Every grass or reed roof sits on a frame of gum poles: eucalyptus poles used as rafters and purlins, with thin poles or laths fixed across them for the thatch to be sewn to. The same poles hold up lapas, carports, pergolas and fences. A pole that rots, cracks or gets eaten by borer weakens everything above it, so treatment and quality matter more than the last rand off the price. Tell us what you need, and we pass your request to independent pole and lath yards who quote you directly.
Sizes: diameter and length
Poles are sold by diameter and length, for example 100 to 125 mm x 6 m. Roof rafters, lapa columns, purlins and laths each need different sizes, and the right size depends on the span, the roof pitch and the load. Get the sizes from your plans, your engineer or your thatcher rather than guessing. Laths are much thinner and are fixed at regular spacing across the rafters. Give the yard a full list (how many of each diameter and length) so it can quote the whole roof frame in one go.
Treatment and hazard class
Poles for a roof should be pressure treated against rot and insects. CCA treated poles, with their faint green colour, are common. Treated timber is sold in hazard classes for where it is used: poles under a roof, poles exposed to weather and poles set into the ground each need a suitable class. Creosote treated poles are sometimes used in the ground, but ask whether they suit your job, because creosote is not wanted everywhere. Ask the yard which class it is selling and for proof of treatment.
What to check on delivery
- Straightness: sight along each pole; a bent pole makes a wavy roof line
- Cracks: small surface checks are normal, deep splits through the pole are not
- Diameter at the thin end, not only the thick end
- Signs of rot, soft spots or insect holes
- Treatment that has reached the wood, not just a stain on the surface
Reject poles that fail, and do it before the truck leaves if you can.
Delivery and storage
Poles are long and heavy, so most come on a flatbed truck. Check that the truck can reach the site and that there is room to offload. Stack poles flat on bearers off the ground, out of standing water, until the builder is ready. When an old roof is re-thatched, the thatcher checks the existing poles and laths and replaces rotten ones, so ask the yard for a small extra order on short notice. Termite or borer damage in old poles is covered on our pest control page.
What to put in your request
- A list of diameters, lengths and numbers
- What the poles are for and where they will stand
- The treatment or hazard class you need
- The delivery address and truck access
- Whether laths are needed and how many
Gum Poles and Thatching Laths for homes, lodges, farms and venues
- Homeowners: poles for a new garden lapa, a carport or replacing rotten rafters before a re-thatch
- Estate homes and HOAs: poles sized to approved plans for estate homes, lapas and boundary features
- Game lodges and bush camps: poles for new chalets, bomas and walkways, delivered to sites far from town
- Guesthouses and B&Bs: poles for a new lapa, a shaded parking area or a cottage roof frame
- Farms and smallholdings: poles for sheds, rondavels, kraals, fences and farm lapas in bulk
- Restaurants, pubs and beach bars: poles for an outdoor thatched seating area or a new beer garden roof
- Resorts and holiday parks: poles for rows of gazebos, umbrellas and unit roofs bought in one order
- Wedding venues, schools and churches: poles for a large thatched hall or wedding lapa with long spans
- Builders, architects and developers: a full pole and lath list for a roof frame, delivered to the programme
Frequently asked questions
Do you sell gum poles yourselves?
Can I use untreated gum poles for a lapa?
How deep should lapa poles go into the ground?
Why do some poles crack after delivery?
Gum Poles and Thatching Laths by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg