Water Reed Thatching specialists in Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex

Water Reed gives a neat finish to a roof and is always said to be the longest lasting material.

Most people have heard of Norfolk reed which is the greatest area of supply from the UK. However, to meet demand the majority is imported from Turkey, Poland, Romania and France, and arrives in this country in bail form (usually 70/100 bundles per bail).

It is most commonly used on new builds because of it durability and ease to fix on to new timbers in just one coat. A number of 1920s/1930s builds in Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire are thatched in this way.

The fixings have changed since I started from the simple old thatching crook or hook of varying lengths (hit into the rafter with a hammer to secure the fixing rod and trap the reeds beneath it), to screw wires. Screw wires can work well, and certainly have a place, especially on new work.

Water Reed can also be sparred onto a base coat, which is fairly common practice throughout the counties where I have worked. Because of its length – anything up to 8-9 feet plus – it needs to be fixed down at two points per layer to prevent slippage over time. Repairs and overhauls should be carried out, when necessary, and especially when a ridge is being renewed; the method used is called ‘pull and fill’. This is to bring the coat work back to its “former glory” and to continue for the lifetime of another ridge.

Water Reed lends itself to the same ridging criteria as a Wheat Reed roof. Although the roof is not always netted, the ridges certainly are.