Q&A - Picking between heat protection and hail protection

This homeowner's upstairs kept getting too warm, but they also needed shingles that can stand up to storms. As they tried to decide, they came to our experts for some advice.

Ryan, a homeowner in Kansas, was getting a new roof on their house. They figured this was also a great time to try and find a solution for an upper floor that was too warm. In addition the the ridge vents they are already planning on installing, Ryan considered cool roofs, but wanted some more advice before making their deciscion. Here's what they asked:

Hello, I am in the process of getting a new roof for my home and am looking for some advice. The home is 4,400 square feet and the roof is about 40 squares. I live in Kansas City and it gets pretty hot in the summer. My biggest issue is upstairs is really hot. Our roof is probably short on vents and we are having the ridgeline vents added.

My debate is if I get the GAF cool roof shingles or the ASII shingles. The added cost of the cool shingles would be $2,500 more. Is this amount worth getting the cool shingles? Would it make enough impact knowing that the ridge vents are already being installed? Would an attic fan be a better investment? I do like the ASII shingles too since we live in a hail area with high winds. My electric bill in the summer can go up to $475 a month. Just want to get your thoughts and recommendation. Also, would you rank the shingles in this order from good to best? HDZ then ASII and then Cool shingles?

One of our resident expert roofers, Henry Staggs sent this video response:

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