About Us
The roof is the decoration of every home, especially if it is a detached house surrounded by beautiful nature or a picturesque estate of similar houses.
The roof should be unique, elegant and aesthetic, and at the same time it should fit to the ideas of its tenants. The reed roof will undoubtedly meet these expectations. Such roofs are perfect for people who value ecology and for people who appreciate both functionality and appearance. Reed roofs are the great possibility for complex or fairy-tale roofs. Reed can be used either to make very complicated roofing or simple surfaces such as gazebos, swings, etc. The reed allows even to create of oval shaped.
Reed obviously has its limits but it really gives you a lot of possibilities. Before making a decision, attention should be paid to the region and the surrounding area of the plot, its surface, location towards the sides of the world, weather conditions (climate, winds, rainfall, sunlight, vegetation). roofs. Reed covers double and hip roofs, as well as half-gable and half-hip roofs. There is no limit to the width of the roof. A steep and wide roof will give the rest of the building the impression of a huge block. A thatch looks best on a roof with a slope of about 52 °. On dormers, the angle must not be less than 28-30 °. A sharp angle extends the life of the cover - water drains faster and does not penetrate the reeds.
The average thickness of the reed cover is 30 cm, the optimal - given by thatchers - is 23-38 cm. It depends mainly on the angle of the roof and the properties of the reed. The method of fixing it means that the smaller the angle of the roof slope, the thicker the layer should be laid.
The thatch is made on a traditional roof truss, but it must be strong, because the weight of a square meter of coverage is about 60 kg, and one must also remember about snow, rain and hail - water penetrates only 4 cm in heavy rains. The cross-section of the rafters must therefore be large enough and the spacing between them not too large, e.g. the cross-section of the rafters 8 x 16 cm, the distance between the rafters up to 100 cm, battens with a cross-section of 4 x 6 cm, studded every 27-30 cm. If the reeds are attached with screws and wire, the battens should have a cross section of 4 x 6 cm; if with a needle, it may be smaller.
Which reed is the best? It must be one year old, mowed in late autumn or winter (November - February), after the first frost.
One of the most important problems to face is keeping the reeds safe from fire. The basic form of protection is the impregnation of the cover with specially designed substances.
This treatment will be effective if the thatch surface is dry (depending on the type of impregnation, for an hour to several hours) and the air temperature is higher than 15 ° C. It is also very important to use heat-resistant chromium-nickel wire to bind the reed, which does not lose strength and does not deform at high temperature. It prevents the reed from loosening during a fire, and thus hinders the access of oxygen, creating a temporary barrier to fire from the reed layer.
CONSTRUCTION
The thatch can be mounted to the battens nailed to the rafters with the use of counter battens or on a rigid plank sheathing. In the second case, also 2.5 cm thick wooden counter-battens and battens nailed to them perpendicularly must be placed on the formwork. This will allow natural air circulation under the reed and prevent moisture from entering the house. In baskets - due to the increased amount of rainwater and the natural decrease in slope - the plating thickness is increased by half.
FASTENING
Reed bundles (1.8 m long with a circumference of 60 cm) are cut, evenly distributed on the roof and attached to the battens with a chromium-nickel wire to a depth of 1/3 of the assumed roof sheathing thickness. For 1 m2 of coverage, 8-12 beams are used. The eaves are made of two or three layers of reeds placed one on top of the other on the first - starting - patch. The reeds are placed diagonally on the roof tops, and the ridge is additionally protected with a layer of roofing felt, and on top with foil and dense coated wire mesh.
MAINTENANCE
Roof parts (eaves, niches, all the time shaded parts) particularly exposed to weather conditions require cleaning of leaves and branches that inhibit the natural flow of rainwater. This can be done with a broom or a rake. The condition of the cover after heavy and violent storms should be also checked. A damaged piece of thatch can be repaired by replacing the sheaf. After about a year, the inserted fragment changes to the color of the rest of the covering. Every 3-5 years, the thatch should be impregnated, the frequency depends on the impregnation agent used.
Impregnation is carried out by spraying immediately after the reed roof is laid. Every dozen or so years it is worth leveling its surface by tamping.
Advantages of reed roofs
- warm - a reed roof keeps warm in winter and keeps cool in summer. It achieves these properties thanks to its high heat transfer coefficient U, which is approximately 0.35 W / (m² · K). A 30 cm thick reed roof corresponds to 10 cm of mineral wool insulation,
- durable - properly arranged and cared for, it will last 70-80 years, and in favorable conditions even up to 100 years,
- produces a microclimate,
- energy saving,
- soundproof,
- provides an atmosphere of "familiarity".
EXPENSE
This is the most common question and depends on the complexity of the project, the size of the roof and the number of flashings (such as roof windows, chimneys). It should be taken into account that the covering is watertight and there is no need to attach gutters and downspouts and there is no need to finish the soffits. So this cost can often be smaller than traditional roofs and the visual effect is fantastic.
By offering you a water reed roof, we have presented many of its advantages. Our company EKO-POL-Dach has many years of experience.
We make coverings:
- residential buildings,
- gazebo,
- manholes,
- gates and many other structures.
We provide solid materials and professional workmanship tailored to the needs and requirements of the client.
We invite you to cooperation.