Thatch roof owners, Thatching Information, for anyone responsible for the upkeep or interest in thatched property Written & maintained by an independent master thatcher with over 45 years experience of both thatching and living in a thatched house I hope this site will help you to avoid any expensive mistakes. I am semi retired so have no financial interest in thatching now, I do not act as an agent for anyone, No adverts here, all you will find for sale is my thatching book demonstration details and home visit costs - all clearly priced, 'sales' help keep this site independent Shortage of straw over the last two years - there have been many reports in the press lately about availability of wheat straw for long straw and combed wheat reed, I suggest that you also see the East Anglia Master Thatchers Association view of the situation the United Kingdom some 5% new build and 1500 individuals engaged in thatchingIf you want on site unbiased advice on your roof, or advice prior to purchase involving thatch that cannot be answered free by email see Trouble Shooting /Surveys you will also find my address, phone, & email details here Short YouTube thatching video now available just click the > below to play, double click on it while playing will move you to the YouTube site
Due to the compressed format used by Youtube it is not very clear and depending on your PC takes an age to load, It does at least give an idea of what happens Click on item for more details Summary of contents
The three main thatching materials are Combed Wheat Reed, Long Straw and Norfolk Reed. Not only are these materials applied differently, various features on the roof and local techniques will mean that application methods and material selection will be different according to the area of the country. Ideally your thatcher should be local, or at least able to maintain these variations, they should know local conditions and construction methods. Even if your property does not fall within the official listing of historic property it is suggested that you consult your local council conservation officer for a list of local thatcher's and advice but do not solely rely on it. Make sure that you ascertain that the thatching firm is competent to carry out the work yourself. Preferably they should be a member of one of the Thatching County Associations, Although it must be pointed out that thatchers cannot even agree to a truly national body most of these do have standards for members and some, Like the Rutland & Leicestershire have dispute procedures When you get two or three thatcher's to estimate, ask them for examples of thatching they have done similar to your thatched roof you can see, not just recently completed ones as even a poor thatched roof will look good for a short time. No legitimate thatcher is going to object, all reputable ones would be delighted that you have taken the trouble. Make sure that you have a physically measurable specification in the estimate, not only will this provide further evidence of competence (see sample basic estimate) if there is a dispute, both sides have a physically measurable base line. Also see Specifications for more detail, your estimate may not follow these and a good reason may exist, ask why. A master craftsman, including
thatcher's were a member of a guild. In the European guild system,
only master craftsmen were allowed to actually be member of the guild.
An aspiring master man would have to pass through the career chain from a formal apprenticeship to journeyman before he could be elected to become a master craftsman. He would have to produce a masterpiece(s) before he could actually join the guild. In guilds the master craftsman has strict obligations, one of which was to take on an apprentice to ensure the survival of the craft and guild. Rutland and Leicestershire Master Thatchers Association being such a guild adhere to these principles. (Click Here For Our Members) There are internet sites offering membership of thatch oriented groups, insurance schemes, services and surveying, again some of these do not have any expertise or interest in the thatched roof, just your money. Check for the obvious like no personal name and address shown, PO Box numbers and just mobile phone contacts. Compare insurance quotes for thatch with main line companies as well, it may be time consuming but financially rewarding for you! Please inform yourself as much as possible, I live in a thatched property myself - as a thatcher and owner I know some of the problems that can arise. If you have a problem not covered on this site, email me at no cost to you. Professional on site reports & surveys are carried out by me in person at minimum cost. Also help with small projects See survey To maintain impartiality I am not willing to recommend individuals or firms Although I do not normally advertise I am making an exception for The Thatched Croft, a chance to test run a thatched Scottish croft as a holiday let, see survey Adjusting the Text size on this siteThe text size used throughout the site is easily increased or decreased using your browser. Changing your text size in Microsoft Internet Explorer: 1. Select 'Text Size' from the 'View' menu. Changing your text size in Netscape/Mozilla: 1. Select 'Text Size' from the 'View' menu.
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