Information for Thatched Roof Properties
If laid in the conventional way a thatched roof can last for upto 50 years.
The most commonly used thatching materials are Water Reed, Long Straw and Combed Wheat Reed. Other materials include flax, heather, broom, sods, marram grass etc. Water Reed (Phragmites Australis) is the most durable of thaching materials whilst Long Straw generally has the shortest life expectancy of the three most common used materials.
It is always worth checking the condition of your roof every year, although they are generally maintenance free. It is often thought by many that owning a thatched home is expensive and requires constant attention but this is not the case if you take the necessary steps in the first place.
There are around 60,000 thatched properties in the UK and, to put things in perspective, around 50 to 75 suffer fire damage each year most of which are completely destroyed.
