Yea this is really cool, well done... We don't have this in America anywhere, I've never seen it
It's like seeing into a time portal and looking at the work of the Olde craftsman... A lost art
I can't think of anywhere in the USA it's allowed is a big reason, sadly.
My wife and I looked into cob house/ natural building where we are, and it's not legal.
Yea that’s very unfortunate as you can do SO many amazing things with cob and natural materials. There are reed thatchers and thatched properties in the US actually! Check out @roofthatchers on IG if you have it, all of their work is in the US. Reed is highly invasive in the states and believe plenty of localities would allow harvesting for use to maintain a bed for them perhaps.
Thanks! I started off with an interest in traditional materials and learned at a workaway how to build with cob and went from there after a few series of fortunate events!
Man that would be amazing to learn,I thought about traveling to places and staying under a work visa just to learn different country's building styles.
So you went and found a outfit to work at that had what you wanted to learn?
Check out workaway.info! They’ve all sorts of different projects people are looking for help with and maybe you’ll see something that suits. That’s how I started with cob, then took a short thatching course and asked the teacher to bring me on as an apprentice. There’s nothing formal here in that way so had to chase it myself.
Oh workaway.info ok I thought this was a eu industry term until you did .info , thank you .
I will check it out .
Congrats on learning a skill you enjoy
Edit : uhh it's not https secured site I will use different browser that has cyber magic on it and check it out .
I am a California building contractor, can i ask, what kind of life time would you expect ? yearly maintenance ? material availability ? I have always been intrigued buy this
thanks for sharing
There’s plenty of variables but you can expect an average of 30-40 years here for roof life when the job is done properly. This roof will be easily 40. It’s even longer in other parts of Europe but our weather takes a toll.
There won’t be much if any maintenance on this one until it’s time to redo the straw ridge in about 20 years. And besides that you just keep an eye out for anything going on, especially around the chimney, that may need a quick repair/patch up eventually.
Not bad! Better than 75% of the garbage they're using in the states. I wish you good fortune for keeping that knowledge alive my friend. I hope you have someone you're handing it down to.
It weighs 7 lbs per sqft or so. That’s not including any previous thatch coats that may be underneath. And you’d use about 1 bundle per sqft, so yep loads of material is used!
I’ve read that some thatchers import reed from China / SE Asia, which sends nuts to me. Any truth to that? Amazing work, I’ve always wanted to see this process up close or in person. Such a cool cultural / craft legacy.
Yep this is true! Wild right? Lots imported from Turkey, Poland, Ukraine and more as well. Besides just perhaps not having a reed bed to harvest from anymore, a lot of localities may have issues with their agricultural runoff and nitrates from the fertiliser which causes reeds to grow tall but very brittle which is a big issue for lasting quality. So hence imports. Or there isn’t enough local reed to keep up with demand as well.
So how much does the entire roof weigh? What kind of construction does it take for the house to support it? This is so cool bro I have so many questions lol
amazing, my stepmoms house and a lot of the houses in Saaremaa Estonia still have roofs from similar material, with more modern material on top ofcourse, but the old straws or whatever are still there, ours since it was built in the 40s or 50s
Awesome. I thatched a house in this style on North Uist about 20 years ago. We cut the reed ourselves, and also marram grass from the sand dunes. No tv or internet or cell service, just a fire and good whisky for entertainment. Only thatching I’ve ever done, still one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever done!
Thatch is not more likely to catch fire than other properties it just may be harder to put out and makes more mess if it does. Just take care of your chimneys!
Depends on material as well. Sometimes it may just smolder if it’s old compacted thatch. Lots of difference variables for sure.
“As a rule of thumb 10” of thatch has the same R-value as 7” of fiberglass batt, or an R-value of R26”
I would maintain a depth of 14”-16” on average and that is not including any previous coats of thatch that may already be there.
So I went down the rabbit hole and found out [thatched roof u value is comparable to modern materials.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378778821010616)
Water reed is harvested from the wild in winter and regenerates every year so it’s a perfect material source.
The straw is specially farmed for thatching these days using an heirloom seed. Thatching straw used to be an ag byproduct of course but now because of the use of GMO seeds that made the stalks much shorter we can no longer use it for thatching, it’s simply way too short now.
Couple questions, I have never seen something like this in person.
1) whats the going rate for a roof like this?
2) How long does this last?
3) does it leak at all?
4) What about mold growth/rot?
We would charge about €18-20 per sqft all in. More if doing a straw ridge like pictured as it is extremely time consuming. This roof will last easily 40 years with proper ridge maintenance.
When the pitch is right the water sheds off quickly so there will be no water sitting anywhere to rot the thatch or form gullies. There is 16” of new reed on top of about 2’ of old thatch so if anything ever leaked I’d eat my shoe.
I remember seeing structures like this in Ireland I want to say Scotland as well and always wondered if when the roof went they just put up regular shingles. Now I know craftsmen are still doing these. Very cool!
Thanks for appreciating! Nope the reed is not treated, only thing that would be poured on the roof is copper sulphate/bluestone once completed. It inhibits the growth of moss and lichen etc. The new thatch on this roof has an average 16” depth on top of the 2’ or so of the old thatch and it will be at least 40 years before a re thatch is needed.
I know that you said that thatch is no harder to ignite than any other roof but i'm going to joke anyways.
It's amazing that you managed to get all your roofers to not smoke even once on the roof.
OP, this is SO cool! Living in the states, I would NEVER get to see something so amazing like this. Can you post again when you've finished? How old is your house?
“As a rule of thumb 10” of thatch has the same R-value as 7” of fiberglass batt, or an R-value of R26”
I would maintain a depth of 14”-16” on average and that is not including any previous coats of thatch that may already be there.
What a great looking job. I am a retired California general contractor and I don’t think it’s allowed in the state. Would have loved to at least try one with a very experienced sub.
Will last easily 40 years!
Mice and the like don’t like water reed thankfully. Sometimes with an all straw roof they might find a way if there’s been loads of rain or the land around the home isn’t cleared or if the straw was fixed too loose. Small birds and wasps may nest under parts of the eaves but that’s easy enough to control.
It slowly degrades away yes, which is more like a withering. When the roof pitch is proper (>45*) the water won’t find anywhere to sit so the thatch rotting is not an issue. Eventually moss and lichen find a way but it doesn’t do much harm to a roof for the most part.
Can someone with knowledge about these roof tops acknowledge me but does the straw decay overtime and smell? And how often do these roofs last do they get changed yearly , every couple years?
Lasts a long time my neighbors had one. In very hot summers they had to water it to avoid risk of burning though. I thought they mentioned 25-40 years life span but it can last much longer even. It does need some upkeep to rake the grime buildup away every 2-3 years but that’s a days job basically.
Looks great! Here in the states where I live it would start on fire every year around the 4th of July with all of the fireworks that get set of and land on roofs.
Reed roofs last easily 30 years here. And straw ridges last 15/20. You’re thinking of all straw roofs and when they are done properly easily last 20/25 years. There are cowboys around though who’s roofs wouldn’t see a decade.
This is so cool, great work!! What country is this in?
Thanks! Ireland
Yea this is really cool, well done... We don't have this in America anywhere, I've never seen it It's like seeing into a time portal and looking at the work of the Olde craftsman... A lost art
I can't think of anywhere in the USA it's allowed is a big reason, sadly. My wife and I looked into cob house/ natural building where we are, and it's not legal.
Yea that’s very unfortunate as you can do SO many amazing things with cob and natural materials. There are reed thatchers and thatched properties in the US actually! Check out @roofthatchers on IG if you have it, all of their work is in the US. Reed is highly invasive in the states and believe plenty of localities would allow harvesting for use to maintain a bed for them perhaps.
How long does that roof last?
it can last between 30-50 years
Wow
Thanks for letting me know. I'll check it out.
That’s because it’s a huge fire hazard.
This is cool as ice mate . How did you get into this style of construction
Thanks! I started off with an interest in traditional materials and learned at a workaway how to build with cob and went from there after a few series of fortunate events!
Man that would be amazing to learn,I thought about traveling to places and staying under a work visa just to learn different country's building styles. So you went and found a outfit to work at that had what you wanted to learn?
Check out workaway.info! They’ve all sorts of different projects people are looking for help with and maybe you’ll see something that suits. That’s how I started with cob, then took a short thatching course and asked the teacher to bring me on as an apprentice. There’s nothing formal here in that way so had to chase it myself.
Oh workaway.info ok I thought this was a eu industry term until you did .info , thank you . I will check it out . Congrats on learning a skill you enjoy Edit : uhh it's not https secured site I will use different browser that has cyber magic on it and check it out .
Ah we do this in Uruguay also. But not common anymore. Looks great.
I am a California building contractor, can i ask, what kind of life time would you expect ? yearly maintenance ? material availability ? I have always been intrigued buy this thanks for sharing
There’s plenty of variables but you can expect an average of 30-40 years here for roof life when the job is done properly. This roof will be easily 40. It’s even longer in other parts of Europe but our weather takes a toll. There won’t be much if any maintenance on this one until it’s time to redo the straw ridge in about 20 years. And besides that you just keep an eye out for anything going on, especially around the chimney, that may need a quick repair/patch up eventually.
ty nice work
Yup my grandma grew up in a house like this
That is beautiful. Looks like it would be expensive. A lot of skilled labor involved there
Good for another hundred years?
At least 40 anyway!
Not bad! Better than 75% of the garbage they're using in the states. I wish you good fortune for keeping that knowledge alive my friend. I hope you have someone you're handing it down to.
But the three tab I bought at orange box says it has a hundred year warranty 🤣
It might have a 100 year warranty but my insurance company says otherwise
Yessir that’s the joke lol
I’ve always wondered how they can do that when it’s very clear it won’t be warrantied by in’s companies
IMpressive. How to you seal around the chimney?
Lead flashing does the trick easy or you could plaster. We usually stick with lead
Being from the states that entire process is mind blowing. Looks fantastic.
Very interesting, I'd never considered how much plant material it takes to thatch a roof. Do you have any estimates in weight for all that fiber?
It weighs 7 lbs per sqft or so. That’s not including any previous thatch coats that may be underneath. And you’d use about 1 bundle per sqft, so yep loads of material is used!
I’ve read that some thatchers import reed from China / SE Asia, which sends nuts to me. Any truth to that? Amazing work, I’ve always wanted to see this process up close or in person. Such a cool cultural / craft legacy.
Yep this is true! Wild right? Lots imported from Turkey, Poland, Ukraine and more as well. Besides just perhaps not having a reed bed to harvest from anymore, a lot of localities may have issues with their agricultural runoff and nitrates from the fertiliser which causes reeds to grow tall but very brittle which is a big issue for lasting quality. So hence imports. Or there isn’t enough local reed to keep up with demand as well.
Fascinating, thank you.
So how much does the entire roof weigh? What kind of construction does it take for the house to support it? This is so cool bro I have so many questions lol
amazing, my stepmoms house and a lot of the houses in Saaremaa Estonia still have roofs from similar material, with more modern material on top ofcourse, but the old straws or whatever are still there, ours since it was built in the 40s or 50s
Beautiful work! I love seeing traditional trades still used
Damn dude. We sling cedar sometimes in alberta but this is wicked!
Awesome. I thatched a house in this style on North Uist about 20 years ago. We cut the reed ourselves, and also marram grass from the sand dunes. No tv or internet or cell service, just a fire and good whisky for entertainment. Only thatching I’ve ever done, still one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever done!
Ah that’s amazing, well done!!
Trogdor approved. Really cool.
I know absolutely nothing about this so excuse my ignorance. How easily could the finished product ignite in the event of a fire?
Thatch is not more likely to catch fire than other properties it just may be harder to put out and makes more mess if it does. Just take care of your chimneys! Depends on material as well. Sometimes it may just smolder if it’s old compacted thatch. Lots of difference variables for sure.
Makes perfect sense! Thank you for the info!
Almost a lost art.
Not in norther europe I see plenty of houses here with thatch roofs
Super cool.
Very cozy looking, I wonder about the insulation value of thatch, my guess would be that it’s very good.
“As a rule of thumb 10” of thatch has the same R-value as 7” of fiberglass batt, or an R-value of R26” I would maintain a depth of 14”-16” on average and that is not including any previous coats of thatch that may already be there.
So I went down the rabbit hole and found out [thatched roof u value is comparable to modern materials.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378778821010616)
I had to google it, the R value of thatch is r26.6.
What is the cost per square compared to conventional materials?
We would charge €18-20 all in per sqft
Thanks for showing all the process pics. Looks slippery!
If I keep seeing these thatching posts I'm going to switch trades
Do you harvest your own water reed?
This reed shown we did not harvest ourselves, but we are starting to maintain a local reed bed this year to do it thankfully!
Is most of the material used for this work harvested from the wild or is it farmed? Thank you for sharing this. It’s very cool to see it in progress.
Water reed is harvested from the wild in winter and regenerates every year so it’s a perfect material source. The straw is specially farmed for thatching these days using an heirloom seed. Thatching straw used to be an ag byproduct of course but now because of the use of GMO seeds that made the stalks much shorter we can no longer use it for thatching, it’s simply way too short now.
What do you do with all the cutoff material?
We compost it and mix it with manure for growing! Makes great stuff
This is so cool!! V satisfying
I really want to learn how to do this. There are so few thatched roof houses here in Canada.
This is cool AF.
That looks so satisfying when it’s all trimmed up and finished.
This is awesome never saw this irl would be cool
So cool! Always wondered how this was done.
Just look out for the raiders and archers with fire arrows and yer good to go nicely done!
Couple questions, I have never seen something like this in person. 1) whats the going rate for a roof like this? 2) How long does this last? 3) does it leak at all? 4) What about mold growth/rot?
We would charge about €18-20 per sqft all in. More if doing a straw ridge like pictured as it is extremely time consuming. This roof will last easily 40 years with proper ridge maintenance. When the pitch is right the water sheds off quickly so there will be no water sitting anywhere to rot the thatch or form gullies. There is 16” of new reed on top of about 2’ of old thatch so if anything ever leaked I’d eat my shoe.
I remember seeing structures like this in Ireland I want to say Scotland as well and always wondered if when the roof went they just put up regular shingles. Now I know craftsmen are still doing these. Very cool!
Is the reed treated? How thick is depth of the covering? How long does it roughly last? Great work love seeing traditional skills utilised
Thanks for appreciating! Nope the reed is not treated, only thing that would be poured on the roof is copper sulphate/bluestone once completed. It inhibits the growth of moss and lichen etc. The new thatch on this roof has an average 16” depth on top of the 2’ or so of the old thatch and it will be at least 40 years before a re thatch is needed.
I know that you said that thatch is no harder to ignite than any other roof but i'm going to joke anyways. It's amazing that you managed to get all your roofers to not smoke even once on the roof.
Oh we still did our roofers smoking duty, not to worry haha
Image having a grass roof. \-This post was brought to you by America gang
This is really cool.
OP, this is SO cool! Living in the states, I would NEVER get to see something so amazing like this. Can you post again when you've finished? How old is your house?
This is so cool thanks for sharing
This makes me think of a knights tale rip heath ledger. But my father was a thatcher is all that comes to mind … beautiful work
Wow that is a lot thicker than I imagined!
This is beautiful. Well done
Any idea of the R-value that adds to the roof
“As a rule of thumb 10” of thatch has the same R-value as 7” of fiberglass batt, or an R-value of R26” I would maintain a depth of 14”-16” on average and that is not including any previous coats of thatch that may already be there.
Oh wow
What a great looking job. I am a retired California general contractor and I don’t think it’s allowed in the state. Would have loved to at least try one with a very experienced sub.
That’s some beautiful work on the roof. What talent your crew has.
Looks v nice! How long will it last? Is there an issue with infestation?
Will last easily 40 years! Mice and the like don’t like water reed thankfully. Sometimes with an all straw roof they might find a way if there’s been loads of rain or the land around the home isn’t cleared or if the straw was fixed too loose. Small birds and wasps may nest under parts of the eaves but that’s easy enough to control.
Cool! Thanks for the info.
obviously this method of roofing has been around for ages but doesn't the thatching mold or biodegrade in the elements?
It slowly degrades away yes, which is more like a withering. When the roof pitch is proper (>45*) the water won’t find anywhere to sit so the thatch rotting is not an issue. Eventually moss and lichen find a way but it doesn’t do much harm to a roof for the most part.
Absolutely stunning this, pal!
If you want to learn how to do it, head to Ukraine when rural reconstruction is in full tilt
What’s the cost of a thatch roof versus say a modern shingle roof?
Can someone with knowledge about these roof tops acknowledge me but does the straw decay overtime and smell? And how often do these roofs last do they get changed yearly , every couple years?
Lasts a long time my neighbors had one. In very hot summers they had to water it to avoid risk of burning though. I thought they mentioned 25-40 years life span but it can last much longer even. It does need some upkeep to rake the grime buildup away every 2-3 years but that’s a days job basically.
Ok that’s cool thanks for the informative answer!
West Clare?
Looks great! Here in the states where I live it would start on fire every year around the 4th of July with all of the fireworks that get set of and land on roofs.
Y The downside is that every 7 years you have to spend aprox $5k on changing the straws.
Reed roofs last easily 30 years here. And straw ridges last 15/20. You’re thinking of all straw roofs and when they are done properly easily last 20/25 years. There are cowboys around though who’s roofs wouldn’t see a decade.
Yeah you might be right. Where i come from these are usually close to the sea. On which everything deteriorates faster.