According to Colin McGhee, thatched roofs are “a bit of
a novelty in the United States.” That perception
won’t be diminished by the job he took on this past
winter when he and his crew thatched a Maine island retreat. To
stay on schedule and provide McGhee with snow- and wind-free
working conditions, the contractor, Taylor-Made Builders in
Northport, Maine, erected a custom enclosure over the entire
building (1). The temporary framework is
covered in plastic heat-shrink film and took a 10-person crew
three weeks to assemble.
1.
2.
3.
4.
The 25-square roof required 2,500 bundles of phragmites, a
common marsh reed (2). Reed courses are
secured under continuous 1/4-inch steel rod that’s wired
to the roof at 8-inch intervals. While working, thatchers stand
on “biddles” — short ladders equipped with
metal hooks that catch on the rod (3). To
complete the job, the temporary shelter will come down so that
McGhee can step back and eyeball the lines of the ornamental
ridge cap, which is similar to the one on this earlier job
(4). More of McGhee’s work can be seen
at thatching.com.
— Dave Holbrook