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Guide to Thatched House Insurance
Please note we are not
quoting for thatched insurance at this time.
Introduction - You
may find that this type of insurance is usually difficult place, the majority of
insurers are worried about the flammable nature of the roof coupled with the
often non standard construction and in many cases the age of the property.
Often our definition of standard construction does not apply to Thatched
Buildings, many are built of bricks but timber frames or part timber are very
common. Wattle & Daub (Wattle & Daub consists of a latticework of wooden stakes
or poles called wattles, daubed with a mixture of clay and sand and sometimes
even animal dung or straw. This was then whitewashed to increase its resistance
to the elements. Wattle & Daub is quite common in half timbered buildings as a
placement between the wooden beams) can also be found along with a number of
other rather esoteric building techniques.
Risk Management - as the owner of a Thatched
Building you probably will all ready be aware of the following information so we
apologies but as there are over 50 serious fires a year involving Thatched
Property, we think it is important to point it out again:-
 Always be very careful when handling
naked flames around Thatched Buildings
Try to avoid using candles or if you
have to , never leave them unattended
Never light bonfires or burn rubbish
near to a Thatched Building
Make sure that you have the electrics
checked on a regular basis
The most commonly reported Fires in Thatched
Property is that caused by Wood Burning stoves or other Solid fuel Devices, if
you are thinking of installing this method of heating in your property, please
seek professional advice. Second on the list are electrical firms, with a lot of
Thatched Property having old wiring, having it checked can help avert a fire.
Thatched Buildings in the
United Kingdom - Mention the term thatched building or property and most
people will think of a quintessential British scene, in fact there are more
thatched roofs in the United Kingdom than in any other European country.
Strangely though, whilst we lead the way on this building type we now have to
import the bulk of our roofing materials from Eastern Europe. This technique of
roofing buildings has been in existence in our country since Bronze Age times
and traditionally speaking it is the use of certain types of straw or grass used
as a roof covering.
In medieval times, thatched
cottages were the norm and were often built as a result of localised country
building styles that necessitated a light roof covering. Walls were often built
of “wattle & daub” or cob and these structures whilst reasonable sound and
waterproof, would not carry a great deal of weight. Rural accommodation was
mainly required by the poorer elements of society and thus building and roofing
had to be economic. Although traditionally a covering for use in lower grade
houses, there is evidence that many quality homes and even church buildings were
at some time covered with thatch materials. Thatch was the lightest covering
known it was ideal for " low grade" walls and was often employed by local
craftsman. There is much debate as to what constitutes the best thatching
material but is must be remembered in days gone by, builders would simply use
what ever they could get their hands on, thus most building materials were
sourced locally. These meant that across the length and breadth of the country
materials as diverse as; straw, broom, flax, grass and sallow to name but a few
have all been used as thatch roof covering at one time or another.
With the coming of the
industrial age, thatching fell in to decline as better transportation links
meant that that building materials could be sent cheaply from most parts of the
country, the need for localised materials was thus not so great. Further,
industrial farm machinery meant that the by product of harvesting was cut in
such a way that it no longer rendered itself useful as a roof covering. Today
reeds have to be especially grown for the thatch industry which thankfully is
enjoying something of a renaissance. Many people are attracted to thatched
property and owners of listed buildings proudly endeavour to keep their property
in a way that helps preserve our country heritage.
Thatching is a skill carried out
by trained fitters. The materials are tied in to bundles and then laid on to the
roof beams and held in place with wooden poles or rods. This layer is referred
to as the underlay. Above this is added the overlay and at the ridgeline a final
layer is placed, which adds strength to the structure. A good quality Thatcher
will fit a roof to a property that should last up to 50 years. Traditionally new
layers were simply added on to the old and there are buildings in Britain that
have lower thatch layers that are in excess of 500 years old.
One of the major risks factors
of thatch buildings is the increase chance of a serious fire and of course once
a fire takes hold in a thatched property it can be difficult to extinguish. Due
to the age of the buildings many have old or poor quality chimneys and often ,
fires start in the winter months when hot fire gases break through old or
damaged flues. This increased fire risk leads to more expensive insurance
premiums. Owning a thatched property carries a great deal of responsibility and
a risk management program should be put in to operation to help identify all
threats to the buildings and the occupants safety.
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