Thatching is a craft that is traditionally handed down from father to son, taking many years to perfect. It is not normally taught in other ways. So there is relatively little documented information. In South Africa there is evidence that many home owners and potential home owners would welcome such information.

Because thatching is a labour intensive process, the cost of a thatched roof is normally up to 60% higher than that of a conventional roof. This price difference can be limited, however, by using the roof space efficiently, with dormer windows and a mezzanine level for instance where the walling and plastering costs will be less. The insulating properties are very good, keeping the home warm in winter and cool in summer. Although thatch is one of the oldest building materials, modern, innovative laying techniques ensure that the interior finish is clean, with no loose pieces hanging down to harbour insects or encourage spider webs.

Thatch has a natural ability to free-curved shapes to create a warm, informal finish that blends in well because of its natural appearance. Thatch, being a natural material, will mellow in colour from its original fresh straw to a dark sheen that tones in wonderfully with the South African outdoors. At the same time, the rustic roughness of textured thatch inside the building lends itself to co-ordination with other natural materials such as stone & wood etc.

The high open ceilings in thatch roofed homes give the rooms a spacious, airy feeling that can be followed through with large window openings, and perhaps stone or slate floors to add to the rustic ambience.

MATERIALS

Thatching makes use of materials that are naturally available - grass or reed. In South Africa certain indigenous grasses are normally used. There are coarse varieties of this grass, with stalk thicknesses greater than 4 mm, that are not considered suitable for thatching. Natal thatching grass has a finer texture than the Transvaal grass when laid and is often preferred for this reason. The stalks of thatching grass are normally hollow and about 3 mm thick. Dekriet stalks, however, are solid and about 3-4 mm thick and considered the best quality and therefore the most expensive.

DESIGN

A thatched roof should have a minimum pitch of 45