Because thatching is so unusual in this country, I thought it might be fun to offer a series of posts showing the work in progress on our little cottage. For as long as I can remember, I have been in love with thatched cottages, so what you are seeing is the fruition of a lifelong dream come true. Our home has long been dedicated to Our Lady under the title "Our Lady of Knock" (in honor of her appearance in County Mayo, Ireland many years ago) and to St. Patrick, the great saint who brought the Faith to our ancestors.
A start
Scaffolds are erected, and the rain gutters are torn off. Rain runs off thatched roofs so there is no need for gutters. This is a good thing too—our gutters were a mess.
Where do you find thatchers in this country?
Fortunately, we are a nation of immigrants. We managed to find a man born and raised in the north of England and trained as a master thatcher.
A day or two into the project, the thatch arrived.
Tons and tons of it! It looked like enough to thatch an entire village, not just one small cottage, but thatch is laid on a foot deep, so every last blade is needed.
These golden wheels look like hay, but they are actually water reed, something we have in plenty here on Long Island. Where did we get the reed, you ask? See if you can choose correctly:
a. Cold Spring Harbor, New York
b. Connemara, County Galway, Ireland
c. England's Isle of Wight
d. Aberdeen, Scotland
The answer is—"none of the above."
The reed comes from China! And, having waited eight weeks for it, you might say it came on the proverbial slow boat from China. (This joke was stolen from the thatcher—my guess is that he uses it frequently!)
At the moment, the first side of the roof is nearing completion, so I will be posting more pictures soon. It is looking good!
Are you putting the thatching on over the regular roof?
Posted by: Jennie C. | July 15, 2008 at 07:53 AM
Are the skylights going to work with the thatching?
Posted by: Cassidy | July 15, 2008 at 08:17 AM
That is so cool, Alice! I can't wait to see how it looks.
Posted by: KC | July 15, 2008 at 08:39 AM
Anxiously awaiting the next installment!
Posted by: Amy | July 15, 2008 at 08:57 AM
I'm so excited for you! *Please* post pictures as it progresses.
Posted by: Wendy in VA (now in MD) | July 15, 2008 at 09:33 AM
Alice, I really look forward to photos of the finished roof, it all sounds lovely!
Posted by: aussieannie | July 15, 2008 at 09:35 AM
How very fun! Can't wait to see what it will look like.
Posted by: Cindy | July 15, 2008 at 09:39 AM
This is SO you, Alice--beautiful, fun, traditional...and British! (That'd be the Irish side of Great Britain, of course.)
My favorite line from this whole fun series-to-be is this one:
"We managed to find a man born and raised in the north of England and trained as a master thatcher."
So YOU! :)
Posted by: Margaret in Minnesota | July 15, 2008 at 09:56 AM
LOL, Margaret, you have me pegged when you mention Ireland and the British Isles!
To answer a few questions:
Jennie, the regular roof gets torn off. Some people elect to go the whole nine yards and have exposed thatch on the interior. We will leave our interior as is, but the shingles all get torn off.
Cassidy, skylights do not work in this style of thatching (I asked for an Irish thatch), although the Dutch sometimes thatch around skylights. We solved the problem by removing the skylights so that thatch and beams may be seen through the two rectangles. If you had a step ladder, you could reach up and touch the thatch from the inside! It is quite an interesting look.
Thank you so much everyone for your kind comments and interest!
Posted by: Alice Gunther | July 15, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Alice,
How neat! I incorporate family genealogy in the study of history. Since I am of Irish descent, I particularly enjoyed reading this. I will share this with my children as well. What a wonderful learning experience for everyone.
Posted by: Mare | July 15, 2008 at 10:33 AM
http://www.thatching.com/index.html
Alice, this is so interesting! I've been reading a bit online and the above link has much info if others are interested. I can't wait to see final pics - it should be very beautiful!
Since Katrina/Rita our area of the country has had so much turmoil with homeowners insurance - rates have risen so much because of the risk/damages, etc. I can't help but laugh and think of what Allstate would do to me next (and we had NO damage/claims - but still had major price increases for the same or less coverage) if we thatched our roof! :)
Posted by: Cheryl M. | July 15, 2008 at 10:59 AM
Alice, how very interesting - it should be very beautiful when it's completed. Here is a link to a site with much info and pictures. :)
http://www.thatching.com/index.html
Posted by: Cheryl M. | July 15, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Alice, how lovely! I see a few thatched roofs over here, but I am not certain that I have ever seen one at home. I cannot wait to see the pictures.
Posted by: Carole in Wales | July 15, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Totally cool Alice, and as with Margaret, so YOU :))) Love and hugs!
Posted by: Meredith | July 15, 2008 at 11:03 AM
We grow reed where I live. Ours is the best, of course, and I have even been out with a master reedsman, cutting reed, years ago. Such a lovely sight - I can't wait to see your charming cottage!
Posted by: Mrs Pea | July 15, 2008 at 01:41 PM
How wonderful, I look forward to seeing updates. Your life is like a beautiful old book by Tasha Tudor or Kate Greenaway.
Posted by: patience | July 15, 2008 at 05:06 PM
unbelievable...and yet so believable from you! i can't wait to see the end result!
Posted by: cici | July 15, 2008 at 08:55 PM
This is so awesome, Alice, and SO COOL! What a beautiful sight it will be when you come down your road!!! People will feel transported to the "old country"!!
Posted by: Catherine | July 15, 2008 at 10:48 PM
This is so awesome, Alice! You are living a fairy tale!
Practical question: Is there an increased risk of fire, say, from lightning? Do you have a lightning rod to deflect away from the house? Just curious. You can see I'm a "what if" person. ;)
Posted by: Kim | July 16, 2008 at 01:51 AM
Wow, you are getting a real, actul thatched roof. How excititng. I can not wait to see more. Clarice
Posted by: clarice | July 16, 2008 at 05:08 AM
Once again, thank you so much.
Kim asks an excellent question about fire risk. Because the thatch is so densely packed, in a fire it is more likely to smolder than burn. (The risk is about the same as with certain other roofing materials like cedar shakes.) We could opt to treat the roof with a flame retardant, but we haven't made a decision on that yet.
Posted by: Alice Gunther | July 16, 2008 at 06:33 AM
How neat! I will enjoy seeing the photos of the thatching process. My children will as well. :)
Posted by: Rebecca | July 16, 2008 at 08:02 AM
This is really lovely! I am so glad your sharing it here.
(My only guess for those bales was a paint ball war field, but thats not exactly your family is it. LOL)
Posted by: Our Magnum Opus | July 16, 2008 at 09:20 AM
Alice,
How long does a thatched roof last before needing to be redone?
Posted by: Cay | July 16, 2008 at 09:56 AM
LOL, Bridget--my guess is they'd love a paintball war field!
Great question, Cay.
The thatcher comes to check on the roof once every two years, but a thatched roof can actually last seventy years or more. The scallops and work along the ridgepole at the very top of the roof need to be redone every ten to fifteen years.
Thanks, Rebecca and all.
Posted by: Alice Gunther | July 16, 2008 at 10:29 AM