Thatch Treatment Articles & Local Pages

Thatch jobs in the Western Cape tend to fall into a few patterns. The most serious is borer in the structural poles and laths, where powder post beetles go for the sapwood of hardwood poles and other wood borers can attack softwood battens. The thatch layer itself shelters cockroaches, spiders, crickets and fishmoths, which then drop into the rooms below. Rats and mice tunnel through the thatch and nest against the ridge, and birds pull out the reed to build nests, bringing bird mites with them. We also treat lapas, braai areas and game farm chalets in the Boland where the thatch is open underneath and easy to inspect.

Where you find thatch around Cape Town

Thatch is more common here than many people realise. You find it on homes and old farm buildings in Constantia, on smallholdings in Noordhoek and Hout Bay, on estates around Somerset West and the Helderberg, on wine farms and guest cottages through the Boland, and on lapas in back gardens and school grounds across the city.

Location changes the pressures on the roof. Coastal thatch near Noordhoek, Hout Bay and the False Bay side stays damper through winter, and damp poles and laths are more attractive to borer and slower to dry out after a leak. Inland, in the Boland, long hot summers dry the reed and the timber, and rodents and insects tend to be the bigger story. Pick your suburb from the list below for local notes, for example thatch treatment in Constantia or Noordhoek.

Lapas deserve a special mention. Because they are open underneath they are easy to inspect, and just as easy to forget about. The braai smoke many people believe keeps insects away does nothing for borer living inside the poles.

A thatch owner's year: what to check each season

None of this needs a ladder taller than a lapa. Ten minutes with a torch each season catches most problems early.

Autumn, before the rain. Walk around the outside and look at the eaves and the ridge. Gaps where the thatch has thinned or pulled away from the wall are the doors rodents use once it gets cold. Note them and get them closed before May.
Winter. Check the top of the walls inside for droppings, and look for wet patches on poles after a heavy north-wester. A leak that keeps timber damp all winter sets up borer trouble for years.
Spring. Sweep the floor under the main poles, then check again a week later. Fresh, pale powder on a clean floor is the clearest sign of active borer you will get. Watch for birds pulling reed for nests.
Summer. Look for beetles on windowsills and under lights, and for insects dropping from the underside. If you let rooms or run a lodge, book any treatment before the December rush, not during it.

Pest work and the thatcher: getting the order right

A lot of thatch problems come from jobs done in the wrong order. When re-thatching or major repairs are coming up, this sequence saves money:

Inspect before you sign the thatcher's quote. Borer in the poles and laths changes what needs replacing, and it is better for everyone to know up front.
Replace what is too far gone. Badly weakened timber is a job for the thatcher or builder, not for a spray.
Treat while the timber is exposed. When old thatch is stripped, every pole and lath is open on all sides. That is the best access you will ever get, and we can treat the remaining timber properly before new reed goes on. Treating poles through a finished thatch layer is always more limited.
Proof the eaves and ridge after the new thatch is on. Rodent and bird proofing is the last step, fitted to the finished roof.
Leave fire retardant to the specialists. That is their field, not ours. Our written report tells them exactly what we applied and where.

Even without re-thatching, a single inspection gives you a clear picture of the poles, laths and wall plates. A dry day and access to the full underside of the roof make it far more useful. For the details of how we treat borer and pests in thatch, see thatch treatment in Cape Town, and for borer in the rest of the house, wood borer treatment. Send photos on WhatsApp or phone 021 012 5825 for a free quote.