ordinary house?
It depends entirely on the roof rather than the house. Low slopes, long unbroken runs and porch sections are where the upgrade earns its cost. On a simple steep roof, a good architectural shingle installed properly is hard to beat on value.
Does Keys install anything else?
Atlas and Malarkey shingle products, and that is the whole list. A company that claims to be certified by every manufacturer is usually certified by none of them.