In over 30 years of thatching, I have heard most of the myths that surround thatched roofs. Some are understandable — thatch is unfamiliar to most people and the wrong impression gets passed around. Others are frustrating because they put people off properties that would suit them perfectly well. Here is the truth behind the most common ones.
Myth 1: Thatched roofs are a serious fire risk
This is the one I hear most often, and it is the most overstated. Yes, thatch is a combustible material — but so is the timber frame behind a tiled roof, and neither catches fire spontaneously.
The vast majority of thatched roof fires are caused by chimney problems: a poorly maintained flue, a cracked liner, or a chimney that has not been swept regularly. These are entirely preventable. With a swept chimney, a spark arrestor fitted to the chimney pot, and working smoke alarms in the roof space, the risk from a thatched roof is not materially different from any other traditional rural property.
Modern thatching also uses fire retardant treatments and fire barriers between the thatch and the timbers, which were not available in earlier periods. The risk is real if you ignore the basics, but it is manageable with ordinary maintenance.
Myth 2: Thatched roofs need constant, expensive maintenance
A well-thatched roof requires attention every 10–15 years for the ridge, and a full re-thatch every 25–40 years for water reed (less for long straw). In between, the main maintenance is keeping gutters clear, watching for moss or vegetation build-up, and getting a professional inspection every few years.
This is not especially onerous. A tiled or slated roof also needs maintenance — pointing, replacing slipped tiles, clearing gutters — and a thatched roof’s major costs are more predictable and less frequent than most people assume.
Myth 3: Thatched roofs are impossibly expensive to insure
Specialist insurance for a thatched property does cost more than standard home insurance, but it is not prohibitive. Providers such as NFU Mutual, Ecclesiastical, and Towergate understand thatched properties and price them accordingly. A well-maintained property with proper fire precautions — smoke alarms, a spark arrestor, records of chimney sweeping — can secure perfectly reasonable premiums.
The main thing that inflates costs is getting the rebuild value wrong. Thatched properties, especially listed ones, can be expensive to reinstate and are often underinsured. Getting a proper reinstatement cost assessment is more important than worrying about the thatch premium.
Myth 4: You cannot make any changes to a thatched property
Many thatched properties are listed, and listed building consent does impose restrictions — but it is not as prohibitive as people imagine. The restrictions relate to changes that would affect the character of the building. Most routine works — re-thatching like for like, replacing windows with appropriate alternatives, internal alterations that do not affect the structure — can be done with standard consent or sometimes without any consent at all.
The thatching material is often specified in the listing (you cannot switch from long straw to water reed without consent, for example), but this does not prevent essential work. Wiltshire Council’s Historic Environment team is generally pragmatic to deal with, particularly on routine thatching matters.
Myth 5: Thatched roofs let in damp and are cold in winter
The opposite is closer to the truth. A well-laid thatched roof is an excellent insulator — the depth of material (typically 300mm or more) provides thermal performance that a tiled roof with standard insulation struggles to match. Many owners of thatched properties report that their homes are noticeably warmer in winter and cooler in summer than comparable properties.
Damp problems, where they occur, are usually the result of a failing roof that has not been maintained, not an inherent property of thatch. A roof in good condition sheds water effectively.
Myth 6: Birds and vermin will overrun the roof
Birds — particularly sparrows — will pull at thatching material, and rodents will occasionally burrow at the eaves. This is true. It is also manageable. A properly fitted galvanised or stainless steel net, installed by your thatcher, prevents both problems effectively. Most thatchers fit netting as a matter of course on any roof that is known to attract birds, and the cost is modest.
An unnetted roof will get bird attention sooner or later. A netted roof is not immune but is largely protected.
Myth 7: Thatched properties are hard to sell
The market for thatched properties in areas like Wiltshire is strong and has been for years. Buyers actively seek them out, and a well-maintained thatched property in a good Wiltshire village commands a premium over an equivalent non-thatched property. The concern that thatch puts buyers off is not borne out by what actually happens in the market in this part of the country.
Where thatched properties are harder to sell, it is usually because the roof is in poor condition and buyers are put off by the cost of remedying it — not because of the thatch itself.
Myth 8: Any thatcher will do
This is the myth I feel most strongly about, because getting the wrong person to work on your roof can be genuinely costly. Thatching is a skilled craft that takes years to learn properly. Poor workmanship — inadequate depth of material, badly finished eaves, a ridge that is not properly secured — will result in a roof that fails years earlier than it should.
Always use a thatcher who is a member of a recognised professional association. In this area, that means the Oxford, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire Master Thatchers Association. Membership requires meeting quality standards and carrying appropriate insurance. It is not a guarantee of excellence, but it is a meaningful floor.
Ask for references, look at recent work, and be suspicious of very low quotes. A re-thatch is a significant investment and it is worth getting right.