How Much Of Ireland’s Population Once Lived In Irish Thatched Cottages?

European thatching

Today, for a variety of reasons, less than 0.1 percent of houses in Ireland have thatched roofs. Pretty much everyone understands that between building codes, insurance requirements and modern demands for pest-free living, natural thatch is not a convenient roofing option. Back in the 1800’s, as many as half of all Irish people lived beneath thatched roofs. And they sure were beautiful.

Irish thatched cottages in the 1800’s grew out of centuries of tradition. Materials depended on the era and local resources and of course, the availability of a master thatcher. The walls of Irish thatched cottages were generally lime mortar or mud tempered with substances to strengthen it. For the roofs, they often used overlapping layers of sod with straw thatch from wheat or flax. 5,000 handfuls of straw would go into just one thatched roof. It was an enormous amount of work. It functioned well for the time, though these thatched roofs needed constant maintenance.

Replicating Irish Thatched Cottages’ Roofs Safely

Irish thatched cottages don’t have to fall into antiquity though. Endureed’s Regions series offers a synthetic thatched roofing product that replicates the look and feel of European thatching that once topped Irish thatched cottages. Check out our Somerset synthetic thatch shingle.  It really does look and feel like natural thatch, but our products exceed expectations of modern building codes requirements for thatched roofs. Plus, all of our synthetic thatch products come with a 20 year warranty. Although, we are proud to say that we are one of the only synthetic thatch companies with no warranty claims in the last 15 years!

Our Somerset shingle outperforms the competition in fire safety tests, durability, UV protection, and realism. Our synthetic thatch products are the perfect solution for insurance requirements for thatched roofing. So, whether you are looking for a flame-resistant thatched roof for a European resort or a realistic-looking, pest-resistant synthetic thatching for a bed and breakfast, contact Endureed today.