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Thatch
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A thatched roof is one that is constructed with timber and then covered with grass or reeds. Thatch has been a traditional roofing material over the centuries in South Africa. Locally a distinction is made between 'traditional thatching' (Larsson and Larsson 2020:130-131) and 'smooth thatching' (Frescura and Myeza 2016:161) also termed 'Boer thatching' or Afrikaner' style thatching (Larsson and Larsson 2020:132-133).
Various families of plant material are used for roofing - mainly restios or reeds for use as thatching in the winter rainfall regions (see Dekriet).
Thatching grass is used in the summer rainfall regions regions.
The following are the most widespread preferred thatching materials in the winter rainfall regions of South Africa:
Chondropetalum tectorum: widespread in the Cape winter rainfall region.
Thamnochortus erectus: Cape coastal region.
Thamnochortus einsignis: Cape coastal region.
The following are the most preferred thatching materials in the summer rainfall regions of South Africa:
Hypearrhenia dregeana Eng 'hairy blue thatching grass', Afr 'harige bloutamboekiegras': KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and mountain areas.
Hyparrhenia filipendula Eng 'fine thatching grass', Afr 'fyntamboekiegras': Coastal regions of KwaZulu-Natal.
Hyparrhenia newtonii Eng Bearded thatching grass: Middleveld of Gauteng.
Hyparrhenia rufa Eng 'giant thatching grass', Afr 'geelaartamboekiegras': Mountain areas of KwaZulu-Nala where it abounds.
Hyparrhenia tamba Eng 'blue thatching grass', Afr 'bloutamboekiegras': Eastern Cape or on the Highveld.
Hyperthelia dissolute(=Hyparrhenia dissolata) Eng 'yellow thatching grass', Afr 'geeltamboekiegras': Northern and eastern Highveld, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
For best durability grass should frost before reaping, so as to have the sugars converted to cellulose. In contemporary thatching the underside is often covered by a spread layer (Afr. spreilaag), usually of Cape reed, and often having an isolating membrane above partly to prevent the rapid spread of fire but chiefly as a dust blanket as thatch is prone to sifting dust.
[See laso Tambuki Grass]
[See also Roof types].
Books linked to this entry
| Frescura, Franco & Myeza, Joyce . 2017. Illustrated glossary of southern African architectural terms; English-isiZulu. Pietermaritzburg: UKZN Press pp 161a |
| Larsson, Anita & Larsson, Viera . 2020. Traditional Tswana housing. A study in four villages in eastern Botswana. Stockholm: Swedish council for Building Research pp 130-133 |