Thatcher

Thatchers cover roofs of buildings with layers of thatching grass or thin reeds, laid vertically over thatching battens or saplings, to make them weatherproof.

Thatched roofs are used on buildings such as houses, small hotels, game lodges and on lapas. In order to maintain the weather-proofness of a thatched roof, periodically if is necessary to remove old or damaged thatch, and then peg the new thatching material on the roof in overlapping layers, fixing it securely with treated twine of special hooks.

The thatcher trims the edges of the thatch at the eaves and sometimes decorative patterns are cut into the roof surface. The thatch is beaten and brushed until it is smooth and may then be covered with protective wire netting to keep out birds and pests.

This skilled work involves activities where hands are used to apply mechanical principles to practical situations.

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