A specialist quotes better with photos of the roof, its size and what is wrong. Send one request with the details and we pass it to thatchers who strip and re-thatch working in towns and cities across KwaZulu-Natal.
Re-thatching in KwaZulu-Natal
Re-thatching in KwaZulu-Natal? Send the roof size, photos of the worn areas and a view of the frame from inside if you can, so thatchers who work in KwaZulu-Natal and around KwaZulu-Natal can quote the strip, the new thatch, the ridge and the travel.
New to this? Read the re-thatching guide for the choices and the points worth checking before you agree to a quote.
What to know locally in KwaZulu-Natal
Moss, algae and rot are the main coastal problems, especially on south-facing slopes under trees in Durban North, Kloof and Hillcrest. Gentle <a href="/thatch-roof-cleaning/">cleaning</a> and a treatment are routine. The Midlands and inland areas get strong summer lightning, so ask about a mast. Inspections before buying a coastal thatched home are common, and borer and termites in poles show up in older roofs.
Who builds with thatch in KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal wears thatch in three climates. The coast from the South Coast through Durban and Umhlanga to Ballito and Zinkwazi is warm and humid, and thatch there stays damp, grows moss and needs more care; beach bars, resort umbrellas and holiday homes often use synthetic thatch for that reason. The Midlands around Howick, Nottingham Road and the Drakensberg foothills has country houses, guest farms and wedding venues under grass thatch, with misty summers and cold winters. Further north, Zululand and the game reserves have lodges and bush camps. Rondavels with thatch roofs are traditional across rural KZN. Grass grows on the province's grasslands, and many thatchers are based in the Midlands.
The requests we see from KwaZulu-Natal usually come from:
- Homeowners: a worn family home roof stripped and re-laid in one dry season
- Game lodges and bush camps: chalets re-thatched in turn in the quiet months so the lodge stays open
- Guesthouses and B&Bs: the oldest guest rooms re-thatched first and the rest planned over years
Local tips for KwaZulu-Natal
Thatchers serving KwaZulu-Natal mostly work from here: the Midlands, Pietermaritzburg and Durban; grass from inland grassland. The jobs that come up most: midlands country homes and venues, coastal moss cleaning, synthetic thatch umbrellas. When you ask for quotes, on the coast, ask how the quote deals with moss, humidity and salt air.
Around KwaZulu-Natal the largest group asking is homeowners, which usually means a worn family home roof stripped and re-laid in one dry season. Before you agree to anything: frame condition, grass and thickness. Getting a crew there: midlands crews cover the coast and Zululand; grass trucked from inland.
Service area: KwaZulu-Natal and surrounds
Thatchers and suppliers on our network work throughout KwaZulu-Natal, including Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Umhlanga, Ballito, Richards Bay, Newcastle, Port Shepstone. For farms, lodges and small towns, ask how travel, accommodation for the crew and deliveries are charged.