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
Rodent Damage Repairs
Emergency Thatch Repair for Devon
Ridge renewal
Thatch Surveys
Decorative ridge work
Thatch Survey Reports
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 21649.
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.
