Thatch Materials

[Johe Saunders]

Marcos Camargo wrote:
Is it possible to thatch a roof with Scotch broom?  I have
so much of these plants in my property and would like to find
a use for it.

Thanks,
Marcos Camarg


There are three types of thatching currently used; long straw, combed
straw, and combed reed. The
first two methods both use cut wheat straw, but differ in the handling,
laying and attaching. The third
uses water reeds, which have a waxy coat and shed the water a better.
Sedge (a type of grass), flax (a LINEN),and long shavings of 
wood have been used. 

The main requirements for a good thatch material are; 

   1. fairly long; 2.5 to 3.5 ft 
   2. unbroken; this means no bailed materials . 
   3. fairly smooth; twiggy branches can't be laid. 
      Scottish thatchers do use bracken and heather, but use a
special        technique
   4. availalble in large quantities; a 10 foot "square" of
roof             requires 1/4 ton of straw, or 200
      wadds of reed (a wadd is about 3 hands circumference).
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