Devon Thatcher,
Tristan Aris, having completed a five year apprenticeship
has worked across Devon for ten years, gaining the
experience which is so necessary when dealing with
all the quirks of a thatched roof. It is important
when considering thatched properties for homes to
have an understanding of the maintenance and the costs
involved. Thatched roofs in Devon were traditionally
made from wheat reed and it is Tristan's work in reed
that is often called on maintaining and repairing
thatched houses today across Devon.
| Bird Damage Repair |
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Rodent Damage Repairs |
| Emergency Thatch Repair for Devon |
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Ridge renewal |
| Thatch Surveys |
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Decorative ridge work |
| Thatch Survey Reports |
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Devon Master Thatcher |
Thatch Surveys
and Survey Reports.
When buying a thatched home it is important to realise
the costs involved for maintaining a thatched roof.
Many thatched houses have been maintained in a suitable
manner and it could be that with only minimal work
on the ridge every 7 to 10 years the roof would last
for up to 60 years. However this is dependant on many
factors which a thatcher is all too familiar with.
A thatched
roof inspection includes:-
Inspection of Rafters.
Coursework checking for course marking, full ridge
inspection, ledger work inspection and a full survey
of the roof surface checking for wear, bowing, seepage
and loose laying. Where repairs have been made an
inspection will be made to ensure its affectivity.
In the event that you
wish to have your potential new home or your own thatched
house surveyed call Tristan on 01297 216 649.
A simple survey will tell you what work needs
doing in the near future and what works would be needed
in the future. With this knowledge it is
a simple matter to plan and possibly negotiate on
any purchase price.
To answer some
of the more common questions:-
Ridges
It is the ridge
of a thatched roof which bears the brunt of the
weather and in Devon it requires attention on average
every 7 to 10 Years. In some cases it may be up
to 15 but this is dependant on weather, the wind,
rain etc and the position of the house.
Decorative
Ridges
Different
considerations apply in the re-thatching of an old
building and one of recent date and it is probably
fair to say that a house built prior to the 19th Century
requires good plain workmanship without too much embellishment.
Butt
Up Ridges
The Traditional Devon thatch ridge is in the style
of the 'butt-up' which is so common in south-west
where longer straws are not easily available.
Thatched Roof Waterproofing
One
of the common misconceptions with thatch is the idea
that it absorbs large amounts of water. Thatch is
of course quite waterproof, the water is transferred
down the roof from stem to stem until it drops from
the cave. It is the steep pitches associated with
thatched roofs that allow for the water to be shed
at a very fast rate.
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