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 and maintenance crews working in towns and cities across KwaZulu-Natal.
Thatch Roof Maintenance in KwaZulu-Natal
Looking after a thatch roof in KwaZulu-Natal? Say how many roofs you have, how old they are and when they were last checked, so thatchers who work in KwaZulu-Natal and around KwaZulu-Natal can quote a yearly visit before the rains.
New to this? Read the thatch roof maintenance guide for the choices and the points worth checking before you agree to a quote.
KwaZulu-Natal notes on repairs & protection
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.
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.
Typical thatch roof maintenance requests in the area come from:
- Homeowners: a yearly check, combing and ridge touch-up on the house and the garden lapa
- Wedding venues, schools and churches: the wedding lapa and chapel roofs checked and treated before the season
- Resorts and holiday parks: rows of thatched units maintained on a rotation with a report for each
Local tips for KwaZulu-Natal
Common here: midlands country homes and venues, coastal moss cleaning, synthetic thatch umbrellas. Ask each supplier about this: on the coast, ask how the quote deals with moss, humidity and salt air. Where they work from: the Midlands, Pietermaritzburg and Durban; grass from inland grassland.
Around KwaZulu-Natal the largest group asking is homeowners, which usually means a yearly check, combing and ridge touch-up on the house and the garden lapa. Before you agree to anything: ridge, valleys, shade and thin spots. Getting a crew there: midlands crews cover the coast and Zululand; grass trucked from inland.
Service area: KwaZulu-Natal and surrounds
Across KwaZulu-Natal our network reaches Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Umhlanga, Ballito, Richards Bay, Newcastle, Port Shepstone and the towns between them. Outside the bigger centres, ask where the crew is based and how long they need to stay on site.