Good Thatch Maintenance Is Crucial For Thatch Roofs
One of the few downsides of owning a thatch roof is that it does not have an unlimited lifetime
. That however can be party overcome through the good maintenance of an existing thatch roof at required intervals. This will not only lengthen the lifespan of a thatch roof, but will also ensure that a well constructed roof always looks at its best.
A good thatch roof needs to be built well
Although thatch roof maintenance helps to extend the lifespan of a thatch roof it is even more important to have a good base from which to work. This is because the original thatch roof design and construction will always ensure that thatch maintenance of any type is easy to perform and the structure will be able to take the load of any future re-thatching changes.
So how does one maintain thatch?
Apart from the very basic rule of keeping all thatch clear of all other types of vegetation (such as creepers and leaves) there is actually also physical maintenance that needs to be done to the thatch material itself.
Did you know? It is easy to spot a thatch roof that has not been well maintained! This is because a badly maintained thatch rood looks untidy and unkempt.
To start off with thatching needs to be regularly inspected. This wil help show when thatch brushing is needed. Brushing helps to keep thatch neat and tidy and also allows for the removal of small damaged thatch material strands.
Thatch maintenance also needs to include the regular re-dressing of thatch cover in areas where thatch decay has exposed any of the inner thatch fixings, Re-dressing is necessary because once these fixing have been exposed to the outside they can channel rainwater down through the thatch. This not only creates leaks within the roof, but also helps to speed up the decomposition of the rest of the remaining thatch.
Thatch is easy to maintain because it is predictable
Thatch is fairly easy to maintain because it is a very predictable type of roof. This is because thatch is a natural material that deteriorates at a very specific rate. There are some variable factors such as environmental conditions that can influence this rate, but when these are also factored in it is easy to work out just when and what type of thatch maintenance is needed.
Please Note! All rotted or damaged thatching material should be completely stripped out during maintenance. It then needs to replaced with new mature thatching material.