How to make a reed roof with your own hands. Do-it-yourself reed roof: how to prepare reeds and make a roof yourself. Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Reeds for roof coverings, as well as reeds and straw, have been used by people for many centuries, back in those days when even nothing was known about metal. Developing progress was the reason for the exclusion of the mass use of reeds as a building material, and instead people began to use roofing felt, slate, galvanized steel and profiled sheets. However, if we consider the characteristics of environmental friendliness, the reed in this regard is in the lead. This was the main reason for the return to the use of this type of natural material. Of course, the commercial component also plays an important role here, because for the first time after a long break, reed roofs on buildings began to be equipped by the owners of motels, small restaurants and other establishments. This is a good way to attract a client by influencing him with a unique design that is more related to retro country.

Such roofs, especially recently, have gained great popularity, perhaps due to the uniqueness of the material and the appearance of the building, which can be created using it. Perhaps people are looking for an alternative to familiar and already boring materials. The reasons, in fact, are many, but the reed roof is becoming more and more used and fashionable every year. And, therefore, it makes sense to consider the procedure for making it with your own hands.

Reeds as a roofing material

In addition to the extravagant appearance, reeds are also characterized by other qualities:

Resistant to summer heat, severe frost, wind and heavy rain;
the flexible state of the stems, allowing you to work on the creation of complex roofing forms;
characteristics of natural ventilation, which is provided by the loose fit of the stems and the hollow structure of the stem;
mold resistance;
durability.

Reed roof manufacturing and application advantages

In modern conditions, reed roofs are most often found on summer arbors, sheds, baths, summer cafes and restaurants. But more and more often you can see houses covered with reeds. Probably, it will take some more time for people to fully begin to trust this material again, because many, nevertheless, doubt some of the nuances, for example, the easy ignition of natural material. However, with today's capabilities, with the existence of modern fire retardants that are used to process an already equipped roof, there is nothing to be afraid of.

It is worth once again focusing on the fact that it is not reeds that are processed as raw materials, but a ready-made reed roof after installation work. The penetration of the flame retardant is carried out to a depth of 5 cm, however, it is washed out by rains for several years, and the treatment will have to be repeated periodically. However, in Europe, which strives for environmental cleanliness, the treatment of reed roofs with fire-fighting agents is not relevant. On the contrary, it is chosen as a roof due to its natural characteristics.

reed roof

Compared to other roofs, for which modern roofing materials are used, wicker reed roofs create a unique microclimate in the house, similar to the atmosphere of wooden houses. With such a roof, there is no need to equip steam, hydro and thermal insulation, because the reed does not create condensate, it has a low thermal conductivity, which saves money on building a house.

The owners of such housing have a unique opportunity to listen to silence, since the structure of the bulrush stalks is an excellent soundproofing material. The noise of precipitation and wind does not penetrate the house, in addition, it is a reliable protection against lightning strikes, which does not tend to accumulate static voltage.

Such a roof for half a century does not require cleaning, repair and painting. If there is a need to make repairs, this can be easily done with a new patch, which in a year will acquire the color of the main roof and merge with it. And over the years, the appearance of the reeds only becomes more saturated and noble, organically fitting into the surrounding landscape design.

Do-it-yourself roofing

Before starting the arrangement of the roof, it is worth considering that for reeds, the slope of the slope exceeding 35 degrees is considered preferable.

Due to the fact that the organization of drainage with such a roof is not possible, a drainage layer is equipped around the perimeter of the entire house, from which water is drained into a storm drain. Otherwise, under the influence of rain flows, the blind area will quickly become unusable, and besides, the appearance of the facade of the building will constantly be violated by splashes.

The crate for the roof should be equipped using bars measuring 40x60 mm, counting on a step of about 300 mm.

In the case of equipping the house with a fireplace or wood-burning stove, the reeds on the roof must be protected from possible flying sparks.

Reeds, as a living material, need access to the sun, and the shade from trees with falling leaves will create obstacles to this, as a result, this will lead to the accumulation of moisture. That is why the location of such houses in open areas of the area is important.

How to lay the reeds yourself, the sequence of work

To qualitatively equip a reed roof, one-year-old reed or cattail is used. In its structure, cattail has slight differences from reeds, but they have identical characteristics. On the roof, freshly harvested selected reeds are laid, which are distinguished by their light color and stem length from 1.6 to 2.2 m.

Stems of shorter length are tied into sheaves, stacked at the ridge, or used for other purposes. Properly laid sheaves or bundles of reeds do not require repair for a long time. An exception may be the correction of the reed roof after two years, because, like any natural material, reeds tend to dry out. In these cases, a purely cosmetic touch-up of the roof is supposed to be carried out.

Before performing roofing work, the necessary preparation of the crate is carried out, into which screws or other types of fasteners must be screwed. A wire is attached to them, holding reed sheaves. Beams are laid, starting from the bottom of the roof with an overlap. After that, the stainless wire is pulled through the bundles. If you pay attention to other technologies, they replace the wire with a hemp rope, which at the same time serves as a decorative element. The fasteners of the rope and wire are closed with subsequent layers of reeds.

The formation of the roof overhang is carried out at a distance of half a meter from the wall of the building. When laying sheaves, it is necessary to observe the uniformity and density of the placed reeds. Working with each row, you should use hooks that serve as temporary fasteners for bundles of reeds stitched with wire.

Reed roofing technology

Reed roof technology involves not only laying material, but also other work that involves cleaning, knocking and other activities. Real specialists work on the implementation of these works, using special tools and devices.

All reed laying technologies prescribe its obligatory leveling with special blades, with which the reed is more densely driven into bundles and seams, the bevels of the rows are leveled, after which the roof acquires the proper appearance.

At the end of the work, taking into account the wishes of the owner, the roof is treated with a fire-fighting composition - flame retardants. But such a procedure is not always resorted to, since the density of the layers of the reed roof makes it fire resistant like any other coating.

Reed roof construction - video

reed roof cost

Work on the equipment of a reed roof is associated with quite serious costs. In the first place, of course, is the use of manual labor, then - the uniqueness of the material with its environmental characteristics, and finally - the labor-intensive process of harvesting the material. This happens in the autumn-winter season, when the plant has already matured, and the reservoirs are covered with ice. Often the work is done manually, sometimes with the use of special machines, but mechanization of labor is not reflected in the total cost of reeds.

In European countries, the owners of their own homes are very respectful of everything natural. Therefore, the reed roof is very popular. And in our country, just a few decades ago, in the southern regions - in the Kuban, in the Astrakhan region - most of the houses in the villages were covered with reeds and straw. But the tradition is alive as long as there is someone to support it, so the old skill is now expensive in our country. If you live in an area where reeds grow in abundance, it's possible that a custom-made reed roof is what makes it unique.

Material characteristics

Roofing reed grows in floodplains, in estuaries, along the banks of lakes. The highest quality material is harvested in the Astrakhan region in the Volga delta, in the estuaries of the Krasnodar Territory and the Kaliningrad Region. Reeds grown in sea water cannot be used for roofing, only fresh water is used. Harvesting of reeds for roofing is carried out in winter, only plants of the past summer are taken, the older ones are not used.

Since the reed is an aquatic plant, it resists decay very well. The structure of the material is such that the water that has got inside flows down the hollow stems, and is not absorbed by them. If a sudden frost occurs after rain, then the water frozen in the cavities of the stems does not destroy their structure. The ice will push apart the fibers of the stem, and when the water melts and flows out during the thaw, the fibers will close again.

Properly harvested reeds do not lose their light brown color for a long time, over time, sections of reeds become dark brown, but if you take the stem out of the roof, its inner part will be the same as it was when laying.

Reed stalks are harvested manually using long-handled sickles, scythes, and in large volumes - with special combines. The roots and panicles are cut off from the collected stems, tied into special sheaves and stored until work begins in a well-ventilated area, as in the photo.

Reeds with a diameter of 0.5-0.7 cm and a length of 1.6 to 2.2 m are suitable for work. Less long stems: from 1.2 to 1.5 m in height are used on the roofs of arbors, sheds above the porch or at the ridge roofs.

The economic efficiency of a natural reed roof is quite high. The coefficient of thermal conductivity of reeds is quite low - 0.042, and the thickness of the layer is such that additional waterproofing or insulation is not needed for the roof from it. Reed, as a natural material, does not accumulate static electricity. The roof of reeds in the rain soaked with water only a few centimeters. After the rain stops, the water will run out and the roof will dry out very quickly.

Methods for laying reeds on the roof

In ethnographic literature, you can find three ancient ways of laying reeds on the roof:

under the brush
"parks"
in "tough".

The first method involved laying sheaves of reeds on the roof in rows, starting from the cornice overhang. The reed was located on the roof in the same way as it grew, that is: the root at the bottom - the panicle at the top.

In the second method, only the bottom row was root down, all subsequent rows were root up.

The third method involved simply throwing reeds “anyhow”, then they pressed it with any load so that the wind would not blow it away. Poles could act as a load, “transported” (harnesses) from reeds, something else.

Modern reed roofing technology uses the first method. Reeds in the rows in the old days were stitched with a cooper's rod, now they are fastened with wire, hemp rope or self-tapping screws to the crate.

After laying the sheaves, the roof is “combed”, that is, they are compacted and leveled with the help of shovels and pitchforks. The surface of a properly laid roof looks monolithic and velvety. If the sheaves are tightly pressed, then there should be no air gaps between them, and such a roof does not burn, since a fire cannot flare up in the absence of air. But you can also treat the roof with a flame retardant, a special substance against fires. It is necessary to process the already laid and “combed” roof. One-time processing is not enough, as professionals say, it is washed out by atmospheric precipitation. Treatment must be repeated every few years.

The ridge of the roof is formed with heather branches, boards or upturned sheaves of reeds, as in the "parks" laying method. But the latter option is short-lived, so it is rarely used. In Holland, the ridge is made with natural tiles. From above, the roof is covered with wire mesh so that birds do not nest. A year or a year and a half after laying, the roof needs to be corrected - compacted and combed again.

Roof Specifications

How to make a roof from reeds? Not every roof can be covered with reeds. The slope of the roof for this material must be at least 30 degrees. Even better if it is equal to 35 degrees. The total thickness of the reed roof is 30-35 cm. Therefore, the weight of 1 sq. m of laid and compacted roof is 35 kg. The crate under it must be strong enough to withstand such a weight, but not solid.

A standard drainage system under a reed roof cannot be installed, due to the thickness of the roofing material and the method of rainwater runoff, therefore, under the eaves overhang, a linear drainage system is arranged along the blind area, with a drain into the storm sewer.

In hip or multi-gable roofs, valleys and ribs must have the same thickness of roofing material as the main slopes. It should be noted that reed roofs are distinguished by an amazing smoothness of roof transitions, therefore hipped or cone structures are often used for them. You can see how the work with reeds works in the video.

If the house is located under trees, then the roof will need to be regularly cleaned of leaves and branches, as they, decomposing, will provide an opportunity for the growth of some plants on the reed roof. But even for houses standing in the open, such a danger remains. Therefore, it will have to be paid attention to every season.

A properly laid reed roof will last you fifty years. And this period is comparable to a roof made of natural tiles, but the technology of harvesting the material, the unique way of laying and the small number of specialists who know how to do it, led to the fact that the price per square meter of such a roof is more than 100 euros. Therefore, such roofs are classified as elite.

Reed roof with clay

How to cover the roof with reeds if the angle of inclination of the roof does not exceed 6-7 degrees?

To do this, use a different laying method:

firstly, the crate is made solid;
secondly, sheaves of reeds are laid in an even layer, 10 cm thick with the roots down;
thirdly, dry earth is thrown on top of the reeds with a layer of 3 cm and rammed tightly;
fourthly, the rammed earth is smeared with a solution of clay with a straw section. Cuts should be at least 5% in clay solution.

For 1 sq. m of such a roof will require from 10 to 12 kg of reeds, from 3 to 4 kg of straw chopped, clay and earth - 0.04 cubic meters each. m.

Reeds with clay can also be laid on roofs with a slope of 30-40 degrees. It uses a slightly different technology than the one above. Reeds in a clay solution are soaked for a week. A continuous crate at such angles of the roof slope is not needed, and the planks are stuffed in increments of 35-40 cm. The soaked sheaves are laid from the cornice overhangs to the ridge or in vertical rows. For 1 sq. m of such coverage you need 20 kg of reeds and 0.03 cubic meters. m clay.

This is a kind of country answer to elite reed roofs.

What technology is used for reed roofing? First of all, it is worth saying that it is valuable because it is based on the vast experience of many generations and does not require any equipment.

The most important components are, of course, the skill of the roofer and the reed itself. As a rule, cane can also be used as a feedstock. The specificity of these materials lies in the fact that their dried stems are incredibly flexible, which makes it possible to implement the most daring design decisions.

Wood Head uses a special kind of reed: Phragmites australis. Our specialists lay it in a layer, which has a thickness of 30 cm. At the same time, the weight of dry material per 1 sq.m is 40 kg, and the weight of wet material is about 50. There are some restrictions regarding the shape of roofs on which reed roofing can be laid. They should have a simple structure and an inclination angle of at least 30°. This is necessary in order to ensure efficient water flow.

Drainage systems, traditionally not made on this roof

Any material used for roofing is more or less susceptible to fire, and it would seem that dry reeds are the most fire hazardous. But it is worth considering the fact that a properly laid reed roof is an incredibly dense coating of great thickness, so the possibility of its ignition can be compared with the possibility of ignition of a voluminous book volume.

In addition, the treatment of the roof with impregnants (special impregnations that increase fire-fighting properties) makes it possible to minimize the risk of ignition. Additional security measures are the sufficient length of the exhaust pipes and their removal to the highest point. A steel mesh is installed in the pipes themselves, which reduces the number and size of flying sparks. Therefore, reed roofs can be used in residential buildings with fireplaces, saunas, barbecues and public buildings.

The reed used for laying on the roof has unique durability properties. The operational period of the roof from it is at least 50 years, and with proper care for it - even more.

When laying the reeds, that part of the stem that was under water remains outside. It is she who is practically not subject to the processes of decay. In addition, reed is an environmentally friendly natural material that will not cause an allergic reaction and is not a source of bacteria.

Is the reed roof on fire?

Another indisputable advantage of reed roofing material is its resistance to the most severe climatic conditions, including sudden changes in temperature, hail, snow, showers. The best part is the excellent soundproofing properties of such a roof. Its large thickness will save you from the noise that is made by raindrops or hail, knocking on the roof.

The laying process consists in fixing reed stalks up to 2.2 m long to a special plank or roof base. For this, stainless steel wire and steel rods are used. As already mentioned, the thickness of the layer can reach 30 cm, which allows you to reliably protect the house from dampness, which penetrates no deeper than 5-10 cm.

It is worth saying that by installing such a roof, its owners will be able to save on hydro, steam and thermal insulation, since it fully complies with all existing standards and does not require the use of additional materials.

Reeds have been used as roofing for centuries. Moreover, in many countries it was almost the only option for creating roofs until the time when a person invented and began to use ceramic tiles, roofing iron, roofing felt, slate, and then more innovative materials for this purpose. In connection with their appearance, reeds almost everywhere not only receded "into the background", but generally ceased to be harvested as a building material. And today, many do not even suspect that it is an excellent coating for a private house, has numerous advantages over modern roofing materials.

But recently, interest in this type of roofing has revived, and such a coating has again begun to gain popularity. But we must immediately say that a do-it-yourself reed roof is not such an easy task as it might seem at first. Before embarking on the implementation of such a project, it is necessary to carefully study the proven technology of its construction, since it differs very significantly from work with any other roofing materials.

A few words about the advantages and disadvantages of reed roofs

The main reason for the rejection of the reed roof was, most likely, the laboriousness of the procurement of raw materials, their preparation and installation on the truss system. It is clear that it is much easier to throw on roof slopes or slate. But many do not think that in the summer they will have to suffer from the heat, and in the winter they will overpay for heating. So, trying to save on roofing material, you can "provide" yourself with discomfort for many years of living in the house.

The output is artificially made, which are mounted under the roof or on the attic floor. They really protect the premises from overheating and keep them warm in the winter. However, during the entire period of its operation, such thermal insulation will emit fumes that are harmful to the health of the inhabitants of the house.

And in recent years, when the information that most modern building products have a negative effect on the human body has become publicly available, many owners of private housing purposefully return to environmentally friendly materials, which include reeds.

We have to agree that the first steps towards the return of reed coverings to everyday life were made by the owners of country restaurants and hotels in order to attract customers. They began to erect buildings in certain styles, in which the roofs and walls of reeds fit perfectly.

Inspired by this example, many homeowners who want to make their housing not only environmentally friendly, but also give it an exclusive appearance, began to use this unique material for roofing. Therefore, and also due to the numerous positive characteristics of reeds, the demand for this roofing material began to grow steadily.

Kamysh has a wide range unique qualities which include the following:

The most important advantage of the reed coating can be called its heat-insulating ability. So, even at very low winter temperatures, it does not allow heat to escape through the roof. In summer, a thick layer of reeds protects the premises from overheating, keeping the house cool. Thanks to this, it is not necessary to resort to additional thermal insulation work.
Reed grows in a humid environment, and therefore completely immune to the effects of water. He will not rot, rot, and. which is very important, mold, fungus or moss are extremely reluctant to settle in it.
There is a high resistance of the material to negative external influences - ultraviolet rays, temperature extremes, precipitation,
Laying reed roofing is accompanied by the creation of natural ventilation for the attic and under-roof space. This property of the coating allows in many cases to refuse additional vapor and waterproofing of the structure.

Reed layers, due to its hollow tubular structure, are an excellent soundproofing material. Such a roof absorbs noise, will never resonate. By the way, this quality, along with thermal insulation properties, encourages homeowners to use reed mats for wall cladding.
Reed coating, unlike metal, is not a store of static electricity, therefore, the risk of lightning discharges falling into it is eliminated.
Long service life. Such coatings do not require major repairs within 55÷60 years, they do not need to be cleaned and painted. If it becomes necessary to carry out a small repair, the operations may consist in installing patches, that is, bundles of new material are fixed on mechanically damaged places. The newly installed sheaf at first may differ slightly from the entire coating in shade, but within a year, under the influence of external factors, the color will even out.

It should be noted that over time, the color of reed slopes not only does not fade, but, on the contrary, becomes deeper and nobler. This helps such a roof to fit perfectly into the harmony of the natural environment.

Ample opportunities are provided to create complex architectural structures of the roof, thanks to the flexibility of the stems of the plant.

To negative moments reed cover include:

combustibility of the material. It is for this reason that many doubt, and therefore do not dare to opt for reeds to cover the roof. However, it should be noted that a lot of building materials have one degree or another of combustibility, and first of all, they should include the tree from which the majority is built. In addition, if the reed coating is made in compliance with all fire safety requirements, then ignition from sparks that have fallen on the roof becomes extremely unlikely.

Fire-fighting measures include the treatment of the floor covering with fire retardant impregnations. True, we have to agree that this product is washed out over time, and the impregnation needs to be updated periodically. But, by the way, in many European countries, reed roofs are not covered with fire retardants at all - in order to maintain 100% environmental cleanliness of the coating.

The natural "enemy" of reed roofs can be birds that either try to organize nests in such a comfortable and warm covering, or take away material for building nests in other places. However, this can be successfully combated if the material is laid very tightly, and individual reeds are not allowed to protrude beyond the general coating layer.

Prices for metal siding

metal siding

High cost and complexity of installation work. Previously, when reeds were used everywhere to cover the roofs of houses, it probably cost a penny, and each homeowner could equip the roof on their own, since this skill was passed down from father to son. Today, both the material itself and the work on laying it are very expensive. Depending on the quality and variety of raw materials, the average price of the material varies from four hundred to one and a half thousand rubles per square meter. And with complex styling, prices generally become “cosmic”.

How to choose and prepare reeds yourself?

Probably, before proceeding to consider the structure of reed roofs, you should get to know the material better. In particular, to understand what it is, when and how it is harvested, what methods are used to link cut plants.

So, reed is an annual plant and grows in coastal water zones in almost all regions of Russia. Its stems can be round, square or triangular in cross section, they reach a height of 2.5 ÷ 3 meters. Only in our latitudes there are more than fifty types of reeds, and most of them can be used to cover and insulate the roof or finish the walls.

In construction, cropped stems of plants are used, the thickness of which is 5÷8 mm, and the height is from 1500 to 2500 mm. The stems have high strength and flexibility, so it is convenient to work with them, collecting them in sheaves and laying them on the roof.

It is recommended to harvest reeds for construction work in winter, when the reservoirs are covered with ice. For cutting plants, a hand or brush cutter, sickle or tarpan is used, sometimes even an ordinary, sharpened shovel, which is convenient for work if the reeds are cut from the ice surface.

Harvesting reeds only at first glance seems simple, but in fact it is a very difficult job, since one should not forget that a lot of raw materials will be required to cover the roof. Therefore, having decided to carry out this work on your own, you need to tune in to a long and laborious process.

Cut reeds are folded into bales (sheaves), usually with a standard circumferential coverage of 600 mm. These sheaves are tied at the bottom in two places at a height of about 100 and 500 mm from the cut point. Linking is carried out with twine, flexible wire, or the reed stems themselves.

The upper side of the sheaf, where the inflorescences of the plant are located ( panicle), are cut off immediately after collecting the reeds or after it has dried. For the convenience of performing work, wooden folding goats are used. Pruning of inflorescences at the collection point is carried out if there is no desire to drag excess garbage into the territory of your site.

shingles prices

flexible tile

It is worth noting that in some cases panicles are not cut off at all, since there are technologies for laying reed cover with them.

The reed collected in bales is collected in a stack or installed along the walls of buildings and left to dry. The optimum moisture content of plant stems for work is approximately 18%.

Some craftsmen prefer to postpone knitting reeds in bales altogether until spring. So, in winter, it is cut and neatly folded with inflorescences in one direction, and its cleaning, pruning and distribution into sheaves is carried out already with the advent of warm days.

Previously, the knitting of sheaves was carried out by the stalks of reeds themselves, from which the tourniquet was twisted. It was called differently in different regions of the country - viscous, svyasly or bandage. To make the stems more plastic, they were soaked in water for a while.

1a, 1b, 1c and 1g- the sequence of twisting the tourniquet (connected);

2a, 2b and 2c- tying an ordinary sheaf;

3a, 3b and 3c- the procedure for making a double sheaf.

The techniques for making a tie and knitting sheaves are shown in the illustration above, but there is, apparently, the need to make some clarifications

You need to take a handful of reeds, that is, as much as will fit in the palm of your hand.
Then the handful must be divided in half and these two bundles are put together so that the reed panicles are turned one to the other.
Next, proceed to twisting the tourniquet.
A ready bundle is wrapped around a prepared sheaf of reeds. Then the ends of the tie are twisted together clockwise, then bent in half and slipped under the bundle, which is wrapped around the sheaf. Such a knot is convenient in that the sheaves laid on the roof will not untie, and if they need to be used in bulk, they can be quickly dissolved by pulling on the twisted end of the bundle.
In order for the edges of the roof to be full and beautiful, so-called double sheaves are often knitted for them. To make it, a single sheaf is first knitted, but it is not tied very tightly with a tie. Then the finished bale is laid on the ground and pressed with a knee - it becomes flat from such a load. Further, the reed is divided into two approximately identical parts, after which one of them is rotated 180 degrees, so that the panicles are in different directions. Then another 180-degree turn is made, in which the panicles are again close. So it turns out two sheaves, interconnected by one bundle.

It should be noted that today it is rare for anyone to use reed ties for knitting sheaves, since this requires a certain skill. For this purpose, other materials are quite suitable, which are easier to use and reduce the period of procurement work - these are wire or strong twinethat do not need to be twisted.

Slate prices

They begin to engage in the creation of a reed roof only after the required number of sheaves has been prepared for the coating. Here we can proceed from the established and proven practice norm that at least eight standard sheaves are consumed per square meter of roof area (with a circumferential coverage of approximately 600 mm, a length of 1500 to 2000 mm - they are also often referred to as "eurosheaves"). Probably, it would be useful to lay a certain margin, about 20% - for culling, pruning and flaws in work. In total, it is best to proceed from the ratio: 1 m² of roof → 10 standard sheaves.

Before throwing sheaves on the roof, they must be cleaned and trimmed from the underside.

Applied methods of laying reeds on the truss system

There are several common ways of laying prepared reeds on the truss system. In the specialized literature, four types are usually described, however, there are still some nuances in the technology of working with this material.

Variety of styling techniques

So, there are four main installation methods - these are “under the brush”, “parks”, “in a tight” and panels (mats).

"Under the brush" - this method can be called the most popular, since it is still most often used to cover the roof. It differs in that reed sheaves are laid on the roof slopes in rows root down, and then hemmed, "combed" and compacted with a special tool - comb(brush) and spatula.

Subject to the technology of laying and leveling, the roof, covered with reeds “under the brush”, looks monolithic and resembles a velvet coating.

Well-compressed sheaves have practically no air gaps between the stems of plants - this makes the coating more resistant to fire. However, after laying and “combing” the reeds, it is still recommended to additionally impregnate it with one of the compounds that increase the fire and biostability of the material.

"Parks". Using this installation method, only the first row of reeds, which runs along the eaves, should be laid root down, and the rest of the bales are mounted root up.

“In a tight fit” - this option is simpler than the previous two, but the coating made in a similar way does not look very aesthetically pleasing, so it cannot be called popular. Its technology is quite simple, the reeds pounce on the roof slopes randomly, and in order for the roofing material not to be blown away by the wind, it is fixed from above with poles, beams, slats, etc. However, perhaps there is some special “charm” in this, and the owner of the house will choose just such a slightly “tousled” design of his home.

Panels or mats are made from pre-dried and cut sheaves. In this case, the bales can have different diameters, depending on how thick the panel is planned to be made. To do this, the bales are stitched together with wire.

For different buildings, mats of different thicknesses are used. For example, to create full-fledged roofs of residential buildings, reed shields with a thickness of 300 ÷ 350 mm are made, and for the roofs of gazebos, 150 ÷ 200 mm is enough.

Making mats from sheaves on your own is quite simple. This will require a frame knocked down from boards, a crossbar pipe (horizontal bar) or even a reliable tree branch that grows almost horizontally. In addition, a strong rope or wire is needed, which should have a length equal to two heights from the ground to the crossbar. Each of the pieces of the rope is folded in half, and a strong knot is tied in this place. One end of the rope is tied to the top bar and the other end is left on the ground. To make it more convenient to work, small sharpened pieces of rails or special devices - shuttles - are fixed to the free ends.

Such ropes will require 4 ÷ 5 pieces, depending on the size of the future mat. The extreme ones should be located 80 ÷ 100 mm from the borders of the future mat, the rest are distributed at equal intervals.

Then, the prepared sheaf is taken, placed on the lower nodes. To secure the first bale, you will need a helper to support the other end of the bale while the first one is being secured. Next, the free end with the shuttle is wrapped vertical ropetied to the crossbar, as shown in the figure above. In the same way, all subsequent bales are secured.

Reeds tied into such panels are much easier to lay. The only thing that will complicate the work is its lifting of the material to a height, given that the mass of such mats is quite big, especially if they have a large thickness.

Varieties by "schools" of laying

The above styling techniques are not the final division. There are also, so to speak, "schools" of laying reeds on the roof. The most commonly mentioned are the "Old Russian", "Polish", "Dutch" and "Danish" ways. They are all, of course, somewhat similar to each other, but have some nuances-differences.

Separately, it is necessary to highlight the so-called "old Russian" method of laying reed sheaves. In it, slegs are fixed to the rafter legs of the structure - horizontally laid thin logs or thick branches. Reeds arranged in sheaves are laid on them and pressed with poles (tugs). Puffs were previously tied to the slabs with wicker, but today strong, flexible wire is commonly used instead. Reeds in bales were stacked in steps, and then tamped down with combs.
"Polish" technology involves the arrangement of a coating with a looser structure, that is, reeds laid on slopes are not very compacted. At the same time, in this "school" of making a roof, the ridge is made from the same reed.
The Dutch method has certain standards for the length of bales, which should be from 1100 to 1800 mm, and the thickness of the stems should not exceed 2÷6 mm. The reeds are laid tightly, and then lined with a comb.
The Danish version also has standards for material length and thickness. The length of the stems in them is no more than 1000 mm, and their diameter is 4 ÷ 5 mm.

It should be noted that the most accurate and elegant roof looks when thin reeds are used to cover the slopes. In addition, it fits more tightly on the roof, which achieves high protection of the house from heat leakage, moisture infiltration and noise penetration.

From givendescriptions of different ways of mounting reeds on the roof, it can be concluded that the fundamental difference for the most part lies only in the length of the sheaves and the thickness of the stems of the material. In accordance with this, the step of the lathing of the truss system also varies.

Another difference in the design of roofs equipped with different technologies is the design of the ridge with various materials and methods.

Differences reed roofs on the basis (sheathing of the truss system)

Reed roofs are also subdivided according to their basis. Yes, they are open and closed.

In the open structure of the reed roof, the sheaves are laid directly on the bars or poles of the lathing of the roof truss system. The installation process is quite complicated, therefore it requires a certain skill, which professional roofers have who work with this material all the time.

The rafters in this design are fixed in the same way as for sheet roofing material, at a distance from one another, usually 600 mm. The laths of the crate are installed horizontally, in increments of 280 mm, except for two fixed above the eaves and one running along the ridge beam. They are located at a distance of 150 mm from the edges of the slope from below and from above, respectively.

On the two lower elements of the crate, a galvanized fastening wire 5 mm thick is fixed, and on all other horizontal rails - 1 mm thick. With it, the sheaves will be attracted to the crate. As you can see from the presented diagram, this design does not use steam and waterproofing, since there is no special need for them.

To make it more comfortable to work, after laying the sheaves of the first row, they are temporarily fixed in place. clothespins or metal hooks.

These fasteners are removed as the row is wired to the base. Then they are moved to the next stacked layer of reeds, and they also remain in place until it is finally fixed. Thus, on average, 25 ÷ 30 pieces of such hooks or clamps will be required for work.

On one or all pins with hooks, a mark is made equal to the required thickness of the flooring - usually it is 300 ÷ 350 mm. The mark allows you to control the uniformity of the thickness of the reed laying.

Instead of metal hooks, T-shaped wooden clamps are also used to fix the bales, which penetrate the roof layer and hold it in one position. Basically, such a mount is used in the Dutch technology for arranging reed roofs.

The closed version of the reed roof requires more different materials for arrangement, but laying reed sheaves will become much easier, since they are mounted on a solid base. As a continuous crate, plywood 10 ÷ 12 mm thick is laid on the rafters and horizontal beams. Then the plywood is covered with a vapor barrier material, on top of which the fastening and tension wires are fixed horizontally at the same distance from each other as in an open structure. The wire is screwed to the base with self-tapping screws.

Work on arranging a closed version of the roof, despite the large number of layers, is much faster, so this design is more popular than open.

Some craftsmen can also use an old slate or other coating as a basis, on which a wooden crate is fixed. Thus, the old roof serves as a reliable waterproofing, and the reeds serve as an excellent heat and sound insulator for the roof of the house, while at the same time giving the building the necessary decorative effect.

Some important features of a reed roof

When arranging a roof covered with reeds, it is necessary to take into account some nuances that will directly affect the duration of its operation. Therefore, it is quite possible to call them, rather, even requirements that are mandatory for execution.

The design of the reed roof may be different, but its slopes must necessarily be located at an angle of not less than 30 ÷ 35 degrees. At the same time, you need to know that the smaller the slope of the slopes, the greater the risk of stagnant zones on their surface, which significantly reduces the durability of the coating.

Given the heavy weight of the coating, which, with its thickness of 300 mm, can reach up to 35÷40 kg / m², it is necessary to provide a reliable foundation for it. The designs of the crates were presented in the diagrams above.
After laying the reeds on the rafter system, wherever it protrudes beyond the lower structural elements, it must be tried to compress it by 45 ÷ 60 mm. The stems are compressed towards the outer surface, that is, from below, and in such a way that there are practically no gaps between them.

The reed can protrude beyond the clamping bar or the edge of the hooks, by about 150÷200 mm, and must be firmly pressed against the base. And, the lower layers of the stems should protrude only by 100 ÷ 150 mm, and the upper ones by the above length.
To ensure the clamp, galvanized steel wire with a thickness of 5 or 4.6 mm is used. The first clamping wire is placed at a distance of 200 mm from the lower edge of the hooks, and the second - 120 mm away from the first.

Each next row of reed bales is laid indented from the edge of the lower, previous one by 280÷300 mm.
Sheaves of reeds must be additionally stitched at the edges of the lathing with stainless steel wire 1 mm thick, which must be placed every 200 mm.
If the distance from the ridge of the roof slopes to the eaves (eaves) is no more than 7000 mm, and the angle of its slope is 40 degrees or more, and reeds 1500 mm long are used for the coating, then the thickness of the coating along the ridge should be at least 220 mm, and along eaves line not less than 250 mm.

If the slope has a length (from the ridge to the eaves) of more than 7000 mm, and the slope of the slope is less than 40 degrees, then the thickness of the coating should be at least 250 mm along the ridge line, and 300 mm along the cornice.

The ridge in the reed roof can be made of different materials. It is knitted from the stems of the same reed, tiles or ready-made ridge elements for metal tiles are laid along the cornice line, etc. However, experienced roofers advise, before fixing the roofing material, to strengthen the ridge with a reinforcing mesh, which is lowered onto the slope by 200 ÷ 250 mm.

Another option for forming a ridge is laying bales of reeds along it and fixing them to the crate, and then covering them with a “cap” tied from the stems.

It is impossible not to say how to properly flash the reeds, since several methods are currently used for this operation.

Previously, through stitching of the reed cover with wire was used, but this is a long and not justified by the quality work, so this method is practically not used today.

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ceramic tiles

Most often, the fastening of the reeds on the slopes is carried out with self-tapping screws, to which the wire is fixed. Self-tapping screws are screwed into the elements of the crate. Usually, for this type of fixation, self-tapping screws with a length of 35 mm are sufficient, and wires with a diameter of 0.8 ÷ 1.0 mm.

It is possible to fix the material with nails, but in this case, the crate bars will have to be made more powerful, otherwise the nails can split them. On nails, as well as on self-tapping screws, a wire is fixed, which will press the coating to the base.

Firmware of reeds with the help of pritugi and vics according to the old Russian method. A thick branch (slightly) or a beam of medium thickness is used as a puff, and willow and birch rods of a sufficiently large length, which were made more plastic by soaking, were previously called vices.

Today, wicks can be wire, hemp rope, or other durable material. The vices are passed under the rafter leg, their two ends are pulled out, which are tightened or twisted on top of the tugs. After that, the ends of the wicks are hidden under the reed cover in the under-roof space and tied again. The firmware is covered from above with the next layer of reeds.

For compaction of mats, their alignment and “combing”, a comb-brush and blades of bits are used. The coverage should be dense enough, since it depends on this quality how protected the coating will be from fire, what heat and waterproofing abilities it will have, how long the roof as a whole will last.

Do-it-yourself installation of a reed roof

Tools for the job

To perform roofing operations, you will need some special tools and devices that ensure the comfort and safety of working on the roof. The "classic" set of the roofer - "reed" is shown in the illustration:

1 - Comb or brush. It can have a short handle, as shown in the picture, or a long one.

2 - Knife with a serrated blade.

3 - Serpso with special sharpening (a - needles, b - blades).

4 - Durable work gloves.

5 - Blades.

These tools are traditionally used. In addition to them, for work they use for screwing screws, a hammer, as well as devices for lifting sheaves to the roof and to ensure comfortable and safe work. These are short stairs or steps on sharp knives. With the help of such legs, the stairs are fixed on the already laid reeds.

Performing installation work

Now that the nuances of performing work on creating a reed roofing are known, we can proceed to consider the installation process itself.

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The truss system for laying reeds should already be fully prepared so as not to be distracted by the installation of its elements in the process of creating a roofing. If the installation of reeds will be carried out on the truss system, then wind boards should already be fixed along its gables, and their width, protruding above the rafter legs, should correspond to the planned thickness of the reed cover. When laying the material, the wind boards will become reliable boards for the reeds, as it must be pressed tightly against them. In addition, the ends of the draw wire are attached to the wind boards.

Illustration	Brief description of the operation to be performed
	When carrying out installation according to the "old Russian" technology, the first row of reed sheaves is put on the lower lath of the crate, forming an eave - a roof overhang. Separate sheaves are additionally fixed to hooks that limit the movement of a slab or beam. The first row of single or double sheaves is laid out, the edges of which are cut perfectly evenly, since the eaves should turn out to be dense, beautiful and have the same thickness throughout the overhang. If the first row is laid inaccurately, then this can ruin the whole look of the roof. Therefore, when collecting reeds in sheaves, you should not save money - you need to make their size as recommended by experienced roofers, that is, 600 mm in circumference. The bales are stacked tightly to each other, as there should not be free space between them. Their upper part, on which the panicles are located, is distributed fan-shaped over the surface of the crate.
	It is easier to lay reeds on a closed roof, since you do not have to guess where the bales are to be fixed. This diagram shows the installation option on a plank base, fixed with nails or self-tapping screws to the rafters of the structure. The reed flooring is fixed with a wire with self-tapping screws fixed on it in advance with a step of 250 ÷ 300 mm.
	Another option for laying reeds is more complex. Using this technology, the sheaves are laid out along the edge of the roof, removing the ropes from them, and the stems are distributed over the surface of the crate. This method is difficult because it is very difficult to create the same thickness of the coating, and then fix it on the base, while maintaining the evenness of the edge. To use this method, you must have some experience in this type of work. Installation of the coating is recommended to be carried out by two people - one will lay the sheaves on the roof, and the other will supply the material to a height. Again, from below you can better assess the evenness of the first row.
	The second row of reeds is laid so that its edge overlaps the places of dressings (tied up) of the bales of the first row. At the same time, the edge of the second row should be located no more than 280÷300 mm from the edge of the eave. This diagram shows the fixing of the roofing material with the help of flexible willow or birch twigs - wicks (b) and pritugs (a). The tacks are attracted by the vices to the elements of the batten or rafters and securely hold the roofing material in one position.
	Today there is no particular need to harvest willow and birch rods, especially since they will require quite a large number. For these purposes, it is quite possible to use aluminum or galvanized wire. On the one hand, it is fixed on the inside of the wind board, then stretched along the entire length of the laid row, stepping back from the lower edge of the sheaf 250 ÷ 300 mm.
	After that, with a step of 200 ÷ 250 mm, peculiar studs are installed, made from the same wire. The length of the studs should be 150÷200 mm more than the thickness of the reed cover and the base. From the inside of the attic, the ends of the hairpin go around the bars or battens, twist, attracting the wire stretched over the surface of the reeds, which presses the bales to the surface of the base. The other edge of the clamping wire is fixed to the inside of the wind board on the opposite gable of the roof.
Kevin E. Schmidt/QUAD-CITY TIMES Master thatcher Colin McGhee of Staunton, Va., works on the thatch roof of the German hausbarn being built in Lincoln Park in DeWitt, Iowa.	Combing (levelling) "under the brush" can be done immediately after laying each row of sheaves. Upon completion of the installation of the row, a kind of step is obtained, which must be brought to the same level with the underlying sheaves using a comb.
	Performing this procedure, the reeds are compacted (knocked out), patting on it with the same comb-shovel, while “combing”. From the first time, these actions may well not turn out properly, since this work requires some skill. But experience needs to be gained!
	Combs may differ in their design. So, some of them have a short handle, like a paint grater. Such a tool is made of wood and usually has a standard size of 300 × 250 × 50 mm. On one surface of the comb, teeth 12 ÷ 15 mm high are cut out, on the other, a handle is fixed. On the end side of such a comb, with a step of 20 ÷ 25 mm, nails are driven in, from which hats are cut off. This part of the tool is intended for combing and leveling the reed stems. However, compaction with such a tool is difficult to carry out, therefore, in addition, for nailing the coating, you need to have a heavy blade.
	Today, craftsmen mainly work with metal tools. Such blades have on one side a relief in the form of rings, pointed along the upper edge, which allows not only to compact the reed, but also to level it, and also to comb it at the same time. As a result of this “treatment”, the roof acquires a uniform bristly coating with a short pile. From afar, it looks velvety and soft.
	Next, the third row is laid out. Its edge should also be at a distance of 250 ÷ 280 mm from the edge of the previous stacked sheaves. In the same way, work is carried out right up to the ridge.
	The ridge of a reed roof can be equipped in different ways. Previously, when covering the roof in the old Russian way, sheaves of reeds were bent over the ridge slope, making it possible for rainwater to flow freely along both slopes. The laying of reeds on the second slope of the roof is also made from the eaves, but having reached the ridge, the reed stalks are slipped under the row of reeds folded through the ridge element. On top of the ridge covered in this way, the sheaves need to be strengthened, and this is done with the help of special devices called chains (goats), made from poles of the same length. The goats are made on the ground and rise to a height in finished form, after which they are placed on the ridge at the same distance. The lower ends of the goat are fixed on the slats of the crate, through holes drilled in them and in the crate, into which wooden pins are hammered. On top of the pins, heavy braces are laid, which should firmly press the legs of the goat to the reed cover. On top of the reeds, on the ridge, it is laid and fixed slightly.
	Another version of the design of the ridge is carried out using tiled or metal ridge elements. If this method of forming the roof ridge is used, then first bales of reeds with a diameter of 100 ÷ 120 mm are laid along the ridge pole or beam. Usually they use a large, so-called drill reed. These bales fill the space under the ridge elements, and at the same time retain the possibility of ventilation of the under-roof space. In addition, there are other ways to make a skate, and they were mentioned above.
	The final stage of work is the cleaning of the roof surface from the debris remaining after the “combing” of the reeds, trimming and knocking down the eaves.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the arrangement of a reed roof can be called a kind of art. And this process is not available to everyone. Therefore, if there is no practical experience in this area, and there is an element of self-doubt, then it is better to entrust such roofing work to professionals. This is easily explained - only a well-laid, knocked down and "combed" reed roof will have good performance characteristics.

With a strong desire to carry out this process on your own, it is recommended to first test your strength on the so-called template. To do this, you can take a sheet of plywood or knock something like a crate of a truss system out of a bar. Then set the base at the angle at which the roof slopes are equipped, and try to lay and fix the sheaves of reeds in one of the selected ways. It will be enough to lay three rows of cover, and experimental bales of a smaller diameter can be made to facilitate initial training.

If you manage to securely fix the material on the surface, and then level it and “comb it”, then you can move on to larger-scale work. And yet, for the first experience, it is better to build a reed roof, say, on a garden gazebo - there will be where to “fill your hand”.

Will complete today's review of the video story in which the work of professionals in laying reed roofing is shown:

Video: A very difficult task - laying a reed roof

Reeds are environmentally friendly and beautiful, so a roof made of this natural material will add individuality and charm to the look of any building. But in its application in our time there are a lot of tricks and difficulties. Of course, all of them can be overcome and achieve the perfect result with your own hands.

Properties of reeds as a finishing material

To begin with, let's define what exactly we mean by the word "reed".

Difficulties in terminology

The fact is that there are three very similar types of lake and water plants: reeds, cattails and reeds.

Reed (Scirpus), a genus of perennial, rarely annual plants of the sedge family. Over 250 species around the globe. In the USSR, there are about 20 species growing in moist places and in water. K. lake, or kuga (S. lacustris), often forms extensive thickets, is a peat former; its stems (up to 2.5 m high) are used for weaving various products and as a packaging, heat-insulating and building material. Cane is often incorrectly called a reed - a plant of the grass family.

http://bse.sci-lib.com/article058385.html

Lake reed looks like small inflorescences on a thin long stem

Cattail (Typha), a genus of monocot plants of the cattail family. There are broad-leaved and narrow-leaved. Monoecious perennial aquatic or marsh herbs 3 to 4 m high, with a long and thick creeping rhizome. About 20 species found almost all over the globe. Inflorescences are used to produce cellulose, film, mixed with animal hair - for the production of felt. Stems - as a packaging, heat-insulating and building material.
Great Soviet Encyclopedia
http://bse.sci-lib.com/article097278.html

Rogoz is a stem with long sharp leaves-ribbons, crowned with an inflorescence-cone

Reed (Phragmites), a genus of plants in the grass family. Large perennial herbs 0.5-5 m high, with long creeping rhizomes. Leaf blades are linear-lanceolate, up to 5 cm wide. It usually forms thickets, especially extensive in floodplains, lower reaches and deltas of southern rivers. Young plants (long before flowering) are eaten by cattle and horses. It is used to obtain heat-insulating and building material - reeds, suitable for roofing, making fences, wickerwork, rough grades of paper. Often incorrectly called reeds.
Great Soviet Encyclopedia
http://bse.sci-lib.com/article112431.html

Reed is very easy to confuse with reeds, but its inflorescences are more spiky and larger.

I found that most of my acquaintances do not even know the difference between reeds, reeds and cattails - although they are quite different in appearance. The funny thing is that all these varieties can be used for roofing - where they grow. For example, in Central Asia, cattail prevails, and in the southern countries - reed. In terms of their performance, they are almost identical. But for some reason people call all such roofs reed. Let's follow this example, especially since in Russia roofs are still made more often from reeds.

The unique qualities of reeds

For thousands of years, people have used reeds as a roofing material. And not only in those cases when there was nothing else in the area where the house was built. This material was valued everywhere because of its unique qualities, cheapness and durability. This is confirmed by thousands of documents - for example, a drawing of a “Cossack hut” from Vadym Shcherbakivsky’s book “Ukrainian folk art. Ornamentation of the Ukrainian Khati”, published in Rome in 1980.

The drawing of the "Cossack hut" from the book by Vadim Shcherbakivsky proves the long history of the use of reeds

In Central Asia, reeds were used not only for roofs, sometimes they were added to clay instead of straw to make building bricks and plaster. Such clay was called "adobe", and houses made of such bricks were called adobe.

Reed roofs and adobe trading rows can be seen in many markets of Central Asia in the middle of the 19th century.

The traditions of covering the roof with reeds and using it for other purposes in Central Asia have survived to this day. In the market, private traders from riverside villages sell reed shields of various thicknesses - for roofs and fences. In my Tashkent house, the beds and plantings were fenced off from the dogs with low reed fences. In the first few years they are very beautiful - golden and glossy, then darken, but still create an inexpressibly beautiful color. And on the site with the house where I grew up, we had outbuildings covered with reeds - apples and grapes were stored there all winter, because dampness and mold will never start in a room covered with reeds.

Many of the sheds of my childhood were covered with makeshift reed roofs.

Reed is used not only as a roofing material and as an additive to clay for adobe. Mats are also made from reeds for wall cladding for sound and heat insulation.

Houses are sometimes sheathed with reeds for thermal insulation.

In the modern technogenic world, people have begun to strive more and more for a clean environment, so reeds have returned to construction after a long break. And now many Russian companies are engaged in harvesting sheaves for reed roofs, specially growing a special variety of this natural material.

Advantages and disadvantages of a reed roof

As a roofing material, reed (or its varieties) is absolutely unique.

Its undoubted advantages:

If suddenly the repair of the reed roof is still required, then it is quite simple to perform, and the “patch” will soon merge in color with the main coating.

Its non-critical shortcomings:

color change over time - from golden to grayish-earthy, but this will further emphasize its environmental friendliness and nobility;
with loose laying, birds can become its enemies - either by arranging nests, or pulling the stems to nests in another place;
rodents can settle in the reed cover, which is eliminated by appropriate pre-treatment of the material;
in our conditions and in our time, the construction of such a roof is a rather expensive pleasure. A square meter of material alone will cost from five hundred to two thousand rubles, and together with the work of highly paid (due to the rarity of the profession) craftsmen - from 6 to 8 thousand;
rather complicated styling, which requires either a thoughtful study of technology, or the involvement of craftsmen.

Photo gallery: reed roofs

Such a log house is made of environmentally friendly materials from the basement to the roof. Special technology allows you to lay reeds without tamping and combing, which looks very beautiful. Even very complex roofs can be made from reeds. This is a very old Ukrainian hut, reeds even turned green, but are perfectly preserved. a beautiful pagoda-style roof In a gazebo with an interesting ridge, two laying technologies are used To make the roof even, it is rammed with a special tool. This also happens - the reed roof is lowered at the entrance. battens Reed roof can be in the form of a sculpture When working on the roof, you need to have devices to insure workers - reeds are very slippery

Do-it-yourself reed roof of a gazebo

With the obvious advantages of reeds, we do not see many roofs made of this material around. The main reason, obviously, is the complexity of their implementation. It all starts with the preparation of reed material. In principle, you can also buy ready-made sheaves, professionally assembled and tied.

On an industrial scale, harvesting of reeds by a combine harvester is used.

"Industrial" sheaves are more or less the same and convenient to use.

A sheaf of reeds, harvested in an industrial way, has a certain thickness and length

But it will be much cheaper to do it yourself.

Procurement of material for the future roof

The first step is harvesting the reeds.

cutting stems

Traditionally, roofing uses stems 5–8 millimeters thick and one and a half to two meters long. It is necessary to cut the stems in winter, when the ice becomes - it is more convenient and safe.

Reed stalks need to be cut in winter when the water is frozen.

You can cut the stems with a sickle, scythe, motoscythe - even with a sharply sharpened shovel. The shovel is especially suitable for working directly over the ice, from its surface.

Reed harvesting is done with a sickle, scythe or even a shovel.

A lot of material is needed - even a small gazebo will require a thick reed roof. Therefore, we are preparing for a long work of cutting. On the spot we tie the reeds into thick sheaves only in the rough - later at home we will either carefully tie them to the right size, or scatter them to build mats.

We knit cut reeds in sheaves, without thinking about their uniformity and size.

For ease of tying, you can use small folding goats.

Tying reeds is very convenient on special goats

Not only the appearance of the roof, but also its durability directly depends on the quality of the stems.

Creating the Right Sheaves

We tie the reed brought home into the same sheaves of the desired diameter. For the construction of the roof, traditionally (and this is most convenient) they are made with a circumference of about 600 mm. If it is planned to manufacture mats, then the diameter of the blanks should be equal to the thickness of the future mat. Sheaves are tied twice - at a distance of about ten centimeters from the cut and half a meter from it.

The finished sheaf is tied in two places

The fixation of the sheaf (knitting) is done with a flexible wire, twine, or simply one or more reed stalks twisted into a bundle. If we want to be consistent in our striving for an environmentally friendly building, then the choice between wire and bundle is obvious.

In Russia, such a tourniquet has long been called svyasly or viscous.

A tourniquet made of reeds, with which a sheaf is tied up, used to be called a wad

To make the connection soft and durable, the stems are soaked in advance. The technology of knitting sheaves with a svyasly is quite simple.

Of course, it is much easier to tie the sheaves with twine or wire.

I read in all the manuals on reeds that the reeds cut for the roof must be dried to 18% moisture. But in practice it is very difficult to measure. Therefore, the degree of drying is determined exclusively by the organoleptic method - by eye and touch. Moreover, when laying reeds on the roof, it must be sprinkled with water to restore plasticity.

There are absolutely precisely verified figures for the consumption of sheaves when installing a roof from them. If the sheaves have a circumference of about 600 millimeters and a length of up to two meters (for some reason, sheaves with these parameters are popularly called "Eurosheaves"), then at least eight such sheaves will go per square meter of the roof. And, of course, you need to take into account the margin for marriage and errors - usually 20%. Accordingly, we came to the figure: 10 sheaves per square meter of roof.

A simpler way - building a roof from reed mats - is especially often used for outbuildings. For the roof of the house, you need to make mats with a thickness of 30–35 centimeters, and for a gazebo, a thickness of 15–20 centimeters will be enough.

Assembly of mats

Mats are collected in three ways:

Let's take a closer look at the last method.

The machine can be made capital - put together a strong frame, place limiters corresponding to the thickness of the mat, pull wire onto the frame, come up with shuttles. And you can make it from improvised materials, spending a minimum of time.

An improvised machine for mats can be made even from a horizontal branch of a tree

You need a horizontal bar or even a horizontal tree branch. To it and to the hooks driven into the ground (by the way, you can do without them - the structure itself will tend to the ground after laying the first bundle of reeds) ropes or pieces of flexible wire are tied. Improvised “shuttles” are attached to the other ends of the wire - sharpened slats or something else pointed - with which we will intertwine the stacked bundles of reeds. With the help of an assistant, the bundle is laid down on the rope and wrapped with a free end with a shuttle. Then the operation is repeated and the finished mat is obtained.

A finished mat of the required size can be obtained using a homemade machine

Of course, it is much easier to make a roof from mats than from sheaves, although mats are heavier and difficult to lift to a great height. Moreover, products of greater thickness should be used for the roof of the house. Therefore, mats are more often used for wall insulation and for covering small and low outbuildings such as gazebos.

Since the gazebo is a small building, we can lay down their size during the manufacture of mats, completely covering one roof slope, thereby avoiding the need to overlap the mats.

Laying mats with an overlap does not give a visually beautiful surface

How to mount the roof of the gazebo from reed mats

There is a simple list of rules that are valid for both sheaves and mats when working with roofs of houses and arbors:

the roof should in no case be flat - the slope should exceed 35 °, because with a small slope, the chances of moisture stagnation zones increase, which greatly reduce the life of the roof;
the reed coating is very heavy - with a thickness of 30 centimeters, the weight will be from 30 to 40 kilograms per square meter, so the crate and rafters must be carefully calculated for strength;
a special design of the drainage layer is required, which is made from the edge around the perimeter so that water can seep into the drain;
if it is difficult to make such a layer, then you need to take care of a well-designed storm sewer system in the blind area along the perimeter of the building;
the step of the crate depends on the thickness (and hence the severity) of the mats or sheaves and is usually about 30 centimeters. The crate itself is made from a beam of small section (50x50 mm);
the house should stand in an open place so that there are no trees shading it around, and the roof "breathes" and dries out in time to avoid decay.

Roofs differ in the structure of the ridge. He can hide:

Video: installation of a reed skate

Roofs differ in the type of ceiling:

The open "from the inside" roof is used in decorative buildings, in the design of restaurants and hotels, and, of course, in gazebos.

A reed roof open at the bottom can be found, for example, in a restaurant

As a result, covering a closed-type roof with reeds is faster and more convenient, despite the more complex preparation - sewing on a continuous layer. In this case, it is not necessary to guess the places for attaching the sheaves, and their length does not matter.

Attaching sheaves to a solid crate is much more convenient

Let's assume that we already have a small arbor with rafters and a crate and mats made exactly to the size of the slope. In theory, the laying of reeds for all cases should be carried out on a base of solid plywood sheathing, vapor barrier, ridge tiles and reinforcing mesh.

In the theoretical scheme, the reeds are laid on a continuous crate, covered with a layer of vapor barrier

But in practice, for a small gazebo, they don’t even make a frequent crate, and the ridge is covered with a mat, but narrow, laid across. Under it is placed a strip of roofing material, fixed with self-tapping screws with large washers.

The ridge is covered with a narrow mat laid on a strip of roofing material

From the inside, the gazebo is usually not hemmed, leaving a beautiful reed ceiling.

The gazebo from the inside looks very cozy, which is largely facilitated by a beautiful reed ceiling.

Reed laying technologies

It is necessary to talk about several technologies for laying reed roofing, which received their names from the names of countries. Of course, in basic terms, they are similar to each other - reeds and a closed variety of roofs appear everywhere. But there are also differences.

In the so-called old Russian method, horizontal slats are laid on the rafters. This is not the usual crate, but long thin logs or thick whip-branches. Sheaves of reeds are placed on top of them, which are fixed on top with poles called slats or pritugi and made of willow, although both alder and aspen are suitable. Once upon a time, tugs were fixed with soaked willow and birch twigs - wicks. Now they have been replaced by wire and hemp twine. Sheaves are stacked in steps, then the reeds are knocked out with one of the special tools for such roofs - a comb. The wicks are passed under the rafters, the two ends are pulled tight on the outside and tied, tucked under the reeds and covered with the next reed layer. On the ridge, the sheaves simply bend over on the sled and are fixed with "chains" - poles and pins made of wood.
In the "Polish" technology, the reed is not compacted, the structure is more loose. The skate is also made of reeds, which we used in our gazebo.
The "Danish" method regulates the standards for the size of reed stems in sheaves: the length is not more than a meter, the diameter is 4–5 millimeters. This option allows you to overlap roofs of very complex geometry, but greatly complicates the procedure and requires a small step of the crate.
The "Dutch" method is more democratic: the length of the stems is from 110 to 180 centimeters, the diameter is up to 6 millimeters. Unlike the "Polish" technology, the ridge is covered with other materials. Previously, it was flexible heather, now it is ridge tiles.

Most often, the "Dutch" method is used in the construction of reed roofs.

Let us consider in more detail the correct algorithm for laying sheaves and the principles of fastening the wire. Self-tapping screws for wire (enough length of 35 millimeters) are screwed into the crate. Sheaves are stacked in the direction from the bottom up and fixed with wire. Then they are lined and combed with special tools.

First, the sheaves are stacked from the bottom up and fastened with wire, and then combed with a special tool.

To determine the thickness of the roof, there are data verified by experience and time.

Table: the thickness of the reed cover depending on the characteristics of the roof

Required Tools

The set of tools has not changed for centuries:

Now the tools have become more effective, but the principle of their operation has remained unchanged.

Step-by-step instruction

If we are working on a gable roof, then we need to mount wind boards with a width equal to the thickness of the future reed layer. A steel mounting - usually galvanized - wire with a diameter of about five millimeters is attached to them. It provides clamping sheaves to the roof. Sheaves, as mentioned above, must be sprinkled with water before climbing to the roof. If the house has a fireplace and / or stoves, it is necessary to provide for the methods of organizing the near-pipe space accepted for any combustible roofs.

The wind board must have a width equal to the thickness of the reed mat

The work must be carried out in the absence of wind - especially if we have dried the material, which most often happens.

The first wire is laid twenty centimeters from the edge of the roof, the next - every 12–15 centimeters.
The first sheaves, regular or double, form the edge of the roof - the eaves, which hangs slightly over the edge. We must try to ensure that the eaves are even and the same thickness everywhere, otherwise the aesthetics of the roof will suffer.
Sheaves are fixed with movable staples, and then with wire
In parallel with laying, the top layer of the roof is tamped and leveled. The ends of the reeds are combed and tamped at the same time until a smooth transition between layers is achieved. The roof becomes velvet and soft in appearance, like a carpet.
Knocking and leveling is done in parallel with laying
After we have reached the ridge, the reed is bent over it and fixed.

The finished roof is treated with flame retardant. It is believed that it is more expedient to do just that, and not to soak the sheaves.

Video: construction of a reed roof

Features of the operation of the reed roof

The scope of maintenance measures for a reed roof is incomparable to the similar needs for any other type of roof.

Within a year, all the flaws in the construction usually become visible or palpable. The next year, the roof must be carefully examined, compacted again, combed, and if necessary, then add reeds in some places.
The fire retardant composition penetrates the roof shallowly, only a few centimeters, and is washed off over time by precipitation. Therefore, the impregnation must be repeated every three to four years so that the roof does not catch fire, for example, from sparks from a pipe.
If the house is still standing under the trees, then the roof must be thoroughly cleaned annually from fallen leaves, knots, earth, and debris. In this nutrient medium, moss, lichens or grass can grow on the reeds, which should not be allowed.

Reed roof insulation

It was said above that the reed roof does not need insulation. To dispel possible doubts, we present several arguments in support of this opinion.

Reeds with their thermal insulation properties provide coolness in summer and warmth in winter. In addition, it contributes to the natural ventilation of the attic and under-roof space, eliminating the need to make additional heat, hydro and vapor barrier there - most often not at all environmentally friendly, releasing substances harmful to health (from foam, expanded clay, glass wool, membranes, etc. .).
The thermal insulation properties of a reed roof with a traditional thickness of 30 centimeters are identical to those of a synthetic insulation for a conventional roof of the same thickness. That is, reeds are two in one: both a roof and insulation.

I saw - step by step, starting with the construction of rafters and lathing - the process of erecting a reed roof, and then repeatedly visited this house. Of course, the owners did not provide for insulation and were not mistaken. In winter, even in the attic it was exceptionally warm with conventional means of heating, and under the July sun it was remarkably comfortable. It is worth mentioning the atmosphere in the house (especially in the attic, where the proximity of the roof is felt): pleasant, moderately dry, with a woody aroma, without man-made smells.

So the insulation of the reed roof is completely unnecessary.

Creating a reed roof is a difficult task and a real art. And if you have gone this way, starting with a gazebo and ending with a house, then you can be deservedly proud of yourself.