Thatched Roof Styles

Straw Thatched Roof

• 1

  Take a complete measurement of your roof’s perimeter. Write down the measurements of each side both width and length. Then measure and write down the measurements of the open space in the middle of the roof.

• 2

  Check the roof for cracks or damage.

• 3

  Line the entire roof with wads to keep the roof dry. The lining should be horizontally laid. Make sure that the lining is packed tightly so that there are no visible separations between the wads.

• 4

  Place thatching sways over the wad bundles to keep them in place.

• 5

  Lay the straw thatch over the wad bundles vertically and hook them to the wad bundles with steel thatching crooks.

• 6

  Lay a second layer of wad bundles over the straw thatch horizontally. Place a layer of straw thatch over the wad bundles vertically and attach them in the same manner as the first layer. This layer should overlap the first layer by eight inches.

• 7

  Apply weathering material such as grass, marsh, straw, heather and flax to the roof vertically. Place this material over the entire roof, making sure that it spans from the rooftop to the eaves. The weathering material should be layered until it reaches 15 inches in depth.

• 8

  Place straw on the roof along the apex to hold the main thatch in place. The bindings to hold the straw to the thatch are provided by the thatch's manufacturer.

Palm Thatch

• 9

  Purchase or gather pliable palm fronds. Palm fronds are the leaves on a palm tree. If you try to use dried or dead palm fronds, they will break. Split the fronds into two equal pieces using a box cutter or knife. For an even cut, lay the fronds on an even surface and cut straight down the middle.

• 10

  Count up five leaves from the bottom of the frond. Bend the fifth leaf in the opposite direction of its natural curve.

• 11

  Pull the fifth leaf over the top of the fourth leaf in a weaving motion and pull it under the third leaf, over the second leaf, then under the first leaf.

• 12

  Count two leaves up from the bent leaf and bend it, then weave it in the same manner, stopping after reaching the first leaf. Continue this pattern for as many palm fronds as you need for your roofing.

• 13

  Bend the ends of the leaves backwards and weave them into the bottom of the thatching. Bind together two finished halves together using twine.

• 14

  Tie the finished frond thatching bundles to the bottom of the roof with twine horizontally. The fronds should layer the entire roof and hang over the edges. Continue this layering until you reach the desired height by tying each new layer to the under layer using twine.

• 15

  Tie the thatch panels to the beams across the ridge of the roof. Place the second panel on top of the first going in the opposite direction and tie it down to the roof. Overlap continuously in this pattern until the ridge is buried under the thatch panels.