A thatch gazebo or thatch umbrella is the smallest thatched roof you can build: a cone of thatch on one central pole, or a small roof on four or six poles. They shade pool corners, gardens, restaurant terraces, beach bars and resort lawns. This page covers the types, sizes, fixing the pole, grass versus synthetic thatch and re-thatching an old umbrella. Send one request and thatchers and lapa builders who make gazebos and umbrellas in your area quote you directly.
Umbrella, gazebo or bali hut
- Thatch umbrella: a cone of thatch on one central pole, with short spokes or a small frame under the thatch. Good for a table or two loungers.
- Gazebo: a thatched roof on four or six poles, round, square or hexagonal, big enough for a table and chairs.
- Bali hut or pool bar: a gazebo with a counter, sometimes a raised deck, often by a pool or on a beach.
For anything bigger, with a braai or a paved floor, see thatch lapas.
Sizes and fixing the pole
Umbrellas are usually sized by the diameter of the thatch, from a small one over a single table to larger ones over a group of seats. Gazebos are sized by the space under the roof: plan for the furniture plus room to walk around it.
The pole is the weak point in wind. It must be a sound treated gum pole of the right hazard class for the ground, set deep in a concrete footing or bolted to a steel base on a deck or paving. Ask the builder how deep and how it is braced. On the coast, ask about stainless fixings.
Grass or synthetic thatch
Grass thatch looks and smells right, is cheaper to start with, and can be re-thatched by any thatcher. It needs care in humid places, where small roofs can grow moss. Synthetic thatch is moulded to look like grass or reed, does not rot and needs little upkeep, which is why many beach bars, resorts and restaurants on the coast choose it. Some synthetic products carry a fire rating: ask for the rating and the certificate. It can cost more than grass, so compare.
Re-thatching an old umbrella
Small roofs wear faster than big ones, because sun and rain hit every side. When the grass is thin, the cap is cracked or the wire shows, the old thatch can be stripped and new thatch laid on the same frame, if the pole and spokes are sound. A rotten pole base should be replaced, not patched. Keep braais and candles away from the thatch, and consider a fire retardant at restaurants and bars. See re-thatching.
At a restaurant or resort with several umbrellas, re-thatching them all in one visit usually saves on travel and keeps them looking the same.
What to put in your request
- Umbrella, gazebo or pool bar
- Diameter or size wanted
- Where it goes: lawn, paving, deck, sand
- Grass or synthetic thatch
- New, or re-thatch an old one
Thatch Gazebos and Umbrellas for homes, lodges, farms and venues
- Homeowners: a thatch umbrella over the pool loungers or a small gazebo in the garden
- Estate homes and HOAs: a gazebo that meets the estate's size and boundary rules
- Game lodges and bush camps: a pool bar or shaded viewing spot under a small thatch roof
- Guesthouses and B&Bs: thatch umbrellas over garden tables for breakfast outside
- Farms and smallholdings: a gazebo at a farm stall, picnic spot or wedding garden
- Restaurants, pubs and beach bars: several thatch umbrellas on the terrace or a thatched beach bar
- Resorts and holiday parks: umbrellas around the pool and on the lawns, often in synthetic thatch
- Wedding venues, schools and churches: a gazebo for the ceremony or a thatched bar at a garden venue
- Builders, architects and developers: umbrellas and gazebos added to a pool or landscaping project
Frequently asked questions
Do you make thatch umbrellas?
Can I buy a thatch umbrella and install it myself?
Do I need plans for a gazebo?
How do I make a thatch umbrella last longer at the coast?
Thatch Gazebos and Umbrellas 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