Phragmites Thatch Roof

Deanne bednar of the strawbale studio in oxford mi shows how to harvest phragmites as reed for a thatched roof system.

Phragmites thatch roof.

Thatched roof is a technique of roof. Thatched roofs are currently in vogue in england where weathly people are restoring old cottages which once a. Where conditions are suitable it can also spread at 5 m 16 ft or more per year by horizontal runners which put down roots at regular intervals. The invasive reed known as phragmites has quickly spread through michigan marshes and wetland areas.

Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw water reed sedge cladium mariscus rushes heather or palm branches layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof since the bulk of the vegetation stays dry and is densely packed trapping air thatching also functions as insulation. Roofs made with reed thatch are long lasting insulative and very beautiful. Phragmites australis common reed commonly forms extensive stands known as reed beds which may be as much as 1 square kilometre 0 39 sq mi or more in extent. To thatch a roof take phragmites.

Phragmites reed grass a traditional thatching plant originally from europe is the material that we are using at natural cottage project workshops and at the strawbale studio. For deanne bednar owner of strawbale.