Recently, the trend of building environmentally friendly homes has become increasingly popular. If you also want to follow fashion trends, then a thatched roof can complement your home.
Description
A few years ago it would be surprising to see a straw roof on elite buildings, but today it is no longer a rarity. Such a choice of many consumers is due to environmental friendliness, excellent thermal insulation and lightness of the material. In houses with a thatched roof, a comfortable atmosphere is always maintained and dust does not accumulate. The material is able to retain heat well and is no worse than modern roofing.
Despite the fact that the thatched roof has a rather impressive thickness, which reaches 30 centimeters, it weighs a little. There are only 40 kilograms per square meter. After completion of work, the under-roof space is reliably protected from meteorological conditions. In order to increase the moisture resistance of the structure, the material is impregnated with water-repellent compositions before laying. Masters will not have to equip hydro and vapor barrier layers, as straw is characterized by excellent hygroscopic properties.
Overview of Positive Features
Before you start building a house and laying a straw roofing, you need to familiarize yourself with its features in more detail. Among the positive, cheapness can be noted, which makes straw so popular among consumers. Thanks to a sufficiently significant slope of the roof, which is 50 degrees, water and other natural rainfall do not linger on the surface. This eliminates their penetration inside. The service life of such coatings is quite long, the roof can be used up to 30 years or more, while it does not require repair.
Shortcomings Overview
Thatched roof has some disadvantages, among them it is worth paying attention to fire hazard. In order to exclude the possibility of accidental fire, the material is treated with flame retardants before laying. Those masters who have already been engaged in installation work, where the described material was involved, note the high complexity. Among other things, if you are used to changing the shape and color of the roof from time to time, then straw will not be the best option.
Consumer Reviews
According to users, thatched roof was originally made from rye straw. Today you can find designs made of wild cereals, namely fescue, bonfire, timothy, reed, leaftail and the like. Roofs from reeds are quite common, which, according to consumers, is used quite often due to the large length of the stems and their flexibility.
Home craftsmen are advised to remember that the complexity of installation work will be supplemented by the need to independently procure material. For this, the plants are cut with a sickle, and if the tool cannot be found, then you can use a fairly sharp knife. In order to give the canvas the necessary bend, it should be treated with a sharpener. Some well beat off the blades, which allows you to get notches that help to cut the stem. If you want to build a house under a thatched roof, then the preparation of material for the roof must be done in dry weather in mid-summer. When it is planned to use reeds, meadow cereals can be prepared with it, which can be used as auxiliary roofing material.
Schemes for fixing sheaves to the base
The thatched roof of the hut can be mounted according to several schemes, one of them involves the use of wire firmware technology. The second involves the additional use of screws. The following methods are followed by the use of nails or constricts. In the first case, you should use a special needle into which the wire is threaded. If the sheaves will play the role of the ceiling and the roof, then manipulation must be done with the help of a second person. One master will direct the needle from the inside, while the second will be engaged in firmware from the outside. If the structure has a ceiling, then the method may be more time-consuming. Access to the roof from the inside will be excluded, so you can use a rounded version of the needle, which has special rings. To the latter and the wire is fixed.
Recommendations for using screws and wire
Before you make a thatched roof, you must decide which layout scheme to use. It may include the use of wire screws. This technology is not only simple, but also fast. Sheaves should be fixed to the crate or beams, using screws. At the same time, you can get rid of the harness under the roof, since it will not be needed. It is necessary to attach the wire in advance to the screws, which will ensure the desired length of material. If you do not have the opportunity to use the help of the second wizard, then you should choose just such a method, since fastening can be done alone.
The technique of flashing with nails or constricts
Houses with a thatched roof are often quite often sewn into the roof area with nails. This method can be used exclusively on those systems that are equipped with a strong crate. It must withstand the additional weight of the fasteners, so the requirements for it are particularly stringent. Three types of nails should be prepared for work, the first should have a length of 300 millimeters, it should be used to fix the sheaves from the middle of the roof. The second type of nails has a length of 250 millimeters and is attached to the middle. The third type is the smallest, its length is 200 millimeters, these fasteners should be used for the cornice.
Nails are selected so that the shape is the same for all sizes, one end of the element must be pointed, while the other is made in the form of a hook. As a decorative decoration of the roof, the most commonly used scheme is the flashing firmware. It is necessary to carry out these works by means of small pieces of wire, wood or stalks of bamboo.
Technology Overview
When a straw roof is built with your own hands, work should begin with the preparation of sheaves. They are knitted using bundles of straw, which are called "bound." These elements are used for dressing the prepared material. In order for the coating to be aesthetic and neat, sheaves should be made of the same size. They are measured in handfuls, about 8 guests will be needed for the roof of the house. If the arbor or porch is blocked, then the number should be reduced by 2 times. Prepared and well-measured bunches of straw should be laid out on a flat surface, and then bandaged with a wet bond. Installation is recommended to start in calm weather. In order to simplify the task, the material can be sprayed with water. It is necessary to start laying from the first row, single sheaves are stacked in it, but you can connect two elements together. They will differ in density and strength. Adherence to the roof is quite durable and aesthetic.
Methodology
The arbor can also overlap in this way, the thatched roof will turn out to be equally durable and waterproof. Before fixing the material on the roof, it is prepared. To do this, each sheaf should be located on a solid foundation so that the butt portion extends beyond the edge. Next, the material must be combed using a plate with nails stuffed into it. In the process of these manipulations, it will be possible to remove broken straws and various branches, as well as other garbage, from the sheaf. Using a special spatula, the sheaf should be tapped on the ends and aligned. Only then can it be raised to the roof.
The nuances of laying material
Experienced builders argue that covering such a roof without using outside help will fail. One master must feed the sheaves from below, while the rest fix them on the roof. The material should be laid as tightly as possible, the row along which the rest will be oriented should be very even. In order to eliminate errors, you can mark the roof or pull the rope. The number of sheaves that will be needed for laying on the roof can be easily calculated. To do this, a meter is measured on the ground, sheaves are laid out on it, which will allow you to calculate how many elements come out. After you measure the length of the roof, you can determine the right amount of material.
In all subsequent rows, unbound bundles should be laid, which are pressed by Prig-rails. They can be fixed to the base using ropes or willow twigs. In some cases, soft aluminum wire is used. To give the system special strength and reliability, meadow cereals can be laid under the reed layer.
Conclusion
The finished roof should look uneven, since each row forms a small step. Some homeowners leave the roof like this, believing that this makes the home attractive. But traditionally, steps can be leveled with a special comb, which is made of boards with cutouts on one side and nails on the other. Before starting work, many masters ask what the straw roof is called. In different places there are different names, namely: knitting, knitting or tie.