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Thatch
and Rain Capes
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Painless Advice
Might take a while to load folks! High resolution pictures!
PLEASE BE PATIENT!
Tons of pictures to give you ideas
Info:
OK now for the info.....
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Description
Palm leaf thatch originates
from palm trees.
The leaves branches are picked from the palm trees green and laid out to
dry in the sun until they turn yellow. The leaves are then stripped from
the branches and dried further.
The leaves are then woven together into a mat or panel. If it's woven
into a mat, then we have a "knotty" side and a thatch side.
Thatch panels are 4ft by 4ft, 1/8" thick and weight 4.6 Lbs.
Thatch also come in umbrella form called "raincapes", these are used to make
palapas: dimensions of 7ft, 9ft or 12ft.
All our thatch are hand woven with 120 knots per ft2
Thatch Mat
Raincape
If it's a panel, then the leaves are woven back on to a strip of the
main branch,
This item is usually smaller than the mat. It is more effective when
used for decorating fringes.
Thatch panel
Why Thatch?
- Simple inexpensive approach to create that authentic beach/jungle
look.
- Can be used on any roof in place of regular roofing shingles, as
well as on frame structures and umbrella frames.
- Thatch provides excellent insulation, therefore is cozy and warm
in winter and marvelously cool in summer.
- It is remarkably energy efficient, with an excellent "R" value
which reduces heating and cooling costs.
- Thatching is a craft and can be erected on most size or shape
building since it is a very adaptable material.
- No gutters, down-pipes or fascia boards required.
- Thatch requires very little and inexpensive maintenance.
- Thatch can conform to curving and undulating surfaces like no
other roofing material.
- Thatch also provides very good sound insulation
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Back and front of a thatch panel
The backside is an open diamond weave; the front looks like
thatching.
Bottom/Back of thatch
Top/Front of thatch
When you are installing this thatch panel, the bottom or back of the thatch
is usually seen on the bottom of the roof. To prevent seeing the diamond
weave, we advice they you lay two layers of thatch, one facing up and the
other facing down. This way thatch will be seen from both above the roof and
below the roof and leave the roof with a thicker and bushier look!
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Cutting thatch
Very simple.
Just take a sharp pair of shears and cut between
between the knots. You can cut vertically or horizontally.
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Durability and making thatch last longer
Used indoors: it
may last indefinitely:
Used outdoors: from 5-7 years in wet, humid climates, twice as long in
hot, dry climates.
There are a couple of options to make your thatch last longer
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We suggest taking
them down and storing for the winter.
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Install a regular subroof
using regular 3/4” plywood . Cover with felt or ice and water shield.
Raise the Mexican Rain Cape panels above the plywood using a lattice of
vertical and horizontal wood furring strips - this prevents water from
building up, and allows the panels to breath, increasing longevity.
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Spray two coats of waterseal
on the top of the exposed thatch. It will keep the thatch waterproof for a
short period. This treatment has to be repeated every 1-2 years to
maintain the thatch. Waterseal can be obtianed easily from your local
hardware store.
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Thatch for
Bars, Porches
Please see the picture gallery for ideas. You can
make a normal plywood pool/house bar. The walls and roof can be staples with
thatch to give you a beach look.
Use bamboo poles, to edge/line the thatch on the bar
Please see the picture gallery for more
information:
Tons of pictures to give you ideas
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Thatch for
Umbrellas
This part of the
information's how to convert your existing beach umbrella to a thatch
umbrella.
If you want a palapa, please see the
picture gallery to get
some ideas on what to make and how. We also have some
palapa kits, available.
OK so lets start with a simple
wooden umbrella you get at your local home depot
It has umbrella ribs + a collapsible frame.
Step 1:
Remove the knob so that you can lay the raincape on the canvas umbrella.
Might be easier to disconnect the umbrella above the 1/2 way point just
above the table.
Note: you must allow the raincape to be
large than the canvas by at least 2". For example if you had a 5" diameter
umbrella, use a 7' raincape.
Lay the umbrella on its side, drape the raincape and reinsert the
knob.
Step 2:
If the overhang is too long, trim the raincape to suit.
Use plastic wire ties and tie the raincape to the ribs of the umbrella. Make
a small slit with a blade in the canvas next to the wooden ribs. Pass the
wire tie thru the canvas around the rib, thru the knots in the thatch and
tighten the wire ties.
Use at least 4 plastic wire ties per rib.
(use transparent small plastic wire ties so that it cannot be seen).
If the holes are too small, use a dab of silicon to seal the holes.
Step 3:
You are done!
Note this is a double layer of thatch
Some more points to consider
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Umbrella covers will last much longer if
they are not opened and closed
constantly.
The stress at the very top of the umbrella weakens the top prematurely.
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During windy conditions umbrellas should
be put in the down position.
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In areas that experience cold or wet
winters umbrella covers should be either covered in plastic or removed if
possible. Store the thatch in a dry area that does not freeze for the
season.
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Excess cape material can be
tied into a finial at the umbrella apex to avoid excess material hanging
low.
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Thatch for
roofs and walls
OK so this ones not rocket
science.
Buy the necessary amount of thatch and staple to the walls and ceiliings
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Installation
OK so how much thatch
do I need?
1) If you are using the 4ft by 4ft thatch panels. (each panel is 16ft2)
Calculate you area in square ft, multiply this by 10% (wastage).
Divide your new total area by 16 and roundup to the nearest panel.
Example : If you are trying to cover
100 ft2, the area you require is 110ft2. Divide by 16ft2 = 6.875, you
will need to purchase 7 panels of thatch......easy!
2) For umbrellas, just
purchase the size of your canvas, add 1" to the diameter, buy the raincape
the fits the next largest size.
No special skills are required.
Thatching Tips
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Install in rows, beginning at lower edge. Overlap several
inches side-to-side. Lay your next row of thatch on top of the first row.
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Minimum suggested pitch is 30º (7in12), steeper pitch
increases longevity.
Installed in layered courses, at 42” on center, stapled to battens or a
plywood subroof.
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Move upward to lay the next row, covering about 9" to 10"
of the first row.
Continue upward in the same manner.
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Use two or three layers of thatch, depending upon desired
thickness.
A plush appearance can be achieved with two layers.
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Staple to wooden framing or roof, using 1/2" or slightly
larger galvanized staples.
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Thatch won't shed and can be cut to fit corners/sides.
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When attaching thatch
panels to a roof's rafters, or furing strips, placing chicken wire between
them is a good way to keep the thatch panels from sagging inbetween.
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Thatch is a natural
product and it will breakdown over time. The thatch is simply removed off
of the top of the hut and it will be ready for your order of new thatch.
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Staple gun would be very useful for installations!
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Waterproofing
Normally, thatch is installed on a plywood base.
The plywood makes the roof waterproof.
If you do not have a plywood base, then, you have three options
1) Simplest: Use two or three layers of thatch,
stagger the thatch, this will make the roof fairly waterproof.
2) Use a layer of transparent plastic between two
layers of thatch. Face one thatch layer down and the other up so that the
plastic layer in between cannot be seen.
3) Get an umbrella.
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Fire Retarding
Commercial Fire retarding,
is a whole long story, it requires certification and several layers of
retardant. Not so simple,, so please
contact us
Can be retarded to ASTM E-84 Class B
(interior or exterior) or Class A (interior only).
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Page
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