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Thatch industry under fire
In a SA Roofing exclusive, we investigate smouldering issues
associated with the installation and treatment of thatch
roofs – a fiery problem that poses a detrimental impact on
humans, structures and the life of the thatch sector itself.
PART 1
By Candace Sofianos King and Ntsako Khosa
m
A beautiful raw material to build with, thatch is being killed in every sense of the word due to varying inconsistencies in the industry.
F
or centuries, humanity has made
use of thatch to build durable
structures, protecting them from the
elements. Remaining a versatile and
attractive material to this day, thatch, if
properly installed, is one of the most
alluring and practical forms of roofing.
Due to a plethora of problems raised in
recent months, thatch has become a hot
topic for debate – one that requires critical
discussion by all sector role players. Clients
have come forward expressing that they’ve
experienced rotting and weak thatched roof
structures, with some structures even
20
SEPTEMBER 2018
CLADDING // CONCRETE // INSULATION // STEEL // THATCH // TIMBER // TRANSLUCENT // WATERPROOFING // COMPONENTS
collapsing. Dissatisfaction has been
expressed by various industry players that
such structures are a result of bad
construction, poor quality materials or
sometimes even untreated timber.
In most of these instances, the thatch
roofs or lapas have been erected by
unskilled and unqualified individuals hired
off the street or fly-by-night businesses not
recognised by the thatching industry. A
major issue for concern is the application of
damaging chemical substances sprayed on
roofs which are either incorrectly tested or
not tested at all.
“As in many industries in our economy,
there are fly-by-night and dubious
operators who market their services to
consumers. While efforts are made to
eliminate these operators, they somehow
always manage to convince consumers to
utilise their services, and at times with dire
consequences,” highlights fire engineer Mike
Heatlie of Thatch Protection Services (TPS).
Operating for 27 years, TPS has
performed visual fire tests on thatched
panels in numerous locations including
Gauteng, Bloemfontein, Durban,
Thabazimbi as well as Windhoek.