In 2009, we undertook the first permitted thatch roof in Ontario as part of the Camp Kawartha Environment Centre on the nature preserve grounds at Trent University. This roof sits atop a timber framed entryway for the building and greets all those arriving at this busy public building. The residential roofing services bergenfield nj is nearing the end of its fifth winter, and a hike along the nature trails near the building gave us a chance to inspect the thatch under a blanket of snow and find that it is still water-tight and holding up very well.
Thatching is a roof system that has ancient origins and is still widely used in a modern context… just not in North America. Only a small handful of buildings on this continent have thatched roofs, and the skill set is extremely limited. This despite the fact that the material for thatching roofs is a widely available invasive reed known as phragmites (or elephant grass). An abundant supply of these reeds grows along many highway medians and ditches.
Thatched roofs exist in a wide range of climates world-wide, with the northern European roofs in countries like Denmark and Germany most closely representing Canadian conditions. In these places, thatching typically lasts 40-70 years, an impressive improvement over the commonly used 25 year asphalt shingles.
The actual process of thatching a roof is a bit more labour intensive than conventional shingling, though experienced crews in Europe move a rate that is not far off conventional practice here. For our project, the manual harvesting and preparation of the reeds was the most labour-intensive aspect. This would be quite easy to mechanize (as has been done elsewhere in the world), which would make thatching a much more viable proposition in this part of the world.
Given that the material for thatching grows annually, for free, along our highways, and that the environmental impact and working lifespan of this type of roof are far better than conventional options, it would be great to see more thatching happening in this part of the world.
