Water Reed Thatching Teaser Quiz

Twelve questions on water reed thatching, from the reed bed to the ridge. No sign-up, no email, no catch. Pick an answer and we will tell you why straight away.

Written by Mike Davies, professional water reed thatcher (Thatching Ireland), at Boglands in Daingean, Co. Offaly.

All Boglands Academy introductory courses are free. Try Water Reed Thatching: Free Taster and Water Reed Thatching: Introduction on Boglands Academy.

Book a thatching workshop at Boglands Hideaway and you get free lifetime access to all the paid thatching courses on the Academy. See the thatching workshops or book online.

Fancy something for the reading pile? Mike also wrote Bee Natural, a free online book on keeping bees the gentle Warré way. Plenty of thatchers keep bees too.

1.What is the botanical name of the water reed used on thatched roofs?

Water reed is Phragmites australis, the same plant whether it is sold as Norfolk reed or continental reed. Typha is reedmace, Juncus is soft rush and Schoenoplectus is club-rush.

2.When is water reed harvested for thatching?

Reed is cut in winter, roughly December to April, when the stems are dry and the leaf has fallen and birds are not nesting.

3.On a finished water reed roof, which end of each reed faces the weather?

Water reed is laid butts down and dressed up so the cut ends form the surface. Rain runs from butt to butt down the steep roof.

4.Which tool does a thatcher use to drive water reed up into place?

The leggett is a flat, grooved wooden bat. Tapping the butts with it tightens each course and gives a reed roof its crisp face.

5.What is the accepted minimum pitch for a water reed roof?

Thatch needs a steep roof to shed rain quickly. 45 degrees is the usual minimum and around 50 is better.

6.How much do the Boglands Academy introductory courses cost?

All of the Boglands Academy introductory courses are free, including the thatching Taster and Introduction. Just pick one and start.

7.Roughly how thick is a new water reed coat?

A new water reed coat is typically around 300 mm (12 inches) thick. That depth is a big part of why it lasts.

8.In water reed thatching, what is a sway?

A sway (hazel or steel) runs across the course and is fixed down to the rafters or battens with crooks or thatching screws. The next course then covers it.

9.Which part of a water reed roof normally needs renewing first?

The ridge takes the most weather and usually needs renewing every 10 to 15 years, several times over the life of the main coat.

10.How long can a well-laid water reed coat last?

A good water reed coat commonly lasts 30 years or more, with pitch, exposure and upkeep making a big difference. Don't confuse it with the ridge, which wears out sooner.

11.What is the Irish word for thatch?

Tuí means thatch (and straw). A thatcher is a tuíodóir, and a thatched roof is ceann tuí.

12.How can you get the paid Boglands Academy thatching courses free for life?

Book a thatching workshop at Boglands and you get free lifetime access to all the paid thatching courses on Boglands Academy.

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All Boglands Academy introductory courses are free. Try Water Reed Thatching: Free Taster and Water Reed Thatching: Introduction on Boglands Academy.

Book a thatching workshop at Boglands Hideaway and you get free lifetime access to all the paid thatching courses on the Academy. See the thatching workshops or book online.

Fancy something for the reading pile? Mike also wrote Bee Natural, a free online book on keeping bees the gentle Warré way. Plenty of thatchers keep bees too.

Start a free course See the thatching workshops