Welcome to the Hungerford Agency of NFU Mutual

There are three types of thatch in common use and widely available in England:

1. Long Straw has a reasonable life-expectancy from new of 15-20 years
2. Combed Wheat Reed (sometimes called Devon Reed) has a reasonable life expectancy from new of 25-35 years.
3. Water Reed (traditionally called Norfolk Reed in England) has a reasonable life expectancy from new of 50-70 years.

A life expectancy depends on the quality of work and materials and on routine patching. It depends on the microclimate of location, including proximity of trees and shrubs, and whether any damage is caused by rodents (mainly squirrels and rats). However, there are some thatchers who claim that their work will last longer than these examples, particularly if they work in areas where annual rainfall is less than average. A rough guide is to say that the further westwards one goes (to Devon and Cornwall, for example), the shorter will be the probable life-expectancy.

All thatched 'coats' have a separate ridge-covering along the apex of the roof, which can be one of many types, all being variations of the following two types:

1. A wrap-over ridge (whether flush or block-cut) with a normal life-expectancy from new of 10-15 years, or
   
2. A butt-up ridge with a normal life-expectancy from new of 6/8 years.

As with the thatch coat itself, life expectancy depends on the quality of work and materials and the micro-climate of location, including proximity of trees and shrubs, and whether any damage is caused by rodents. Renewal of fixing-spars can often be required between total renewals of ridges, but such work will not extend the life of the ridge-covering.

A thatched coat of about 12 inches thickness (300mm) will usually provide good insulation against heat-loss

Normally, re-thatching in Long Straw or Combed Wheat Reed involves stripping the topcoat ( layer0 of thatch until the under-coat is found to be a suitable base on which to build up the coat. It is not uncommon to find that existing thatch must be stripped to bare rafters in some places (or everywhere) because the under-coat has been found to be decayed.

Retention of the under-coat usually means that the timber components of the raftered framework under Long Straw or Combed Wheat Reed rarely see the light of day after being built and, therefore carry a greater risk of severe deterioration. However, it is sometimes possible to see something of the raftered framework in the upstairs rooms or in a small roof-space, but often no timber components are accessible.

When re-thatching in Water Reed (the most expensive and long lasting), it is normal for the entire coat to be stripped to expose the whole of the raftered framework and its supporting timbers, which means that the timber components of a Water Reed roof can be inspected every 50-70 years for on-going serviceability and repair, if appropriate. Water Reed is now widely imported from Eastern Europe, but it is still grown in Norfolk and other areas.

Information on thatching provided by:
Ian McCall TD, FRICS
Ian McCall & Company
Independent Chartered Surveyors
32, High Street, HUNGERFORD, Berks, RG17 0NF
Tel: 01488 686986