Thatched Roof Help Please

auntie_brenda

Am desperately paying off debts to let me move, quite a few of the houses I like have a thatched roof :eek: . So, too add to my info file:

Can someone give me an indication of:
a) how long a new roof lasts
b) what is the typical cost for a fairly small 3 bed cottage :eek:
c) how much dearer insurance is likely to be _pale_
d) how can you tell how old a roof is (obv new ones look it, and really old ones look it, it's the ones in between, e.g. with a bit of moss )

Also, any experiences, good or bad?

Thanks.

epz_2

no experiance but i seem to recall somethink about needing redone after 25 years, i personally like the idea of a turf roof (1) but the idea of living under thatch would really put me off.

not only would you be commiting yourself to a high maintenence, specialist and labour intesive tech which will probably be a haven for bugs and damp but will also probably get stuck on the listed building issues as well.


(1) they have great themal properties as well as weather proofing and are remarkably tough

wherediditallgo

These sites might be of help to you - Period Property UK & East Herts Council . I'd give the thatched roof a lot of thought - they might look good, but from what I've seen on house buying/maintenance shows as well as read elsewhere, they require a big financial commitment to keep them looking good, plus you have to take extra precautions in case of fire. I remember seeing them on a house-buying programme last year, & hearing the cost of £8k for repair by specialists every 20 years or so being mentioned. I think that might do something horrible to your insurance.

Madmel

25 years is a good ball-park figure. However, you can prolong the life of a thatched roof by just having the ridge re-thatched, which is considerably cheaper than the whole roof.

We looked into this when we fell in love with a thatched place 2 years ago. Sadly, it was not meant to be, and we now live in a 500+ year old house which had the original thatched roof raised and replaced by slates around 125 years ago.