We, too, are looking into the world of synthetic slates. We've narrowed our search down to Ecostar and Davinci which seem to offer the best product and warranty. Davinci looks the best to me, but you have to get one of their authorized installers to do the work, and in our area (VA) there is only one -- which naturally drives up the price tremendously. My understanding with ecostar is that any roofer can install it(product is available through specialty building supply stores), but in order to get the 50 year warranty, you have to have a certified installer do the work. They, in turn, have to use mostly ecostar supplied materials (ie specific nails, underlayments, etc) and an ecostar rep comes out to inspect/certify the roof installation which again means $$$. We have heard a number of the complaints regarding fading of the product and curling of the edges. Still, it sounds like these problems have occurred when installation procedures (expressly outlined in the manufacturers instructions) are not followed correctly. So far, we are still seriously considering using a fake- slate, but do think the product is such that a roofer experienced with the product needs to do the installation. Also, it is a premium roofing product which comes with a premium pricetag.

Yes, yes, Lascatz, that's it! I want a thatched roof look. That is the thought I am going to keep foremost in my mind. On that note, I did consider these kind of shingles: Here's what they look like on a house I found on the Internet: We even went and looked at a house in our town that have these in a "weathered wood" color. And although they were nice, after awhile hubby and I decdided they were too much....made us dizzy. Maybe I'll go look at them one more time.....they do give a very textured look. In the mean time, seems like Camelot II is still the front runner. It may not give quite as much "thatched" look as I would like, but it does add texture and is a little different then standard architectural shingles. FWIW, here's a couple of pics that show the two buildings a little better. Hmmmm, I think my garage doors could stand a makeover, too. I thank you all for your comments......and welcome any other ideas. And I apologize if my pictures are too big. Haven't learned all I need to know about posting pics just yet. pup

If helpful to anyone out there, my wife and I just finished selecting a new roof for our home and we focused our research on GAF Camelot vs. Certainteed Grand Manor. It seems that most roofing supply firms in my area (northern NJ) recommend the Grand Manor because of the reputation of the shingles (can't go wrong with them given that there is a 2009 consumer reports review that puts them squarely on top) and, as such, I ended up selecting Grand Manor. That said, I liked what I learned about the Camelot product and wish that I would have had more time to research their shingle (one can only put so many hours into a choice). One item of note is that it takes 7 bundles of Camelot to cover 1 square of roof vs. 5 bundles of Grand Manor to cover 1 square of roof -- indicating to me that you are [or rather may be?] getting a heavier grade shingle with Camelot. That said, what caused me to hesitate with the Camelot product is that their web site shows their shingle with a connected tab across the bottom of the shingle and this is a look that my wife and I didn't want. Interestingly, I did not see this "connected tab" (my choice of words in their samples or in the field and, as such, don't know if it's a design change that is to come or if it's something something for the Camelot II product design (either way, it created uncertainty on my end and hence my Grand Manor choice). The other item worth note is that the Grand Manor seemed (to me) to have a lot more color variation than the Camelot. We purchased the Grand Manor "Colonial Slate" and it has hints of red and green in it and if we had gone with Camelot, we would have selected "Antique Slate" and it is much more of a grey slate color (no greens, reds, etc.). Similarly, the Grand Manor stonegate and gatehouse colors also have a lot of color variation and that's very evident when you see them in person. Below are current photos of each product and for anyone doing research, I'd recommend that you inquire further about (i) the connected tab that shows with the GAF Camelot and (2) how many bundles it takes to cover a single square of roof (an indication of the thickness [and durability] of the product). Certainteed Grand Manor Photo (Colonial Slate - From Certainteed web site as of June 2016): GAF Camelot Photo (Antique Slate - From GAF web site as of June 2016):

Thank you all so, so much! I like the envelope idea, and loved the other suggestions about identifying shingles. I did call Enviroshake and some samples are en route. They can put their shingles directly on rafters as was in past done w cedar, but say the application is easier than cedar, shingles technically cheaper. Problem is not that many are trained yet, so prices are still v high. But quite an education! I am getting more grey samples, and am really grateful for all the input. ( Actually Tamko has two --slate grey and oxford grey --that look very close to my cedar, just is a brand roofers seem to not like as much -- not such lavish guarantees..) I'ts also possible the current roof can be patched, with moss killer sprayed on for now - which if I sell soon would give next person their favorite choice. Meanwhile, I'll put on pix of the two blackish shingles in actual on roof photos as well as the same for Estate gray,-- which are probably more accurate than online ap views -- and will happily follow up with a finished product once this project is nailed down.. This is my first Houzz experience, but wow!! Black Sage (probably about right) Moire Black -- (can this be accurate?) Estate gray ...(in some photos looks lighter)... confusing, eh? They look so similar in these actual photos...so the visits to houses I like and figuring out which is which is a winning idea! In any case, thank you, thank you, so very much!!!