Thatch Roof for Lapa's and Houses

Thatch Roofs for Lapa’s and Houses

New Thatch Roof Construction

A thatch roof provides great insulation and serves as a ceiling. This ensures that the building is cool in summer and warm in winter.

Thatch roof or thatch lapas can be built with a variety of shapes, sizes and is relatively easy to maintain.

Our thatch roofs or thatch lapas are built to the following standards.

CCA treated poles ranging from 75mm to 200mm in thickness.
Upright poles (150 to 200mm) are embedded in concrete at a depth of approximately 600mm.
Rafter poles (75 to 100mm) are used with bracing strips to secure thatch.
The outside layer of thatching is done with the best quality highveld grass and packed at a minimum thickness of ± 175mm to 200mm.
Staining and varnishing of poles is optional.

Thatch Maintenance

Thatching degrades over time, maintenance is, therefore, an essential factor to consider. At some stage it might require complete rethatching.

Typical maintenance required are:

Brush and Dress Thatch

Dressing up is done when thatch loosens slightly from its fixings. In Dressing up the thatch is knocked evenly and secured back into the original fixings.

Brushing down is performed after dressing up on the surface of the thatch to remove loose material and moss, to prevent the thatch roof to retain moisture which could gradually damage the body of the thatch.

Over Thatch

Over thatching is done when a new thatch layer is added when the top layer has deteriorated. Typically when the fixings become exposed on the surface of the thatch roof rainwater leaks through the thatch. Rotten thatch material has to be removed and dressed with a new, tightly packed thatch layer.

Fire Protection

The biggest concern for any thatched roof owner is fire. Because thatched roofs contain dried grass it is a high risk for everyone concerned.

Fire protection gives peace of mind and also helps to keep the insurance premiums lower. We are qualified to provide certificates of fire proofing.

Fire proofing (using Thatch Marshall 8000) has the following benefits: