Synopsis

Topic: Thatches

Submitted by: Riya Sharma

1851181011
Submitted to: Ar. Anil Singh
Abstract:
When we think of sustainability, locally sourced materials can
boost the sustainability of buildings.
Thatch is one of the locally available construction materials
which is considered beautiful, economical and a naturally
weather resisting material. Thatching is the oldest form of
roofing, it has been around for 10,000 years and it still exists and
is still used on many buildings today.

Scope
It is a naturally weather-resistant material. Since before the time
of Christ humans have been using thatch materials to construct
durable roofing for homes and communal buildings.

Aim
To use locally sourced materials for sustainable architecture.

Objective
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation
such as straw, water, reeds, rushes, heather, or palm branches,
layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner
roof. Thatching methods have traditionally been passed down
from generation to generation. In some equatorial countries,
thatch is the prevalent local material for roofs, and often walls.
Thatch is a versatile material when it comes to covering
irregular roof structures. This fact lends itself to the use of
second-hand, recycled and natural materials that are not only
more sustainable, but need not fit exact standard dimensions to
perform well.

Methodology
The preparation of roof thatching material varies considerably
around the world depending on the plant used for thatching. The
procedure to manufacture palm tiles is as follows:
1. Collect the palm leaves manually directly from the tree
holding the leaf with one hand and cutting and separating
the petiole P with the other
2. Dry the leaves by exposing them directly to the sun rays or
by a mechanical dehydrating process using a dehydrator
3. Cut the excess of petiole manually or mechanically down to
the base 
4. Cut or tear the leave lengthwise into two parts using a
punching object or a mechanical instrument.
5. Select the leaves by size so they have a uniformed
presentation.
6. Place and arrange the leaves two by two in a mold which
can be of any size but designed to avoid deformations of
the palm tile when it is sewn.
7. Sew, glue, staple, fasten or tie up the leaves using a strap
where the fan begins taking advantage of the natural union
of the lamina and the petiole.
 8.  At this stage of the process (or later) the hooks are fixed
(when used) onto the finished tile by setting the threads for
sewing perpendicularly.

Limitations
Thatched houses are harder to insure because of the perceived
fire risk, and because thatching is labor-intensive, it is much
more expensive to thatch a roof than to cover it with slate or
tiles. Birds can damage a roof while they are foraging for grubs,
and rodents are attracted by residual grain in straw. Thatch has
fallen out of favor in much of the industrialized world not
because of fire, but because thatching has become very
expensive and alternative 'hard' materials are cheaper—but this
situation is slowly changing.