ER Thatch Roofs Services:

ER Thatch Roofs not only do small thatch roof repairs and construction work.

We also focus on larger thatching projects like thatching lodges, venues, game farms, rest camps as well as international.

Please contact us for a thatching quotation.

All our materials that we use are SABS approved. Our thatch is installed in a 180 - 230 mm thick layer. That is 85 bundles per m² of normal grass and inside we use cape reed which gives it a very tidy look.

This was a special project done for one of your clients.

Newly build thatch roof construction

Cape Reed ceiling inside

• All our inside work is done with Cape Thatch Reed.
• The combing of the Thatch is finished with fibreglass ridging.
• The outer layer is thatched with normal Highveld grass of +/-200mm for new roofs.
• All ER Thatch roof structures are built with SABS Approved CCA Treated poles.
• ER thatch roof main supports on the structures are bolted together with treated rods using mainly 12mm nuts and bolts.

Only done when there is no other option. And if the existing thatch is very old, or the thatch roof was neglected in the past and very little or no maintenance was done on the roof.

This process entails the complete removal of ridges and existing thatch grass from the particular thatch roof before it is re-thatched and re-capped entirely.

This process gives us the opportunity to strengthen, correct and also replace broken timber trusses or batons if needed. It also allows ER Thatching to change the shape of the existing timber frame if needed, before it is recovered with new thatching grass.

How ER Thatch Roofs repair thatch roofs:

1. Pull the existing thatch grass out, ± 50/75 mm.
2. Brush and comb the thatch roof back to its former line & level (thickness).
3. Re-set the ceiling layer on the inside of the thatch roof.
4. Pull all the twines tight around the batons from the inside of the thatch roof.
5. Clean the site afterwards

Note: This process is only effective if the binding twine is still intact and not visible from the outside (still covered by exterior thatch). Therefore only worth doing, or effective, for relatively new or well-maintained roofs. Cost effective, quick, and with little impact on the inside of the buildings. This procedure will lengthen the lifespan of thatched roofs in general.

Pulling the binding ropes tight while re-setting the ceiling layer from the inside ensures that the interior ceiling is always clean and neat and that insects etc do not nest or inhabit the roof on the inside. Most importantly, this method ensures that the layer of thatch covering the twines on the exterior side of the roof always stays the same thickness. This process, combined with the conversion of cement to fiberglass ridging, will always be the ideal maintenance procedure for existing thatched roofs, because it will reduce the normal annual costs of maintaining roofs to virtually zero.

Thatch Roof designing facts:

1. A thatched roof should have a minimum pitch of 45 degree and minimum of 35 degree over dormer windows.
2. The smoother a thatched roof, the better the thatching and the better water will run from it and the longer it will last.
3. Keep your design simple. The more complicated it is, the more maintenance it will require at a later stage.
4. The roof framing normally consists of CCA poles that have been chemically treated.
5. Thatched roofs overhangs should be at least 500 mm.

Extension to existing thatch roof in Pretoria.

ER Thatch roofs also extend existing thatch roofs and Lapas. We improve your thatch roof.

Fire retardant spray is a fire protection chemical that are sprayed on top of your thatch roof. This product prevents that your thatch roof catch fire easily.  If an accident occurs and your thatch roof catches fire this product will reduce the rate in which the flame would normally spread.

Advantages of fire retardant spray:

• It prevents fire from spreading through your thatch roof or lapa.
• It seals the thatch and makes it more water resistant.
• Protects against the suns UV rays.
• Resistant to fungus and rot.
• Fire retardant spray is non-toxic.