A Tiki Thatch consists of dried palm leaves and is usually used on walls or on the roof of tiki huts. It gives a very authentic tropical feel to the huts regardless of how they are used. Their use is not only limited to aesthetic purposes, but they can also prove to be highly water resistant if they are fabricated and arranged properly. The craft of Tiki Thatch is a result of several thousand years of development which has led to its extremely high durability and versatility.
One can make use of several types of palm leaves for this purpose. Care must be taken while choosing the palm fronds. The thorny ones must be avoided as they are very difficult to work with. The most widely used types of palm trees are king, queen and kentia palm. Their fronds have long, finger-like, single leaves which branch of the main stalk. Some extremely famous kinds of palm used are palapas from Mexico, thatch panels from Fiji and cape reed from Africa.
Alternatively, you can make use of already dried fronds. The leaves are then removed from only side of the stalk while the other side remains as it is. Then the fronds are placed above each other with the leaves facing the same direction. A significant number of leaves are put together and tied tightly using bailing wire. Depending on the width of the Tiki Thatch roof required, the number of fronds to be used will vary. For example, if a width of a few inches is required two fronds will be sufficient, while at least 10 fronds will be needed to create a width of a foot.
It gives a very authentic tropical feel to the huts regardless of how they are used. Their use is not only limited to aesthetic purposes, but they can also prove to be highly water resistant if they are fabricated and arranged properly. The craft of Tiki Thatch is a result of several thousand years of development which has led to its extremely high durability and versatility.
The construction of Tiki Thatch roofs is fairly simple. First you will need to chop off a set of fresh palm fronds from the tree and allow them to dry. Alternatively, you can make use of already dried fronds. The leaves are then removed from only side of the stalk while the other side remains as it is. Then the fronds are placed above each other with the leaves facing the same direction. A significant number of leaves are put together and tied tightly using bailing wire. Depending on the width of the Tiki Thatch roof required, the number of fronds to be used will vary. For example, if a width of a few inches is required two fronds will be sufficient, while at least 10 fronds will be needed to create a width of a foot.
Tiki Thatch roofs add immense value to your garden décor. It goes extremely well with bamboo fencing, bamboo rugs, water fountains, tiki statues or any other kind of bamboo furniture. The lifetime of a tiki thatch roof is about 5 to 6 years. This life is reduced if used in very humid climates. Most roofs can withstand sun, wind and water while some modern synthetic roofs made in Canada are even fire resistant. Synthetic roofs will also last longer when compared to naturally prepared roofs.
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If you want to have detailed knowledge on thatch and other materials, visit the Tiki Thatch site.
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