How to Do Thatched Roofing

Build your roof frame as a wooden lattice, making each square in the frame about a square foot or a bit more. This kind of framework is easy to work with since there are plenty of places to batten down your bunches. Treating the wood is optional since, if the thatching is done properly, no water will penetrate. Also, thatching is a natural form of ventilation.

Gather your bunches of water or wheat reeds. The former is the main Irish model of thatch and is the best because it is 100 percent waterproof.

Make a bunch about 2.5 feet long and about 2 inches thick. Eventually, the roof will be 12 inches thick. The stems go on top; the leaves will cascade down over the roof eaves by about 6 inches. At the end of the stems, the reeds together as if you are making a fan. These, in turn, should be attached to the wooden lattice securely. There are many ways to do this. Brass screws and metal straps are just two important ways. String is another, but their life is short.

Place each bundle close to the one next to it. Use each bar in the lattice to tie a new bunch. If it is getting too bushy, use every other bar. This depends on the sort of material you are working with.

Place each bunch a foot above your first row. The point is that each new bunch will overlap the one underneath it and next to it. This means you now have an interlocking pattern of thatch with bunches reinforcing one another. It is easy to see how these overlapping bunches were then weaved together.

Build each new row until you reach the top of the roof. This is normally a horizontal pole, parallel with the earth, to which the lattice work is attached. This should be a fairly strong pole and it serves as the anchor. Some methods use more than one main bar, but for small projects, the highest part of the roof has this thick bar as a stabilizer. There needs now to be no sub-roofing material since, if your work has been done correctly, there will be no water penetration. The design described will bring all rain cascading down past the eaves.

Check over your attachments. Reinforce them if you feel uncomfortable. Bring in an expert if this will help, since your fastening skills are the most important issue here. Add more fasteners to other parts of the bunch as it drops down the angle of the roof. Have the entire project checked over. The roof life should be 30 or 40 years at a minimum.