When does a roof need a re-thatch?
Look for fixings (the hazel spars and liggers) that show on the surface of the coat. Look also for deep gullies, thin patches near valleys and chimneys, and damp in the roof space.
A well-laid Norfolk water reed coat lasts 50 years or more. A combed wheat reed coat usually lasts 25 to 35 years, and long straw 15 to 30 years. Roof pitch, trees and weather change these figures.
If you are not sure, book a free roof check. We tell you how many years the coat has left and what work to plan.
How we re-thatch a roof
We arrange scaffold, which is an extra cost, and protect the house and garden. We strip the old coat back to a firm base. Then we lay the new reed in courses from the eaves to the ridge, and fix each course with steel crooks or hazel spars.
We dress the reed tight with a leggett, so the finished coat is dense and even. We shape the eaves, gables and eyebrow windows by hand. Last, we cut and fix a new ridge.
We are licensed waste carriers. We remove all the waste from site as part of the service, so you have no legal liability for it.
Materials
We thatch in all three main materials: long straw, combed wheat reed and water reed. We use English material where possible. Our water reed comes from Norfolk, and our wheat reed and long straw are grown in England when supply allows. Water reed is the hardest-wearing of the three.
Long straw is the traditional thatch of Hertfordshire and Essex. It gives the soft, rounded look of an old cottage roof, with hazel liggers on show at the eaves and gables. We re-thatch long straw roofs in long straw, so they keep their character.
If your house is listed, a change of material can need listed building consent. We give you free advice, and we can speak to the conservation officer with you.
Where we do this work
We are based in Hertfordshire and do most of our work in the county. We also cover west and north Essex, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, North London, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, within about 60 miles of our base.
