Summary: Malarkey Roofing Products®, in collaboration with 3M™, has developed shingles designed to purify the atmosphere proactively. These roofing materials are engineered with advanced photocatalytic granules. They use sunlight to transform hazardous nitrogen oxide pollutants into benign, water-soluble nitrate solids. Using this groundbreaking technology, your home can combat smog. The ecological impact is comparable to planting trees directly on your rooftop.

Aiming to Improve Air Quality

Air quality is a growing concern for communities everywhere. From urban centers to quiet suburbs, the invisible threat of air pollution impacts our daily lives and long-term health. At Malarkey Roofing Products, we believe that the materials we use to build and roof our homes should do more than just protect us from the elements. They should actively contribute to a healthier environment. That is why we are proud to offer shingles built to do more for your home and cause less harm to the planet.

Through our work with 3M, we have created the industry’s first smog-reducing shingle. But how exactly can a roof clean the air? Let’s break down the science behind this sustainable innovation.

The Invisible Problem: What is Smog?

To understand how Malarkey shingles clean the air, it is important to first understand what we are fighting against. Smog exists wherever emissions exist, even on days when the sky looks clear, and you cannot actively see it.

Smog is a hazardous form of air pollution created when ultraviolet (UV) sunlight interacts with chemicals in the atmosphere, specifically, nitrogen oxides. Nitrogen oxides are primarily pumped into the air through the burning of fossil fuels, such as vehicle emissions. Because smog exists as a gas, it is incredibly easy to inhale. Over time, exposure to smog can lead to severe health risks for both humans and animals, including lung tissue damage, bronchial infections, and long-term heart problems.

The Innovation: 3M™ Smog-Reducing Granules

Recognized as one of TIME Magazine’s Top 50 Inventions of 2018, 3M™ Smog-Reducing Granules represent a massive leap forward in sustainable building materials. We include these granules on all Malarkey shingles. They blend inconspicuously into the beautiful color profiles of our roofing lines, meaning you never have to sacrifice curb appeal for environmental stewardship.

How It Works: The Science of Clean Air

The process begins right on the surface of your roof. 3M™ Smog-Reducing Granules are engineered with a specialized photocatalytic coating. When the sun shines on your roof, UV rays activate this coating, generating the energy required to break apart airborne water molecules—like those naturally found in humidity—into their basic component parts (hydrogen and oxygen).

This reaction produces a newly formed molecule known as a hydroxyl radical (OH). This specific molecule acts as an atmospheric cleaner because it aggressively seeks to bind with other molecules. When a dangerous, inhalable smog molecule (like nitrogen dioxide) floats near your roof, the hydroxyl radical binds with it.

The Result

Through this chemical transformation, the harmful gas is converted into a water-soluble nitrate salt solid. Instead of lingering in the air for you to breathe, this harmless solid is simply washed away the next time it rains, acting as a mild, usable fertilizer for the plants surrounding your home.

There Is More Than One Way to Plant a Tree

We often think of trees as nature’s ultimate air filters—and they are. They clean particulates out of the atmosphere and absorb pollutant gases by trapping them in their leaves and bark.

By integrating 3M™ Smog-Reducing Granules into our shingles, we are essentially mimicking this natural process. Installing a standard 30-square roof with Malarkey shingles actively reduces emission-based air pollution at a rate equivalent to planting roughly two trees in your yard.

Building a Sustainable Future Together

Our ultimate aim at Malarkey Roofing Products is to build a closed-loop, sustainable system. We are dedicated to creating products and practices that offset our environmental footprint while empowering homeowners to offset theirs. By choosing smog-reducing technology embedded right into mainstream roofing materials, you are not just putting a reliable roof over your head; you are taking a great step forward in addressing local air quality and leaving a cleaner world for the next generation.