Whether it is a few bundles for a patch or a truckload for a new roof, our free service makes it easy to price gum poles and laths in Newcastle. Your request goes to a pole yard serving Newcastle and nearby areas of KwaZulu-Natal.
Gum Poles and Thatching Laths in Newcastle
Need gum poles or laths in Newcastle? List the diameters, lengths and numbers, say what they are for (a thatch roof, lapa, carport or fence), and give the delivery address. Pole yards that deliver to Newcastle and across KwaZulu-Natal can then quote per pole with transport.
New to this? Read the gum poles and laths guide for the choices and the points worth checking before you agree to a quote.
What to know locally in Newcastle
Thatching grass is not far away: farms in the grassland of northern KZN and the nearby Free State and Mpumalanga cut it in winter. Ask for straight, clean bundles of good length and keep them covered once delivered. Treated gum poles come from regional pole yards. In a hail area, a sealer will not stop hail, but it can slow weathering between repairs. Fire retardant suits farm lapas near grassland.
Newcastle: the buildings, the weather and the thatchers
Newcastle is a steel and industrial town, and to be honest there is less thatch here than in the Midlands or on the coast. What there is tends to be garden lapas in suburbs like Aviary Hill, Signal Hill and Hutten Heights, braai lapas at sports clubs, guest farms near Utrecht and in the hills towards Normandien, and holiday spots around Ntshingwayo Dam. The weather is closer to the Highveld than to Durban: hot summers with sharp afternoon thunderstorms, lightning and hail, and cold, dry winters with frost. The surrounding grassland of northern KZN is where some of the province's thatching grass is cut, so material is close. Bigger crews often come from Pietermaritzburg or across the provincial line.
Typical gum poles and laths requests in the area come from:
- Homeowners: poles for a new garden lapa, a carport or replacing rotten rafters before a re-thatch
- Guesthouses and B&Bs: poles for a new lapa, a shaded parking area or a cottage roof frame
- Wedding venues, schools and churches: poles for a large thatched hall or wedding lapa with long spans
Local tips for Newcastle
Thatchers serving Newcastle mostly work from here: A few local thatchers; larger crews from Pietermaritzburg and the Highveld. The jobs that come up most: garden and club lapas, farm guest cottages, hail repairs. When you ask for quotes, ask whether hail damage repairs come with photos you can give your insurer.
Around Newcastle the largest group asking is homeowners, which usually means poles for a new garden lapa, a carport or replacing rotten rafters before a re-thatch. Before you agree to anything: treatment class, straightness and cracks. Getting a crew there: grass often from northern KZN farms; crews may travel up the N11 or N3.
Service area: Newcastle and surrounds
Requests from Newcastle go to thatchers and suppliers that already serve Madadeni, Osizweni, Blaauwbosch, Utrecht, Dannhauser, Charlestown and the rest of the area. Say whether you want supply only or supply and install, and whether a site visit suits you.