thatch roofs

[Algarvedreamz]

Is there anybody here in the Algarve who has experience with this at all, preferably how to construct them?

[pato]

Is there anybody here in the Algarve who has experience with this at all, preferably how to construct them?

NO roofers in Liverpool now, all thatchers, something to do with the capitol of culture.

Wouldn't you be concerned about them going on fire though?

[Algarvedreamz]

No problem with fire as you do apparently treat them with a fireproof product.

[pato]

No problem with fire as you do apparently treat them with a fireproof product.

I don't think I've ever seen one in the Algarve?

[Canada]

We don't have thatched roofs in Canada - it sounds soooo romantic! But what about bugs and birds - do they ge into the thatch?

[Lesley Jean]

The thatch is usually covered with fine wire netting when it is finished to stop the birds getting in to it. Bugs, well they get into the cracks and things but they can also do that on tiles or slate.

We have a lot of thatch here in the West country, they need to be replaced every 15 - 20 years which can be very expensive. A 4 bedroom farmhouse will set you back about £20,000 for a re-thatch.

[blue]

I love the look of thatch cottages & a lot of them in the New Forest had woodland animal designs woven into the thatch, very pretty. But friends of mine that had a beautiful thatch cottage near Guildford said the insurance was horrendous & one year their roof went up in smoke when a firework landed in it, this was about 7 years ago so perhaps the fire resistance treatment is more effective now.

[Lesley Jean]

I don't know blue, the insurance is still very high for a thatch and they still seem to go up in smoke on a regular basis down here, we have had three cottages with roof fires down this way over the past five months.

[blue]

My friends said the damage caused by the fire was fairly limted it was the damage caused by the fire brigade who had to make sure that the fire was completely extinguished that caused the devastation.