Paul Cook Master Thatchers has placed thatched roofs on everything from small and large cottages, summer houses, to huge hotels, and eco-lodges.

There is a practical consideration the roof should have a slop no less than 45° (12 inches in 12 inches) to aid the shedding of water. 50 degrees is better. In high snow areas, this pitch should be considered minimal. Certain eve and dormer window designs work better than  others. Thatch weighs only 7 pounds the square-foot, so no special roof reinforcing is needed.

A water reed thatched roof, 12 inches thick at a pitch angle of 45° beats the most modern installation standards. Scientific term for insulating properties is thermal conductance, known as the U value. The U- value of a properly thatch roof is 0.35,which is equivalent to 4 inches of fibreglass insulation between the joists. Only in the last decade have building codes began to demand this level of roof installation. Yet thatch has been providing such a modern value for hundreds of years.

From a conservation point of view thatch is less demanding on the land as the raw materials do not require quarrying or mining. Also water reed, is a natural crop that, probably maintained and promotes the survival of wildlife and improve the environment generally. Perhaps even more importantly, it grows in areas which are otherwise agriculturally unavailable.

The alternative thatching material, straw, is a by- product of an essential food harvest. So either product creates wastage or is a drain on the world’s natural resources.

Distinction carries a price, but not an unacceptable one. A typical thatched roof cost more than its cement tiled or slate roof counterparts. But since the carpentry and work needed to support a thatch roof is less expensive overall costs are comparable. Further, there are no gutters, downpipes, soak away is, Soffit boards, or the need to paint and maintain these items.