Thatching
Thatching is the craft of covering roofs with dry vegetation, such as straw, reeds, or palm leaves, layered to shed water and provide insulation.
Thatch roof: A roof covering made from overlapping layers of dry vegetation. The finished structure depends on bundles arranged in courses so water runs down the surface.
Straw: The dry stalks left after cereal grains are harvested. Cereal straw is a common thatching material where suitable reeds are scarce.
Vernacular architecture: Building shaped by local materials, climate, traditions, and practical needs rather than formal design systems. Thatch is a defining roof material in many vernacular building traditions.
Neolithic architecture: The buildings and construction practices of communities during the Neolithic period. Plant-covered roofs belong to a long history of building with locally available materials.
Roof pitch: The angle of a roof measured against the horizontal. Steeper slopes help rain drain quickly through and off thatch.
Water reed: A tall wetland grass, especially Phragmites australis, that grows in dense stands. Its long, hollow stems form a durable and widely used roof covering.
Cottage: A small house, especially one in a rural setting. Thatched cottages remain a familiar form of traditional housing in parts of Europe.
Longhouse: A long, narrow building designed to house people, animals, or both. Thatched longhouses illustrate how roofing traditions served agricultural households.
Sedge: A family of grass-like flowering plants, many of which grow in wet habitats. Sedge species have supplied durable thatching material in some regions.
Palm leaf: A leaf produced by a palm, often large and divided into segments. In tropical regions, palm leaves provide abundant roofing material.