Thatching Safety & Advice
It is commonly perceived that a thatched roof poses greater risk of fire than a conventional tiled roof. However this is not necessarily correct. It just so happens that when a thatch roof does catch fire it tends to reach the media as it can be somewhat more dramatic than a regular fire. There are precautions that you can take that will help keep your thatch and home safe.
Chimneys
Research shows that the main cause of thatch fires is ejected embers from chimneys and chimney fires. With this in mind here is some basic safety advice to help keep you and your thatch safe.
A height of 1.8 meters from thatch to the top of the chimney pot is recommended to reduce the risk of embers or sparks coming into contact with your thatch.
Periodically have your chimney checked to ensure that there is no loose bricks or mortar. Ensure your chimney is swept in-line with the advice of your regular chimney sweep and that the lining is in good order and sufficient for your chimney.
It is now recommended not to fit spark arresters in the chimney, they can easily become blocked resulting in insufficient protection. However if you do have one fitted to your chimney regular cleaning needs to take place. Please contact a professional chimney sweep for further advice.
If you are concerned about chimney safety for your thatched roof please give me a call and I will be happy to carry out a chimney inspection free of charge please call to book in.
Outside fire precautions
It is essential that you keep bonfires, BBQ's and any other outside fire a good distance from thatched properties to ensure that any sparks or embers do not come into contact with the thatch.
Please also be aware not to let off sky lanterns near a thatched property.
Roof fire Barriers
It is now common practice when thatching a new property, to install fire barriers between the roof battens and the thatch to protect the internal property should a fire breakout. This is also something to bear in mind for older properties when a complete re-thatch is need to bring your property in-line with current safety guidelines.
